PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
BIKF AYA HOLDS A WEEK OF PRAYERS AND CONTEMPLATION
Daily prayers and contemplation are being held in the chapel of St. Mary
Monastery in Bikfaya on the occasion of the holiday of St. Mary and the
upcoming pilgrimage to the monastery named after this holiday.
As a preparation for this pilgrimage, daily morning contemplations are
organized by the Christian Education Department of the Catholicosate of
Cilicia and under the sponsorship of His Holiness Aram I. The contemplations
are guided by the members of the Cilician Brotherhood in participation with
the Seminary students.
The Brotherhood members are consecutively presenting the following topics
that clarify the role of the Holy Mother in Christian life, dogma and
theology: “The Holy Mother in the Old and New Books”, “The Holy Mother in
our Church’s hymns and prayers”, “The Holy Mother as an advocate for
humanity”, “The Holy Mother as an example of motherhood”, “The conduct of
the Holy Mother and change”.
The Christian Education Department of the Catholicosate has ventured on
organizing these useful lectures for the public with the aim of preparing
the Armenian faithful for the upcoming holiday. Introducing the faithful to
the life of the Holy Mother, her role in our Church’s theology, explaining
to the dogma and concept of the Armenian Church regarding her person and
role would help them greet this holiday with a conscious approach. Alongside
the contemplations hymns will be sung and sections from the Psalms will be
read.
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
jurisdiction and the Christian Education activities in both the
Catholicosate and the dioceses, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

ARMENIA TO STEP UP PRACTICAL, POLIT COOPERATION WITH NATO
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Aug. 8, 2006
YEREVAN, August 8 (Itar-Tass) – The main purpose of Armenia’s
foreign policy is “full-fledged integration into European bodies
and organizations,” according to Armenia’s obligations within the
framework of the plan of individual partnership with NATO, a document
placed on the official website of the republic’s Ministry of Defense.
“Armenia intends to step up practical and political cooperation with
NATO with the purpose of closer rapprochement with the alliance,”
and the plan of individual partnership with NATO will be an important
instrument in this respect, the document said.
“Pursuing the integration into European bodies and organizations,
Armenia intends to expand its cooperation with the European Union,
considering full-fledged membership in the EU its priority objective,”
the document on Armenia’s obligations said.
It reiterated Yerevan’s commitment to “fully implement” the agreement
on security with NATO.
Armenia “will continue the formation of a peacekeeping battalion
conforming to NATO standards, counting on its further transformation
into a peacekeeping brigade.”
Armenia also stated its intention to “revise its current practice and
security procedures” on its borders with the view of perfecting them.
Armenia’s state border with Turkey and Iran is guarded by Russian
border-guards.

ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AMOUNT TO 11.9 PER CENT
ArmRadio.am
08.08.2006 11:37
In January-June 2006, compared with January-June 2005, the GDP growth
amounted to 11.9%, which is the second index among CIS countries,
included in the report of the CIS Statistical Committee (SC) in the
period under report.
High indexes of economic growth are again recorded in Azerbaijan –
36.3%, and comparatively low growth rates were in Kyrgyzstan and
Ukraine – 3.1% and 5%. On average, according to the SC, economic
growth amounted to 6.5% in CIS countries, Arka News Agency reported.
Belarus comes after Azerbaijan and Armenia, whose GDP growth
is 10.1%. The GDP in Tajikistan increased by 7.1% according to
the results of January-June 2006, and in Russia – by 6% (in basic
economic sectors).
The information regarding the rest CIS countries is provided for the
1st quarter of 2006. In particular, the GDP in Georgia increased by
8.4%, in Kazakhstan – by 7.7%, in Moldova – by 6.2%, in Uzbekistan –
3.6%. No information is provided on Turkmenistan. R.O.

ARMENIA’S GROSS AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT GROWS BY 7.2% IN FIRST HALF OF 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-June 2006, the gross
agricultural output made 118.9 bln drams (about 267.8 mln USD) in
Armenia, exceeding by 7.2% the respective index of 2005. According
to the RA National Statistical Service, the gross plant cultication
output amounted to 36 bln 818.2 mln drams, exceeding by 12.6% the
index of the same period of 2005. The gross cattle-breeding output
made 82 bln 132.4 mln drams, exceeding by 5% the respective index of
2005. As of June 1, 2006, the gross grain and groat crops grew by 1.4
thousand tons or about 5.7fold compared with the same index of last
year, truck crops – by 9.7 thousand tons or 43.3%, potato crops – by
6.3 thousand tons or 22.7%, fruit and vegetables – by 6.3 thousand
tons or 17.3%, fodder crops – by 28.1 thousand tons or 55.9%. In
January-June 2006, production of main cattle-breeding foodstuffs,
except eggs, increased on the same period of 2005.
The meat and poultry production exceeded by 4.7 thousand tons or
12.3% the index of the same period of 2005, milk production – by 26.7
thousand tons or 8.8%. Fish catching index made 569.8 mln drams in
January-June 2006, exceeding the respective index of 2005 by 11.9%.

ARMENIAN EX-PREMIER: “NO DOCUMENT ON GIVING UP TERRITORIES WILL BE SIGNED”
Regnum, Russia
Aug. 8, 2006
“No document envisaging giving in five territories – the security
belt around Nagorno Karabakh – to the Azerbaijani side will be signed
between Yerevan and Baku. Otherwise, we shall put ourselves into a more
complicated position without settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,”
leader of Armenia’s National Democratic Union, former prime minister
Vazgen Manukyan has told a REGNUM correspondent.
According to him, it will be a gross mistake to sign such a document:
“Besides, the Nagorno Karabakh leadership will oppose such idea.”
At the same time, Vazgen Manukyan notes that until it is fixed that
Nagorno Karabakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan, it is senseless
to speak about the territories, security and other issues. “The
deadlock we have today will last until it becomes clear to everyone
that Karabakh cannot be a part of Azerbaijan. There is no example in
the international practice that an independent republic that obtained
independence through military actions joined the same state under
any document,” Manukyan concludes.

ARMENIAN MP RULES OUT THE VARIANT OF GIVING UP TERRITORIES “FOR NOTHING”
Regnum, Russia
Aug. 8, 2006
The Armenian National Revival opposition party strongly opposes the
idea of one-sided concessions in the issue of peaceful settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Talking to a REGNUM correspondent,
the party leader MP Albert Bazeyan has called it too early to comment
on a possibility of giving in five areas, which are now treated as
Nagorno Karabakh security belt, to the Azeri side. “When there is an
official report, we shall express our opinion,” Bazeyan notes.
Head of the faction of the Republican Party led by the country’s
prime minister Galust Sahakyan has announced that first the issue of
Nagorno Karabakh status should be settled, and after that all the rest.
Head of the National Unity party Artashes Geghamyan says, his
party will present its stand on giving in the territories after it
is officially announced. “We speak for soonest settlement of the
issue, as delaying it is not in the national interests of Armenia,”
Geghamyan believes.
In his turn, leader of the National Democratic Party, MP Shevarsh
Kocharyan rules out a possibility of Armenia reaching an agreement with
Azerbaijan and “giving up the territories for nothing.” “To start,
the aspects should be made clear that are included in the settlement
package, and only after that they can be discussed and assessed,”
Shevarsh Kocharyan is quoted as saying.

ARMENIAN POLICE SEARCHES FOR PERSON WHO COMMITTED ASSAULT IN ARARAT REGION
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 7, 2006
YEREVAN, August 7. /ARKA/. The Armenian police searches for the person
who committed an assault in the village of Armash, Ararat region.
The General Prosecutor’s Office reported that a villager was assaulted
and held up on August 4, 2006 at 1:30am.
The police found out that a strange young man took the advantage and
broke in the villager’s house through an open door. He beaten the man
and stole jewelry for AMD 800,000 (about $1960), and took to flight.
The police’s investigation detected that the violator was certain
Zakaryan. As a result, the police initiated a criminal case. The
investigation is under way. R.O. –0–

ARMENIA’S OBLIGATIONS BEFORE NATO
Lragir.am
08 Aug 06
On August 4 the list of obligations assumed by Armenia in the framework
of the Action Plan of Individual Partnership with NATO was placed on
the official website of the Ministry of Defense. It is rather long
and includes the political military and civil spheres.
Among political and security problems Armenia must promote cooperation
with the Euro-Atlantic organizations and institutions.
Among these obligations are relations with neighbor countries,
democracy, human rights, the rule of law, democracy, battle against
corruption. Among the obligations of Armenia are the demographic
control of the armed forces.
In the defense and military sphere Armenia assumes the obligation of
improvement of the defense and security system, defense planning.
Among civil problems our country assumed the obligation to guarantee
public awareness, establishment of a committee for the challenges
for science, the modern society, preparation for civil crises.

AS OF AUGUST 6, 2812 ENTRANTS GOT UNSATISFACTORY
MARKS LEFT OUT OF EXAMINATION MARATHON
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. 8 days are left before the end of
the entrance examinations of institutions of higher education. As of
August 6, 2812 entrants got unsatisfactory marks were left out of the
examination marathon. As Sasun Melikian, the Responsible Secretary
of the Republican Entrance Commission informed at the August 8
press-conference, 6122 entrants got 18-20 points, including 2614
people on the “Armenian Language” subject, 1789 people on the “English”
written exam. According to Sasun Melikian, results are again low on the
“Mathematics” (875 unsatisfactory), “Physics” (412 unsatisfactory) and
“Armenian History” (299 unsatisfactory) subjects. No 20 points were
fixed during the “Biology,” “French Language,” “Italian Language,”
“General History,” “Geography,” “Creative Competition” and “Chemistry”
exams. S.Melikian mentioned that as of August 4, 1238 marks of written
works were presented for appeal, only 251 ones of them were raised,
and 1 was made lower. According to the REC Responsible Secretary,
the number of double appeals was this year twice reduced compared
with the previous year: 95 applications were got. As a result of
double appeal, marks of 16 written works were raised (0.5-1 points),
and marks of 4 were made lower (0.5-1 points).

AS OF AUGUST 7, NEW EXAMINATION DAY IS APPOINTED
FOR 650 ENTRANTS PRESENTED MEDICAL CERTIFICATE
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, NOYAN TAPAN. 43 cases of losing the examination
paper and 56 cases of being late for the exam were fixed at the
Republican Entrance Commission from the beginning of the etrance
examinations of institutions of higher education till August 7. As
Sasun Melikian, the Responsible Secretary of the REC explained at the
August 8 press-conference, according to the order, in similar cases the
entrant’s examination day is changed and a new day is appointed. 43
cases are aslo fixed when because of an entrant’s being unhealthy,
an exam was stopped by a doctor’s corresponding certificate and a
new day was appointed. Based on the medical certificate, an exam
was postponed and a new examination day was appointed for 650
entrants. Ruben Topchian, the Director of the REC Counting Center
mentioned that this year entrants more preferred social sciences,
and less preferred biological sciences. By R.Topchian’s another
observation, this year the applicants more preferred those institutions
of higher education of an equal profession where the education payment
is lower. It was also mentioned that according to the acting order, in
the case of getting an unsatisfactory mark for a subject, the entrant
may continue participating in other exams. After end of exams, such
entrants may get a certificate from the Counting Center concerning
positive marks and to address to an institution of higher education
having correspondence courses, taking only one exam, for which they
have got unsatisfactory mark.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress