Category: News

Armenian official slams Azerbaijan’s “non-constructive position”
Arminfo
6 Aug 04
YEREVAN
The Armenian Foreign Ministry has described as unacceptable the latest
attempt by Azerbaijan to conceal its non-constructive position on the
issue of achieving a lasting peace, the press secretary of the
Armenian Foreign Ministry, Gamlet Gasparyan, said while commenting on
the statement issued by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry on 4 August
regarding the exercises in Nagornyy Karabakh.
“Azerbaijan’s militarist rhetoric, its discontent with the peaceful,
legal and democratic elections to the local government bodies in
Nagornyy Karabakh and its contemptuous statements regarding its
Karabakh’s right to self-defence are only aggravating the atmosphere
of mistrust and cynicism. Despite such futile comments by the
Azerbaijani side, Armenia is always ready to take part in the efforts
which the international organizations are making in the region,
specifically in the forthcoming NATO exercises, and also to continue
its involvement in a peaceful settlement to the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict,” Gasparyan said.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
August 7, 2004
Opening Ceremonies for Newly Renovated Gevorkian Theological Seminary in
Holy Etchmiadzin
The evening of August 5 inaugurated a memorable and historical event in the
life of the Armenian Church. Under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin
II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the newly renovated
Gevorkian Theological Seminary building in the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin was re-opened. Present for the opening ceremonies were hundreds
of clergy and faithful, including more than 30 family members of national
benefactors Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian. Mr. and Mrs. Hovnanian, from the
United States, were the sponsors of the year-long construction and
renovation work on the historic building.
The Catholicos of All Armenians accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Hovnanian cut
the ribbon at the entry of the famous building and led the procession of
guests and dignitaries to the large hall of the seminary, where a home
blessing service was offered, with readings from the Holy Bible and prayers
asking for God’s protection for the seminarians, instructors and
administrators.
Following the service, as the program began, Rev. Fr. Yeghishe Archpriest
Sargisian, dean of the seminary, welcomed the guests and spoke about the 130
year glorious history of the seminary founded by Catholicos of All Armenians
Gevork IV in 1874, (after whom the theological school was named), and the
important role that it has played in the life of the Armenian nation and
people. The dean also presented a short synopsis on the present status of
the university, and the many plans and projects currently underway, all
aimed at preparing a new generation of Armenian Church clergymen for
throughout the world. The Theological Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin has more
than 300 young men enrolled in four campuses throughout Armenia.
His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern), spoke eloquently of the unique and
exceptional role the Gevorkian Theological Seminary plays in the preparation
of young clergymen, noting that it has an irreplaceable duty in guaranteeing
the future of the Armenian Church. His Eminence also noted that in addition
to this princely gift for the worldwide Armenian Church and the Mother See,
the Hovnanian Family has also exhibited great generosity towards projects
supporting the Eastern Diocese in the United States, as well as the
independent Republic of Armenia.
President of the National Academy of Sciences Mr. Fadey Sargisian noted the
rich legacy of individuals, both priests and laymen, who received their
higher education in the Gevorkian Theological Seminary, among them being
Komitas Vardapet Soghomonian, Hrachia Ajarian, Makar Yekmalian, Aksel
Bakounts, and Levon Shant.
National benefactor Kevork Hovnanian next addressed the assembled guests,
and spoke tenderly from the heart, noting in part, “Your Holiness, I see
that a new Golden Age has begun for the Armenian Church. I pray that the
new generation of priests will follow Your Holiness’ example, greater
strengthening Holy Etchmiadzin and our Mother Church, because it is only the
Armenian Church, who through her 1700 year rich experience has succeeded in
keeping us Armenian, in keeping us Christian, and has warmed our hearts,
always keeping alive in our minds and souls the love for the homeland and
our Church.”
At the conclusion of the program, His Holiness Karekin II gave his message
of blessing and appreciation to the benefactors and guests. The Pontiff of
All Armenians spoke of the vital mission which is reserved for the Gevorkian
Theological Seminary, in the past as well as the present and the future.
His Holiness highly appreciated the devotion of the benefactors, Mr. and
Mrs. Kevork and Sirvart Hovnanian, and noted his joy at the presence of many
members of their family, including Mr. and Mrs. Hrair Hovnanian, Mr. and
Mrs. Vahakn Hovnanian, and children and grandchildren numbering more than
30, who had all traveled to Armenia, many for the first time, to be present
for the opening ceremonies of the school. His Holiness further noted the
unselfish example set by the entire Hovnanian family in their dedication to
the Armenian Church, her worldwide spiritual and administrative
headquarters – the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Armenian diaspora and
the state of the Republic of Armenia.
In his message, the Catholicos of All Armenians stated, “Our happiness today
is transformed into prayer in our souls for the memory of our blessed
predecessors, the Supreme Pontiffs of our Church, whose vision and dream it
had been to pass through the re-opened doors of this historic building and
institution. They had dreamed to see our Church strengthened and vibrant,
and today we mark one more great step in that progress. As our forebears
lived and kept their identity through our Mother Church, regardless of where
or when they lived, they likewise taught and raised their children in our
unique Armenian Christian spirit – resolute, strengthened and supported by
this institution.”
Also present for the opening ceremonies were visiting primates from Armenian
dioceses in Europe and the United States, high ranking clergymen and members
of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, visiting priests from the Armenian
Patriarchate of Jerusalem, representatives of sister Christian Churches,
members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, President of the Constitutional
Court of the Republic of Armenia Gagik Haroutiunian, RA Minister of Culture
and Youth Affairs Hovik Hoveyan, Yerevan State University President Dr.
Radik Martirosian, and many other guests from the spheres of science,
education, culture and the arts. The musical program for the evening was
provided by the Choir of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary under the
direction of Maestro Ruben Sharbatian.
The program concluded with a banquet held in the refectory of the Mother See
in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Kevork Hovnanian.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian International Policy Research Group (Washington, DC)
Armine Khachatryan – WASHINGTON DC
Garik Hairapetyan – YEREVAN
THIRD ANNUAL AIPRG CONFERENCE ON ARMENIA–CALL FOR PAPERS
The Armenian International Policy Research Group is pleased to
announce that its third annual conference on will be held in January
15-16, 2005, at World Bank Headquarters in Washington, DC. While the
focus of this year’s conference will be on the issues related to
distribution of income and social safety nets, papers from all areas
of relevance for economic development and growth are welcome.
References should be made to the following broadly-defined sections:
– Growth and Poverty Reduction
– Social Sector Reforms (Education, Health, and Social Security)
– Taxation and Fiscal Policy
– Institutional Reforms and Governance
– Banking and Finance
– Diaspora’s Role and Channels of Involvement
– Trade, Regional Cooperation, and Geopolitics
Prospective authors should email abstracts to
[email protected] by September 15, 2004. The
Selection Committee will notify authors of accepted abstracts by
October 1, 2004. The deadline for completed papers is December 10,
2004. The Committee will be chaired by:
– David Joulfaian, US Department of the Treasury
– Saumya Mitra, The World Bank
– Susan George, International Monetary Fund

Select papers will be considered for publication in the Armenian
Journal of Public Policy. The final agenda along with the list of
confirmed papers will be circulated by January 1, 2005. The official
language of the conference is English. For more information on the
AIPRG and past conferences please visit

47.5% OF RESPONDENTS IN ARMENIA THINK THAT MAIN THREAT FOR REPUBLIC
WITHIN NEXT 5 YEARS IS RESUMPTION OF WAR WITH AZERBAIJAN
YEREVAN, AUGUST 6. ARMINFO. 47.5% of the participants of the public
poll, held in Armenia, think that the main military threat for the
republic within the next 5 years, is the resumption of war with
Azerbaijan. Results of the public poll, held by Armenian Center for
National and International Studies, on the topic “Armenia in the
context of 5-10 years national and international security”,
testify. The survey has been held among 2,021 citizens of
Armenia. 55.5% of the respondents are representatives of female, 44.5%
– male. 42.2% of the respondents have higher education, 20.9% –
secondary-special, 24.6% – secondary education.
According to the resource, 3.1% consider the main threat the presence
of Russian military bases, withdrawal of Russian bases – 11.2%, 1.7%
think that the possible military conflict with Georgia may become a
threat, 2.8% think that it is the membership of Armenia in NATO,
military intrusion of Turkey – 7%, civil war – 11.7%, 13.6% think that
there will be no threat of military nature. 12.7% of the respondents
equated the national security with the own security, 17% – with the
security of the acting state system, 10.5% think that the national
security fully depends on the army and its efficiency, 58.4% are sure
in correlation of all the aforementioned factors. 45.1% of the
respondents think that the national security of Armenia is partially
safeguarded, 27.5% think that it is not safeguarded at all. Answering
the question what will strengthen Armenia within the next 5 years,
27.2% of the respondents said that is the efficiency of the army,
43.5% – economic potential, 26.8% – democratic potential.
In the opinion of 20.7% of the citizens the main political threat for
Armenia may be falsification of the results of the elections, 21.8% –
conflict of the authorities with the society, 9.8% – sharp restriction
of political and civil rights, 4% – increase of the economic and
political dependence on any other country. Speaking about main
economic threats of the next 5 years, 41% of the respondents mentioned
the corruption, 11.2% 0 foreign debt, economic and financial crisis –
19.8%, Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s keeping the economic blockade of
Armenia – 5.5%. 7.1% think that the activity or inactivity of the
Armenian strategic facilities which belong to foreign companies
(telecommunications company ArmenTel (Greece), airport Zvartnots
(Argentina), Power Distributing Networks (England), rubber plant
“Nairit” (Russia)) may have a threat.

FIRST SESSION OF MONITORING COMMISSION FOR STRUGGLE AGAINST CORRUPTION
AT PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE
YEREVAN, AUGUST 6. ARMINFO. The first session of the Monitoring
Commission for Struggle against Corruption was held at the
Presidential Residence today.
A Commission representative, Chairman of the Armenian Association of
Investigator-Journalists Edik Baghdasaryan said that the phrase
“struggle against corruption” has been just fashion in Armenia. He
pointed out the lack of any practical acts. The Commission aims
observation over implementation of governmental programs in the sphere
proposed by international orgnaizations. The results of the
observation will be submitted to the Council for Struggle against
Corruption. The Commission consists of representatives of
parliamentary factions, public orgnaizations, representatives of
Armenia at international orgnaizations, some 20 people in
total. However, the country’s opposition is not represented at the
Monitoring Commission. The next session is fixed for September,

Natural population growth 16 per cent down in Karabakh
Arminfo, Yerevan
6 Aug 04
STEPANAKERT
The mechanical population growth has doubled in Nagornyy Karabakh.
A 16-per-cent fall in the natural population growth was registered in
the republic in the first half of the current year as compared to the
same period of the last year, an Arminfo correspondent in Stepanakert
quoted the Nagornyy Karabakh national statistics service as saying.
There were 1,031 births and 730 deaths in the republic in the first
six months of 2004.
The mechanical population growth doubled – 548 people came to Nagornyy
Karabakh while 354 left it.

Armenia’s trade turnover with Russia down in 2004
Arminfo
6 Aug 04

YEREVAN
Armenia’s trade turnover with Russia fell by 25.1 per cent in the
first half of 2004 and totalled 111.9m dollars, Armenian Trade and
Economic Development Minister Karen Chshmarityan told a news
conference today.
Exports fell by 7.8 per cent and reached 37.2m dollars, while the
import of Russian goods fell by 31.5 per cent and totalled 74.6m
dollars, Chshmarityan said.
At the same time, in the reported period the unfavourable balance of
trade between Armenia and Russia fell from 68.5m dollars to 37.4m
dollars, he said. Following the six-month results, after Belgium,
Russia is Armenia’s second trade partner, he said.

TOP NKR OFFICER WARNS AZERBAIJAN AGAINST RESUMING HOSTILITIES
Arminfo, Yerevan
7 Aug 04
STEPANAKERT
“There is no need to pay attention to Baku’s threats regarding a
military solution to the Karabakh problem. If the hostilities resume,
Azerbaijan will sustain serious losses,” Movses Akopyan, chief of the
general staff of the defence army of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic
(NKR), said in an interview with the republican newspaper Azat
Artsakh.
He said that the NKR defence army is getting stronger year by year.
Large-scale exercises which involve the entire personnel and are meant
to increase the combat readiness of the troops and learn the resources
of the army reserve are under way at the moment. Work is under way to
improve engineering installations. At the same time, the Karabakh army
chief of staff pointed out that the situation on the contact line
between the armed forces of Nagornyy Karabakh and Azerbaijan remains
tense – the war of snipers and sabotage-reconnaissance groups is
continuing.

Pasadena Star News
Article Published: Friday, August 06, 2004 – 8:29:29 PM PST
Mall question sparks ad spending
By Naush Boghossian , Staff Writer
GLENDALE — Campaign spending for and against developer Rick Caruso’s $264
million open-air mall totaled $1.1 million in July alone, when both sides
began their push with television commercials and print ads.
The July numbers brought General Growth’s total spending to date against the
mall project to about $1 million, while Caruso has spent $919,000 to date
defending his project, campaign statements filed Friday show.
“This is an expensive campaign. We have six weeks left to voting and we’re
really at the front end of gearing up on this campaign,’ Caruso said.
The vote, set for Sept. 14, challenges zoning for the proposed retail,
entertainment and housing project.
Caruso’s expenditures so far represent the beginning of his direct mail
campaign and television commercials.
Caruso opponents, meanwhile, are targeting Armenian voters, spending $28,700
just on commercials that ran on Armenian cable shows.
“Reaching the Armenian community is an important part of our campaign and we
are planning on spending a significant amount of money to do that,’ said
Harvey Englander, campaign consultant for project foes.
Glendale Galleria owner General Growth and Caruso Affiliated Holdings have
provided most of the funding for their respective campaigns.
Neither side would say how much it intends to spend until the vote.
General Growth began a petition drive in late April to bring the Caruso
center to a public vote.
Opponents of the downtown Glendale project adjacent to the Glendale Galleria
have argued the center would be incompatible with surrounding businesses,
would cost the city too much, and the partial closure of Harvard and Orange
streets would worsen traffic in the area. Naush Boghossian can be reached at
(818) 546-3306, or by e-mail at [email protected] .

Khatami stresses Tehran, Baku joint will to expand ties
IRNA web site, Tehran
7 Aug 04
Baku, 7 August: President Mohammad Khatami here Friday night 6 August
stressed the firm will of Iranian and Azeri officials to expand ties
and promote cooperation in various areas.
During a meeting with Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, the
president referred to the economic, scientific and technical
collaboration and mutual investments of the two countries as the most
important areas of cooperation.
He also pointed to other areas for potential cooperation, saying Iran
is ready to exchange university instructors with Azerbaijan.
Khatami also pointed to the countries’ mutual investments in recent
years in their oil, gas, petrochemical and mineral sectors as well as
the measures taken to strengthen bilateral relations, and said this
very fruitful cooperation ca n be extended to the areas of generating
electricity and building dams as well as power plants.
He urged faster implementation of agreements already signed by Tehran
and Baku to their mutual benefit as well as those of regional
countries.
Mammadyarov described the current visit of the Iranian president to
his country as a turning point in bilateral relations.
He also recalled the historical ties between the two states and
stressed his country’s will to strengthen ties with Iran in all areas.
In a separate meeting with the Azeri Minister of Economic Development
Farhad Aliyev on the same day (Friday), Khatami underlined the
importance of increasing bilateral cooperation in the economic field.
He pointed to IT, ICT, communications, oil, gas and petrochemicals as
areas where the two countries can cooperate profitably.
Aliyev, noting the increasing volume of trade exchanges between the
two countries, acknowledged the deepening ties between the two
countries and said his country was keen to make Iran a transit route
for exports of its crude oil.
President Khatami, heading a high-ranking political and economic
delegation, arrived in Azerbaijan Republic’s capital of Baku on
Thursday for a three-day visit upon the official invitation of his
Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev.
Talks between the two presidents is expected to conclude in the
issuance of separate joint statements on political subjects,
particularly the issue of the Caspian Sea.
The president and his entourage will leave Baku for Tehran on Saturday
after visiting the historical city of Ganja and paying tribute to the
12th century prominent Iranian poet Nezami Ganjavi, who is buried in
the city, and the ancient Shah Esma’il Mosque.
The Azerbaijan Republic is situated in eastern Transcaucasia on the
western coast of the Caspian Sea. To the south, it is bounded by Iran,
to the west by Armenia, to the northwest by Georgia, and to the north
by the Russian Republic of Dagestan.