FAITHFUL TO NATION’S WELFARE

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Nov 30 2006

The 9th annual telethon of Armenia Foundation took place on November
23. In Artsakh donations started on November 16. According to republic
headquarters of the telethon, 65 million drams was raised as on
November 23 in NKR compared with 60 million drams of the previous
telethon, which shows that the people of Artsakh realize the importance
of these donations. Over 240 big and small companies and citizens took
part. Andranik Aghababian, responsible for the republic headquarters
of the telethon, emphasized the level of engagement.

Large donations were made by Base Metals Ltd. (10 m drams), Karabakh
Telecom (5 m drams), NKR Ministry of Defense (4.8 m drams), Stepanakert
Clothes and Shoes Factory (4 million drams), Artsakhbank (3.8 m drams),
NKR Ministry of Health (2 million 160 thousand drams), Artsakhalco CJSC
(1 million 140 thousand drams), NKR Ministry of Education, Culture
and Sport (1 million 193 thousand drams), Karabakh Gold (400 thousand
drams), etc. Small and medium-sized businesses donated 2 million 700
thousand drams. Over 60 thousand people made donations. According to
Andranik Aghababian, the amount of donations is expected to grow. The
money raised during the telethon will be spent on the development of
economy and reconstruction of settlements of the region of Hadrut
in the framework of the Rebirth of Artsakh Project. The project
involves construction of drinking water pipelines, the bridge near
Tsakuri, the Tsakuri-Aygestan section of the North-South highway and
repair and construction of schools. All these will cost 7 million US
dollars. There is also an additional project which costs 10 million
dollars, and will be implemented if this sum is raised. It includes
the repair of the 40 km Arakel-Ktsabert road (300 thousand dollars),
the construction of the Tsakuri-Aygestan road (1.8 m dollars),
an agricultural development project (200 thousand dollars), the
irrigation system of Arevshat (150 thousand dollars), construction
and repair of schools (150 thousand dollars).

NEW TARIFFS WERE NECESSITATED BY EXCHANGE RATE OF DOLLAR
Srbuhi Vanian

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Nov 30 2006

The NKR Ministry of Territorial Government and Development of
Infrastructures confirmed and enforced the new tariffs on fixed-line
and mobile telephone and the Internet. Karabakh Telecom has already
changed the tariffs for several times, and the consumers want to
know how these changes will affect their budget. The deputy minister
of territorial government and development of infrastructures Arnold
Abrahamian said the change of tariffs is due to the exchange rate of
the dollar. Formerly, the tariffs were set in dollars, and the bills
were paid in drams. It depended on the depreciation or revaluation of
the dram whether the provider or consumer benefited. The fixed-line
telephone tariffs did not change for they were set in drams. Arnold
Abrahamian said the change of the tariffs on mobile telephone and the
Internet complies with the law. "We act according to the provision
of the law, making payments in drams. We replaced the dollar prices
with dram prices because the law provides for payments in drams. By
the way, the present tariffs are lower than the former tariffs if
we calculated them in drams," said the deputy minister. As another
explanation of the changes, Arnold Abrahamian said the prices were
made to correspond to the tariffs of the two operators in Armenia,
Vivacell and Armentel. According to the deputy minister, the new
tariffs on the Internet are favorable for the users, who will pay 20
percent less than they used to. We asked Arnold Abrahamian about the
digitalization of the fixed-line telephone. He said the fixed-line
telephone is in a bad state, and minor repairs are not effective. The
digitalization is expected to start in spring.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UNION OF WRITERS OF ARMENIA CONSIDERS SHAMEFUL SPECULATING ARMENIAN BENEFACTORS’ NAMES

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The presidency of
the Union of Writers of Armenia expressed its discontent in connection
with publications about Chairman of the World Armenian Congress (WAC),
Union of Armenians in Russia, Ara Abrahamian in some Armenian media
not corresponding to reality, as well as with citing some politicians’
"irresponsible expressions" regarding Ara Abrahamian. On November 30,
the presidency of the Union of Writers of Armenia spread a statement
under the title "Into Whose Hands Do We Play," which is presented
below completely:

"Charity has old traditions among Armenians and the names of
benefactors are remembered not according to their wealth, but
depending on their good deeds and public merit. And no one has dared
to cynically call them a "milking cow" by now, as ingratitude, the
synonym of which is immorality, lastly should have some limits.

But it proves that it has no limits. While, on the contrary, charity
is one of the brightest manifestations of morality and patriotism.

So, the scrawls spread lately in our press about one of the most famous
benefactors among Eastern Armenians, Ara Abrahamian, are more than
shameful. When did some of our journalists turn so yellow, as they
substitute the honest principle of freedom of expression by lack of
constraint citing irresponsible statements of some politicians. It
proves that they decided to consider 50 000 dollars to be allocated
to the All Armenian Literary Fund as a … bribe. Whom is this bribe
given to? Is it given to literature and writers? Bribe is known to
expect repayment. And how should the writers repay to Ara Abrahamian
besides expressing a gratitude to him?

What moth of undermining and intolerance has fallen into our public
atmosphere? Will the symptom of destroying the few things we have and
making a feast on the ruins become a new national trait? Into whose
hands do we play by indeed throwing mud at the Union of Armenians in
Russia, which is just making its run, at the World Armenian Congress
and their leader? It is worth reminding that Ara Abrahamian is an
internationally famous figure, a UNESCO good will ambassador, a
holder of the highest awards given by a number of states. Over the
past four years he has received the title of the Man of the Year
three times, in such a huge country as Russia, together with this
country’s President and spiritual leader. In this respect who is
today the alternative to Ara Abrahamian who voluntarily assumed the
mission of consolidating the nation spread throughout the world and
supporting the newly-independent statehood?

Ara Abrahamian’s charity is known to everybody. He does not need
protection, as the public opinion has been speaking in favor of him
long ago. Especially starting the memorable day when the Armenian
pilots were released from the African torture-chamber thanks to his
immedaite efforts. It is a pity that we have to commit to paper these
simple truth, while any step aimed at supporting national intellectual
and creative forces deserves only and only encouragement."

PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF BILL "ON NKR CITIZENSHIP" HELD IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. On the initiative of Refugees and
International Law Network of Civil Society a bill "On NKR Citizenship"
was worked out, which will be submitted to NA for consideration
taking into account all observations. To recap, the Refugees and
International Law Network of Civil Society includes a number of NGOs
uniting hundreds of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan.

As Eleonora Asatrian, Chairwoman of Assistance to General Quality
Management organization making part of the Network, the bill, in
particular, envisages that Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan will
receive a compensation in return for their lost property. She said
that the Network has applied to Azerbaijani President with a proposal
to solve the problem of compensation, but no answer was received.

Currently the refugees try to solve their problems through NKR as
the only legal successor of Azerbaijani SSR having a resource in the
form of territories under control, which is rather natural from legal
point of view.

It was mentioned at the press conference that the bill also envisages
immediate right of receiving NKR citizenship automatically, by their
birth, as well as by Armenians who are former citizens of Azerbaijani
SSR, i.e. refugees.

It was mentioned that granting citizenship will give an opportunity
to Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan to immediately apply to NKR
leadership with a request to assist them in compensation of losses
sustained by them as a result of persecutions in Azerbaijan starting
1988.

CHAIRMAN OF NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE ARRIVES IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Kenneth Wollack, the Chairman of
the National Democratic Institute visited Armenia on November 29. As
Noyan Tapan was informed by the U.S. Embassy to Armenia, K.Wollack
had meetings in Yerevan with high-ranking officials to discuss and
to present the NDI actions and impartial programs of the institute
to strengthen democracy in Armenia. K.Wollack emphasized that the
NDI cooperates with a number of political parties and civil groups of
Armenia to assist the U.S. government’s strategic program of electoral
assistance which is placed in the ";
site of the U.S. Embassy to Armenia.

The goal of this strategic program worked out jointly with the RA
Government is to assist development of institutes in Armenia on the
threshold of the parliamentary and president’s elections.

The NDI headed by Madeleine Albright, the former U.S. Secretary
of State is a non-profit public organization which has a goal
to strengthen and spread democracy all over the world. To assist
development of democracy in Armenia, the NDI got grant financing
from the U.S. Government. The Institute also cooperates with other
governments and intergovernmental groups, like the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) and the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

MARK ZORYAN: ARE THEY SACRIFICING JAVAKH FOR THE GREAT GOAL?

Regnum, Russia
Nov 30 2006

The struggle for the international recognition of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915 is actually an expression of national idea for the
Armenian people. This idea is not subject to rational analysis, and,
even though the Armenians say that they seek just moral compensation,
they will certainly not forget their lost Homeland – Western Armenia
– and firmly believe that they can restore Armenian statehood over
4/5 of their historical territory. Even strong as it is, the idea
of Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenians call it Artsakh) has failed to push
back the problem of the Armenian Genocide and its international
recognition. The Armenians just sneer at the hopes of some politicians
that they may give up this political struggle.

Even though many states have recognized the Armenian Genocide and the
number of such states is growing every year, the major obstacle to
the final goal is the US, whose officials are constantly maneuvering
in the matter. In fact, the US is the only state who has worked out a
program of the Armenian Genocide recognition, but it would be native
to think that a state like the US will solve this problem by just
one presidential signature (that would be a banal and useless action).

The US administration is acting consistently: they are waiting
until the Armenian Genocide is acknowledged by the American society,
by civil, religious and ethnic organizations, by all 50 states with
their legislative bodies and governors and, finally, by both houses
of the Congress. This will make the President’s signature a kind of
forced action: after all, the President can’t disregard the opinion
of the whole American society, can he? By the way, the Armenian NGOs
are beginning to play just a consultative role in the growing campaign
for the Genocide recognition. In some states the Armenian lobby acted
just formally but still the states recognized the Genocide. That is,
things have got underway and the key tasks are fulfilled. Democrat
Nancy Pelosy has been elected Speaker of the House of Representatives
and she says that the Armenian Genocide may be recognized as early
as Apr 24 2007.

Irrespective of the wish of the influential political circles of the
US, the process of the Armenian Genocide international recognition
has become an element of the US’ foreign policy, and even the most
radical opponents have already begun thinking how to use this tendency
in their own interests. At the same time, this reality concerns not
only the US’ policy on Turkey but also on Armenia.

This situation is quite convenient for building relations with
Armenia. In the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, the Americans see
absolutely no sense or profit in offering something in exchange for
the recognition of the Genocide. But there is also the problem of
Samtskhe-Javakheti, a Georgian province with over 50% Armenian majority
(the region Armenians call Javakh). In that province, despite all their
democratic commitments, the Georgian authorities have not yet solved
even elementary cultural-educational and linguistic-educational
problems. The prospects of the local self-government are also
unclear. Having allocated over $104mln for road recovery, the US has
seen that the Georgian authorities are not going to restore the 25
km road connecting the Javakh administrative centers with Armenia.

The US has seen the gist of Georgia’s policy in its ethnic regions
but prefers not to make a row about it so as not to give trumps to
Russia. The European community is acting in almost the same way.

Still, both the Americans and the Europeans have seen the risks of
Georgia’s uncontrolled policy in 2006 and have decided not to risk
any further and have put a strong veto on that country’s foreign and
domestic policies.

In their efforts to curb the social-political movement in Javakh, the
Americans are actively cooperating with the local Armenian political
forces and NGOs and the authorities of Armenia. The Americans perfectly
understand that the key developments in Javakh have nothing to do with
the stories they push forward, i.e. to the Russian special services
or certain ambitions of the Armenian nationalist organizations,
even though some of them, particularly, the ARF Dashnaktsutiun,
have a strong ramified network in the province – a force that can
solve many problems both in cooperation with the Georgian political
parties and authorities and quite independently.

Presently, Dashnaktsutiun is the best organized party in the territory
of Georgia, much better organized than any Georgian party.

Their goal is to pave the way for partnership with the Georgian
political leadership; the only question is what kind of leadership
it will be. Considering the fact that the ARFD is a ruling party in
Armenia, the Americans prefer to work with the Dashnak organizations in
the US (simply they are closer). That’s why the Dashnak organization
in Javakh preferred to keep silence in the conflict situation over
the last local elections in the province.

Even more, they almost supported the "Georgian party," that is, it was
a professionally coordinated political operation that has made Javakh
a part of the big politics and a political resource for a number of
projects. What we are witnessing is a very sophisticated game and
it seems that somebody is eager to turn this backwater district into
the crossroads of various interests. What consequences will this game
have for this ethnic region?

Mark Zoryan – expert of the Caucasus analytical center

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NIZAMI BAHMANOV: "IF AZERI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS MEET IT MEANS IMPROVEMENTS IN TALKS"

Newsday, NY
Nov 30 2006

"If Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents meet, there are improvements
in the talks," said Nizami Bahmanov, the head of the Azerbaijani
community in Nagorno Karabakh.

He told the APA that to hold talks within Prague process is a positive
tendency. Nizami Bahmanov also took a stance on the visit of the head
of Nagorno Karabakh separatists Arkadi Gukasyan to the US.

"Only Armenians can greet Gukasyan warmly in the US. The US officials
do not recognize Gukasyan and his separatist regime. His meeting with
the US co-chair Matthew Bryza has not been confirmed. But Matthew
Bryza can meet with Gukasyan as the head of Armenian community. The
co-chair meets with me, too. There is nothing unusual in this. It
is absurd that Matthew Bryza did not visit the region because of his
meeting with Gukasyan," he said.

Nizami Bahmanov said that he will visit foreign countries as the head
of Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Karabakh.

URL:

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Father Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE 5TH EXHIBITION OF CHRISTIAN
MEDIA

The International Catholic Media Union and the Middle East Council of
Churches (MECC) organized the presentation of a book entitled "Christianity:
A history in the Middle East" in the "Mar Elias" church on November 25. The
event was organized on the occasion of the fifth exhibition of Christian
Media.

Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian (Primate of the Diocese of Tehran), who is one
of the editors of the new book, attended the event on behalf of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia.

The event’s purpose was to present the content of the book to the public and
inform people about the four families of Christianity, the religion’s
origins, history and culture in the Middle East.

Archbishop Sarkissian spoke about the contribution of His Holiness Aram I to
the book with an excellent article of scientific depth.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Father Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

ACUS A LECTURE SERIES TACKLES THE APPROACH OF THE CHURCH TO CONTEMPORARY
MORAL ISSUES

The lecture series on the Armenian Church organized by the Armenian Church
University Students’ Association (ACUSA) and the Christian Education
Department of the Catholicosate of Cilicia continues in Antelias. V. Rev.
Fr. Krikor Chiftjian delivered the fourth lecture on "the Armenian Church
and moral issues" in the ACUSA center on November 25.

Fr. Chiftjian spoke about the various moral issues prevalent in current
societies and the conflicts they have caused in these societies. He
explained the approaches of the church and its rules regarding these issues.
He touched on a number of issues, including rituals and morality, mutual
relations within a family, individual moral problems and moral conflicts in
today’s world in general.

The lecturer concluded by highlighting the role of the church in the society
with respect to moral issues, stressing that moral laws can’t be separated
from the church. He added that one of the missions of the church is to
spread moral values and principles in the life of the people.

##
View photos here:

*****

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the youth
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

November 30, 2006

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
Website: <;

THE PRELATE RECEIVES THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ARF CENTRAL COMMITTEE

On Tuesday, November 28, a delegation representing the ARF Central
Committee visited the offices of the Western Prelacy and was welcomed by His
Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate. The delegation consisted
of Mr. Avedik Izmirlian, Mr. John Kossakian, Mr. Arto Keoleyan and Mr.
Krikor Achekian.
The discussion covered matters and concerns of mutual interest
to the Armenian community. The guest delegation briefed the Prelate about
the endeavors and plans of the Central Committee that require the
cooperation of the Prelacy and members of the Armenian community in the
Western United States. On his part the Prelate related to the guests that
the renovation of the Prelacy New Building is almost complete and the
relocation is planned for the next few weeks.
Later on, members of the Prelacy Executive Council joined the
meeting and the discussions continued in an amicable atmosphere. The need to
enhance and expand cooperation was stressed upon. At the conclusion of the
meeting, the Prelate wished success to the newly elected Central Committee
and presented the guests with mementos.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress