KOCHARIAN COMMEMORATES VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE

Armenpress
Dec 07 2006

GYUMRI, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian and senior
government officials traveled today to Armenia’s second largest town of
Gyumri to commemorate the victims of a disastrous earthquake that hit
and destroyed the country’s northern provinces 18 years ago killing
25,000 people.

Kocharian laid a wreath at a monument to the earthquake victims
erected in front of a church in downtown Gyumri. Head of the local
Diocese of the Armenian Church, served a liturgy in memory of the
killed. Kocharian also spoke to local residents who were gathered
near the monument.

Powerful underground tremors wiped out the towns of Spitak, Leninakan
(now Gyumri), Stepanavan, Kirovakan (Vanadzor) and dozens of villages
and settlements from the face of the earth on December 7 eighteen
years ago.

GAZPROM MAINTAINS REDUCED GAS PRICE FOR ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.12.2006 13:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Gazprom confirmed that it maintains the reduced price
for gas for Armenia. Yerevan will receive the ‘blue fuel’ for $110
for thousand cubic meters, said Gazprom’s Spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov.

The delivery terms will be valid till January 1, 2009.

"We agreed on unchangeable price for 3 years," he said adding that
the company will increase its share in ArmRosgazprom.

He remarked that the practice was applied to Armenia since it agreed to
share its gas actives. The other South Caucasian states – Azerbaijan
and Georgia – are offered to buy gas for $230 for thousand cubic
meters, reports Neftegaz.ru.

A YEZIDI WOMAN AND 4 CHILDREN BURN THEMSELVES DEMANDING JUST PROBE INTO THEIR RELATIVE’S MURDER

Armenpress
Dec 07 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS: The mother of a 42 year-old Yezidi man
and his four children tried to burn themselves today in front of the
presidential residence in downtown Yerevan. Emergency officials rushed
the five to the Center for Treatment of Radioactive Diseases and Burns.

The 42 year-old Yezidi man, Kyaram Avdalian, a resident of Zovuni
village near Yerevan, was killed lately, allegedly by several residents
of a village in Gegharkunik region, led by their community head.

Avdalian’s relatives who gathered outside the presidential residence,
told journalist they expect law-enforcement bodies to carry out an
unbiased probe into the murder, warning otherwise they would burn
themselves.

Doctors in the Center said the woman and four children were out of
danger, but their condition was grave as the burns were deep. The
mother of the killed man was said to have 15 percent of her skin
burned, while the faces and hands of the children were also affected
by fire.

TRAINING COURSE ON "TERRORISM AND THE PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION"

ArmRadio.am
07.12.2006 15:53

The US Department of Defense (DOD) led a four-day training course on
"Terrorism and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction"
in Yerevan December 4-7. Approximately 29 representatives from the
Ministry of Defense, National Security Service, Armenian Rescue
Service, Police Department, Customs Committee, Ministry of Health,
and Prosecutor General’s Office attended the course.

This was the latest of several training sessions conducted in Armenia
over the past five years as part of the US Department of Defense’s
International Counter-Proliferation Program.

The "Terrorism and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction"
course will help Armenia continue to develop its weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) response capability. The primary objective of the
training session is to educate participants about the links between
terrorism and WMD proliferation by examining recent global trends and
studying preventative methods. The course will focus on understanding
the nexus between WMD and terrorism, combating WMD and terrorism,
and avenues for prevention.

The DOD’s Counter-Proliferation Program provides training and
equipment for law enforcement and border security entities in the
Former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and the Baltic States. The
program’s goals are to assist in the establishment of professional
law enforcement and border security personnel and to help countries
develop appropriate laws, legislation, and enforcement mechanisms
related to counter-proliferation. In addition, the program aims to
establish a long-term and mutually beneficial working relationship
between US agencies and the law enforcement and border security
agencies of participating countries.

SEYRAN OHANYAN: FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT CORRESPONDING CONCESSIONS ARE NEEDED

ArmRadio.am
07.12.2006 15:48

"The largest arrangement of the NKR defense army in the current
year were the military exercises, during which our whole army was
involved in resolving battle issues, we mobilized all of our reserve
forces. In general, 2006 was declared the year of improvement of
strategy and reinforcement of discipline," NKR Defense Minister,
Lieutenant-General Seyran Ohanyan said in a press conference.

The Minister noted that qualitative changes were implemented in
the army in 2006. Special attention was paid to combatant duty,
considerable work has been done in the direction of improvement of
servicemen’s socio-economic conditions and masseurs have been taken
to strengthen army-society ties.

NKR Defense Minister mentioned that in 2006 the Azerbaijani side
tried to change the positions at the contact line, which have
been prevented. The Minister dwelt also on the faults of the army,
noting that consistent work is being carried out in the direction of
overcoming these.

In response to the question about the fate of the liberated
territories, Seyran Ohanyan said, "First of all, we liberated these
territories to create a security zone. Sure, for the resolution of
the Karabakh conflict corresponding concessions are needed, which will
be the result of negotiations and the activity of political figures,
which will be the result of negotiations and the activity of political
figures. The task of soldiers is to reinforce the front line and
struggle for every handful of land," declared the Defense Minister.

Turning to the forthcoming referendum, Seyran Ohanyan said, "By
adopting the Constitution, we shall finally shape our state and
civil society. Once again we’ll show the high level of democracy in
our republic."

RA NA HONOURS WITH ONE MIINUTE SILENCE MEMORY OF VICTIMS OF 1988 TRAGIC EARTHQUAKE

Noyan Tapan
Dec 07 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. On December 7, the day of the 18th
anniversary of the Spitak earthquake, the RA National Assembly deputies
honoured with one-minute silence the memory of the earthquake victims
at the beginning of the plenary sitting. NA Speaker Tigran Torosian
thanked those present for creating the possibility to continue work
of the Parliament. The December 7 sitting of the previous year did not
take place because of absence of quorum, as many of deputies left for
the disaster zone to take part in the memory events. The NA Speaker
stated that votes of the issues discussed on the previous day and to
be discussed on December 7, most probably, will be implemented at the
special sitting to be convened soon, as the regular plenary sittings
of the autumn session finish today.

LORI AND ARMAVIR GOVERNORS RELIEVED OF OCCUPIED POSTS

Noyan Tapan
Dec 07 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. By the RA Prime Minister’s decision,
Henrik Kochinian and Albert Heroyan, Governors of the marzes of Lori
and Armavir, were relieved of the occupied posts. To recap, both of
them are members of the Republican Party.

ARMENIAN CHURCH RE-OPENED IN INDIA

A1+
[03:28 pm] 06 December, 2006

On December 5 the fully constructed Armenian church of St. Mariam
of Saydibad opened its doors again for the whole Indian-Armenian
community.

The church which was built in 1758 by famous merchant from Jugha Khoja
Petros, did not work for the last 50 years. The church suffered from a
number of natural disasters. Today the church has been fully restored
thanks to the efforts of the Calcutta church administration and the
blessings of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. The territories
of the church have also been returned.

Members of the church administration and the Indian-Armenian community,
as well as foreign guests were present at the ceremony of opening.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ANCA CAPITAL GATEWAY PROGRAM BEGINS FOURTH YEAR OF OPENING DOORS FOR YOUNG ARMENIAN AMERICANS

ArmRadio.am
07.12.2006 12:15

The Armenian National Committee of America’s Capital Gateway Program –
the innovative Armenian American job placement program now approaching
its fourth year of operations in the nation’s capital – continues
to provide recent college graduates with opportunities to launch
successful careers in Washington, DC.

In addition to being granted access to the full use of ANCA facilities,
those who are accepted into the program are provided free housing
in downtown Washington, DC, as well as training, networking, and job
placement support as they seek full-time government, public policy,
and media-related job opportunities in the nation’s capital.

Officially inaugurated in May 2003 – with the support of the Cafesjian
Family Foundation – the Capital Gateway Program has benefited
tremendously over the past three years from the generosity of donors
committed to creating public service opportunities for young Armenian
Americans. The leading financial contributor to the Program has been
the family of Hovig Apo Saghdejian, a 23-year old youth leader and
community activist from Fresno, California, who lost his life in
2004 in a tragic car accident. His family established the Hovig Apo
SaghdejianMemorial Fund in Hovig’s memory. These funds are held
in perpetuity, with all their income being used to finance the
participation of young Armenian Americans in the Capital Gateway
Program.

The current Hovig Apo Saghdejian Fellow is Hovig Shirikian, who
is interning with California Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
as a stepping-stone for a Washington career in public policy. After
learning about the Capital Gateway Program before graduating from the
University of California at Santa Barbara, Shirikian decided to apply
for the program and come to Washington, DC to pursue his interest in
political advocacy. "I wanted to come to DC because that is where the
action is," says Shirikian. "I wanted to learn first-hand how things
are run and gain experience that will be respected no matter where I
decide to go in the future." Past Hovig Apo Saghdejian Fellows have
included: Ani Bedrosian, Andrew Gregorian, and Vasken Kassakhian.

Other current participants include Taline Ghazarian, Rita Garabedian,
and Antranik Boyadjian. The program recently helped Ghazarian, a
graduate in Sociology from UCLA and former English-section editor
for the Asbarez Armenian Daily Newspaper, land an internship with
Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA). She hopes to use the position to
learn more about the inner workings of Congress and gain a foothold in
the policy-making arena. "It’s really interesting getting a first-hand
look into how government works and figuring out your particular niche
in it," said Ghazarian.

The program has also provided opportunities for Rita Garabedian, a
native of Kenner, Louisiana. After graduating from the University of
New Orleans with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History,
Garabedian came to DC to find work as a Congressional staffer. She
is currently serving as an intern for Representative Albert Wynn
(D-MD 4) while continuing to explore full-time staff positions. She
believes the recent shakeup in the House of Representatives could
provide her a unique opportunity to fill a position with one of the
many new members of Congress. "I feel very fortunate to be here on
the Hill at such an exciting moment," Garabedian commented. "Both
job-wise and politically, there are a lot of encouraging prospects."

Antranik Boyadjian, a university student from France, has come to
Washington, DC to volunteer at the ANCA office. Robert Khatchadurian,
who recently graduated from the program, has secured a consulting
position with Booz Allen Hamilton. These exceptional individuals add
their names to a growing list of participants who have taken advantage
of the unique opportunities offered by the Capital Gateway Program.

ANDRANIK MARGARIAN CONSIDERS DEFENCE MINISTER’S ACTIVENESS NATURAL

Noyan Tapan
Dec 07 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The activeness recently displayed
by RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian is very natural as he is
the Council Chairman of the Republican Party as well and presents
himself as every politician on the threshold of elections. RA Prime
Minister, RPA Chairman Andranik Margarian stated about it in the
December 6 interview to journalists. "Why do you lay stress only
on the Defence Minister’s activeness, don’t you notice activeness
of other forces, of the National Assembly, for example," the Prime
Minister mentioned. Responding the question if he shares the opinion
that the most suitable candidate for the next president of the
republic is S.Sargsian, A.Margarian said that the RPA will speak
about its candidate for the republic president only after the 2007
parliamentary elections. And in his words, there is no basis to speak
about possibility of president’s special elections.

A.Margarian considered natural activization of the political forces
represented at the parliament as well, as, in his words, there are
some months remained before the pre-electoral propaganda. At the
same time the Prime Minister called to guard oneself from personal
injuries and criticize the done work but not ideologies of people or
political forces.