Author: Zargarian Hambik

Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, Ca 91504
Tel: 818-558-7474
Fax: 818-558-6333
Web:

Festival and Open-Air Divine Liturgy

On Saturday and Sunday, September 16 and 17, 2006 the Western Diocese will
host the first Annual Festival of Faith and Culture. Many artists will be
performing at the Festival, and the include, Vartan and Siranushe Dance
Group, Winds of Passion, Menuet Dance Group, Arax and Alik Garabedian, Elon
Sarafian, Armen Hovhanessian, Hermine Toomanian, Gagik Badalian, Sako,
Hamazkayin Dance Group, Hovik Krikorian, Levon Katrjian, Sosie, Rima,
Michael, Harut Hagopian, and many more continue to be added to the list of
performers at the two-day Festival.
The Festival will officially open at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 with
the performance of the Vartan and Siranushe Dance Group.

Free admission, free parking.

FRENCH PRESIDENT TO VISIT ARMENIA SEPTEMBER 29 ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY DATA

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.09.2006 14:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to preliminary data, French President
Jacques Chirac will pay an official visit to Armenia on September 29,
French Embassy Spokesperson Meri Hakobyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. In her words, the final date of the visit of the French
President usually becomes clear 15 days in advance.

The French President will officially open the Year of Armenia in
France. On September 30 – the first day of the festivities – Charles
Aznavour and famous French singers will perform a concert at the
Republic Square in Yerevan.

Elmar Mammadyarov: No need for the meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs

ArmRadio.am
08.09.2006 13:49

"September 12 RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian will have a meeting
with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Paris. September 13 in London
the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan will meet with the Co-Chairs,"
Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov declared. He said there is no necessity
of the meeting with the Armenian Foreign Minister. "Now we need to
clarify the positions with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and discuss
the ideas," he noted.

Speaking about the opportunity of presenting new ideas about the
conflict settlement, Mammadyarov noted that the work with the
Co-Chairs will continue in the direction, the parties were working
up to now. "We’ll try to agree upon the main principles. I’m curious
to learn the opinion of the Co-Chairs and their suggestions how we
can find ways to make the question proceed."

ARMENIA TO BECOME FOCUS OF WORLD COMMUNITY IF NK CONFLICT IS DISCUSSED AT UN GA
Author: J.Shahverdiyev

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 6 2006

MP Aydin Mirzazade, a member of the Political Board of the New
Azerbaijan Party (NAP), as well as Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary
Commission on Defense and Security, said that the Armenians will be the
main focus of the world community should the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
be discussed at the UN General Assembly. He was commenting on an appeal
to the UN General Assembly by the member-states of GUAM, a regional
organization consisting of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova.

The appeal is for the inclusion of an issue on unresolved conflicts
in the territory of GUAM to an agenda of the 61st session of UN.

Mirzazade said that it is a serious political step. "Three of the four
member-states of GUAM face the problem of violation of its territorial
integrity. Georgia cannot control over two independent establishments,
part of the country in Moldova is under the control of a separatist
regime, while part of the Azerbaijan territory has been occupied
by Armenia. It is interesting that Armenia tries to establish the
occupation of the Azerbaijani territory through ridiculous arguments,"
he stressed.

There are big opportunities for this issue to be considered at the
UN General Assembly. Should this happen, the world community will
focus on separatism existing in the newly indent countries. "Unless
the process is prevented it can spread like a virus to other regions
of the world, including Europe. The whole world, and not only the
four countries, should fight against this problem. The principle of
territorial integrity is one of major factors of stability in the
region. It gained importance after World War II," Mirzazade said.

He shared the opinion that the UN does not possess a mechanism of
impact, but only a tribune. "Discussion of any issue from this
tribune can become a powerful tool of diplomatic and political
influence. First, they will firstly discus separatism, and secondly,
Armenia will become the focus of world community," he stated.

CANADIAN ARMENIAN PHOTOGRAPHER HRAYR HAWK’S EXHIBITION OPENS AT RA FOREIGN MINISTRY

Noyan Tapan
Sept 05 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. Canadian Armenian photographer Hrayr
Hawk’s (Khatcherian) exhibition entitled "Free World of Armenia: with
Hawk’s Eyes," dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the independence
of Armenia, opened on September 5 at the RA Foreign Ministry. More
than 4 dozens of photos are presented in the exhibition. They picture
historic-cultural monuments, nature, etc. of Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh.

Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian mentioned that this exhibition will be
organized in a number of countries of the world as well. In his words,
owing to these photos, foreigners will get acquainted with Armenia. "We
see beauty of the Armenian nature with the help of these photos. And
it is not accidental that annual calendars of the Foreign Ministry
are decorated with H.Hawk’s photographers," V.Oskanian mentioned.

In H.Hawk’s words, there are such places in Armenia about which even
residents of Armenia do not know, and many of them do not believe that
it is our Fatherland. The photographer mentioned that he attepmts
to present not only Armenia but also people living in Armenia to
the world.

To recap, few months ago H.Hawk published his "Land" and "Hovering
Hawk" albums. The photographer envisages to publish in a separate
album photos of Armenian churches built in different countries as
well as an album dedicated to Artsakh.

‘TURKISH RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE A ‘DAYDREAM"
By Cihan News Agency

Zaman Online, Turkey
Aug 5 2006

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that it would
be nothing but a "daydream" to expect recognition by Turkey of the
so-called genocide of Armenians during the last years of the Ottoman
Empire.

PM Erdogan and his Albanian counterpart Sali Berisha held a joint
press conference on Tuesday following their meeting at the prime
ministry office in Ankara.

Commenting on the draft report on Turkey for 2006 prepared by the
European Parliament (EP), Erdogan remarked that the EP decisions
were nor binding. Erdogan added that expecting Turkey’s recognition
of Armenian killings as "genocide" was impossible.

The EP called on Turkey for recognition of so-called Armenian genocide
claims as a condition for its accession to the union in a draft report
adopted by majority in Strasbourg on Monday.

Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly rejected the EP report, saying
that the report compiled by Dutch legislator Camiel Eurlings was
incompatible with prestige and gravity of the European parliament.

"Turkey was deeply saddened with the stance of the European parliament
regarding the so-called Armenian genocide claims," FM spokesman said.

Panorama.am

12:47 02/09/06

YOUTH CENTERS BUILT IN AKHALKALAK AND NINOTSMINDA

The construction of youth centers in Akhalkalak and
Ninotsminda implemented by the Georgian government
will finish later the deadline. A-Info reports that
some specialists had to come from Tbilisi as they were
not available in the region. The construction workers
promise that the youth centers will comply with
European standards. /Panorama.am/

The New Anatolian
Sept 2 2006

Evans unrepentant on ‘genocide’ remarks

The New Anatolian / Ankara

John Evans, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Armenia, said he is
leaving his post without retracting his claim that Armenians suffered
a "genocide" at the hands of the Ottomans, the Azeri Press Agency
(APA) reported on Friday.

"I assessed the 1915 ‘Young Turkish’ government’s actions against
Armenians as genocide and I do not retract this statement," said
Evans in his last press conference in Yerevan on Thursday before
leaving for the U.S.

He said he has received a "nice note" from Bush that thanked him for
his work in Armenia. He also commended Bush’s choice of the next U.S.
ambassador to Yerevan, Richard Hoagland, as a "consummate
professional."

Evans was recalled from Armenia this March reportedly for his
statement that Armenians suffered genocide in the Ottoman Empire

"The Armenian genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century,"
Evans declared during a February 2005 meeting with Armenian-American
activists in California.

But later on, seeing this statement caused great controversy, Evans
told a press conference that his words were unofficially stated and
do not represent the official position of his state.

"This _expression belongs to me only, not a politician," he said.

Richard Hoagland, currently the U.S. ambassador to Tajikistan, has
not been yet confirmed by the U.S Senate as the new ambassador to
Armenia.

The Armenian lobby is trying to hold up the appointment of Hoagland,
for declining to describe what happened in 1915 as a "genocide."

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has delayed its consideration
of Hoagland’s appointment because of the controversy. At a June
confirmation hearing, senators grilled Hoagland, who said he wanted
to avoid "getting stuck in the past and vocabulary."

The Bush administration has described the events in Ottoman Turkey
during World War I as "horrific" and a "tragedy," but not as
genocide. Turkey, an important US ally, strongly objects to that
description, calling the deaths and deportations the outcome of a
civil conflict with bloodshed on both sides. Ankara has recently
suggested that it and Yerevan establish a joint commission of
historians to study all the historical archives and reveal the truth
about the events of 1915, but did not receive a positive response.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

01-09-2006

The Third ArmeniaDiaspora Conference will convene September 18 to 20

The Third ArmeniaDiaspora Conference is gearing up for three full days of
meetings on two major themes. The Conference will convene September 18 to
20, during the week when Armenia will celebrate the 15th anniversary of its
independence.

"This is a significant year for Armenians everywhere," said Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Vartan Oskanian, who also chairs the Conference Organizing
Commission. "For the first time in our history, we celebrate 15 years of
independence. This is an auspicious time to be reflecting on what Armenia
and Diaspora have done together, and on all that remains to be done."

Day 1: September 18

On the morning of September 18, the leadership of Armenia and
representatives of international Diaspora organizations will address the
several thousand participants on the current condition and future prospects
for Armenia-Diaspora relations and cooperation. "This is a traditional
concern," says the official announcement, "which requires new approaches,
taking into consideration ever-changing geopolitical developments."

On the afternoon of September 18, the Conference will focus on Rural Poverty
Eradication. "To secure Armenia’s total development, and from the
perspective of certain strategic concerns, the comprehensive development of
Armenia’s rural communities must be assured," explains Minister Oskanian.
"Therefore, our objective is to rally the resources of the Armenian
government and Armenia’s business community, the Diaspora and international
organizations, to renovate rural infrastructure, facilitate economic
development and create the necessary contemporary conditions to live and
work in rural communities."

Nearly 50 sponsors have already been identified to underwrite the
rehabilitation and development of 50 of Armenia’s border villages. "These
very generous and very committed sponsors – some of them new to Armenia –
will be sitting around a table together with those already engaged in rural
development in Armenia, as well as representatives of rural communities, of
Armenia’s business community, and of the Armenian and international NGO
community to discuss the program’s goals and challenges. We will also
discuss mechanisms for implementing this far-reaching and innovative
program," added the Minister.

These 50 villages are the beginning of a national effort to mobilize
resources to sustain Armenia’s economic growth and make certain that those
living in regions far away from Yerevan also benefit from this growth.

During and following the conference, there will be visual presentations
about villages, and buses will take participants to villages near Yerevan in
order to see first-hand the problems and the possibilities.

Day 2: September 19

On the second and third days of the conference, participants will hear
experts from Armenia and the Diaspora, as well as non-Armenians, speak about
diaspora-homeland relations in a changing world.

" ‘New Answers to Old Questions’ was designed with the new and old diasporas
in mind. Armenians living in Europe and North America are asking the same
questions about language and culture and identity and belonging – but in a
new environment. Speakers from Ireland, the US, Canada, Germany, will
discuss the diaspora experiences of other nations, and Armenians from
Armenia and the Diaspora will explore their own experiences. A full list of
speakers is available at

Day 3: September 20

This third Armenia Diaspora Conference will conclude at noon on September
20, when the Forum will conclude, and the Conference will come to a formal
closing. The conference is open to all. Translation will be available in
four languages – Armenian, English, French, Russian.

The Second Armenia-Diaspora Economic Forum () will
take place on Wednesday, September 20, followed by a Pan Armenian EXPO-2006
on Friday and Saturday, September 22 and 23.

In addition to the conference, special cultural events, as well as
independence celebrations will be held throughout the week.

Information about the conference and registration information is available
at Questions can be addressed to
[email protected]

OSCE OFFICE IN YEREVAN VISITS PENAL COLONY FOR WOMEN AND JUVENILES

Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)

Aug. 31, 2006

YEREVAN, 30 August 2006 – OSCE Office representatives and board members
of the Public Monitoring Group for Penitentiary Institutions today
visited the Abovian Women and Juvenile Colony to present school-related
items for the new academic year to children in detention, as well as
provide OSCE publications to the library.

The visitors met with prison administration, detainees and the only
child born in prison, who will go to a regular school for the first
time this year. Board members also observed physical conditions and
the overall protection of detainees’ rights.

"This is my fifth visit to this criminal executive institution, and
I can see some progress in the area of arranging visit s and cell
space allocation," said Michael Baghdasaryan, Chairman of the Board.

"However, there is still obviously room for improvement in the sanitary
and hygiene conditions of the institution."

The OSCE has been supporting criminal justice reform in Armenia
since 2001, among other ways through helping to establish the Public
Monitoring Group, which began operating in 2004. The Group monitors
the rights of detainees in criminal executive institutions and provides
recommendations to the Justice Ministry to improve the situation.

Besides day-to-day support provided to the group, the OSCE Yerevan
Office provides regular training for the members of the Group,
jointly with OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights,
and invites experts in the field from other participating States to
exchange experiences with their Armenian colleagues.