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Armenian National Committee – Nevada Chapter
PO Box 30943
Las Vegas, NV 89173-1028
Phone: 702.496.4985
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PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Contact: Ara Shirinian
Tel: (702) 496-4985
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL TO BE BUILT IN DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – The Armenian Community of Las Vegas, Nevada is
pleased to announce the formation of the Armenian Genocide Memorial
Committee comprised of local Armenians dedicated to the erection of
an Armenian Genocide Memorial in Las Vegas.
After several meetings with Mayor Oscar Goodman and Councilwoman Lois
Tarkanian, wife of famous UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian,
the Committee is pleased to announce the commitment of the City of
Las Vegas to dedicate land located in Centennial Plaza in downtown Las
Vegas on the corner of Fourth & Lewis Streets, between the Clark County
Courthouse and the United States District Court House. Mayor Goodman
announced Las Vegas’ commitment and the location of the Memorial at
the annual April 24 commemoration, which was also attended by all
three Nevada Congressmen, Rep. Porter, Rep. Berkley and Rep. Gibbons,
as well as a representative from Senator John Ensign’s office.
The site selected for the new Armenian Genocide Memorial is a well
traversed area in a business and legal district near the famous
Fremont Street Experience, a very fitting location for a monument
of such importance. It will be seen by thousands of people a day,
which makes it very unique among Armenian Genocide memorials, which
are often located in remote parks or upon church property. It is
important for all Armenians across the United States to support
this important Monument, which will serve to educate Armenians and
non-Armenians alike of the horrors of the Armenian Genocide.
The budget for this historical Monument has been set at $150,000. The
Committee is also accepting designs for the new Memorial. Interested
applicants should contact Abe Kassamanian at (702) 260-0899 for further
information. Tax deductible donations are also being accepted. Please
make your checks made payable to:
“Las Vegas Genocide Memorial Fund”,
Bank West of Nevada 2890 N. Green
Valley Parkway, Henderson, NV 89014
The Las Vegas Armenian Genocide Memorial may be the most important and
most seen Armenian Genocide monument to be planned by the Armenian
community in the United States. We urge all Armenians to show their
support by donating to the erection of the Memorial.
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Bill to aid Israel, Armenia passes U.S. House
r/press/2006/6-8-06.htm
June 8, 2006
WASHINGTON , D.C. – The U.S. House today debated and passed the
Foreign Operations Appropriations Act of 2007. The legislation includes
funding for international aid, programs, and projects to assist in the
development of U.S. priorities abroad. Congressman Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI-09), a senior member of the committee with jurisdiction over
the bill, commended its passage.
“This is an excellent bill that balances the many priorities of
the United States around the world. Our foreign assistance fosters
democratic and transparent governments, promotes human rights, and
helps millions of people in need. While less than one percent of our
entire annual budget, foreign assistance serves as a main pillar of
our foreign policy and is an integral part of our national security.
This bill provides important economic and security assistance to
Israel , including $40 million for refugee resettlement. It also
prohibits direct funding for the Hamas-infected Palestinian Authority,
but allows limited humanitarian assistance under strict guidelines
and checks to ensure absolutely no funding reaches Hamas.
I am also particularly pleased that the bill provides $62 million in
economic assistance to Armenia . This funding is especially important
since Turkey and Azerbaijan continue to obstruct transportation and
infrastructure routes into and out of Armenia with the intention of
forcing Armenia into economic isolation.
This is a responsible bill. It’s the result of significant oversight,
it’s fiscally sound, and it focuses funding on priorities that will
advance democracy and freedom around the globe.”
###

ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH PARTICIPATES IN “RELIGIONS FOR PEACE” WORLD SUMMIT
ARMENPRESS
Aug 28 2006
ETCHMIADZIN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Apostolic Church for
the first time participates in a three-day “Religions for Peace”
world summit which kicked off in Japanese town of Kyoto.
Catholicosate press service said that more than 500 religious leaders,
including the leader of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese of
Armenian Church Archbishop Aghan Paliozian, as well as public and
political figures are participating in the summit.
“Religions for Peace” organization consists of inter-religious councils
and groups which are aimed at promoting cooperation among all the
religious communities of the world as well as at the elimination of
all the existing conflicts.
The first summit of the organization was held 35 years ago in Japanese
town of Kyoto.

FORCED COLLECTION OF MONEY PROHIBITED
Panorama.am
13:57 28/08/06
It is a well-known fact that schoolchildren are often asked to
bring money to schools for different reasons, let’s say for buying
stamps. Kamo AREYAN, Yerevan deputy mayor, is well aware of the fact
and raised his anger against such incidents at schools, saying “it
is a forced collection of money.”
The deputy mayor also said that it is not forbidden by law to collect
money at school but he said it should be made on the principle of
voluntarism. “If we learn about such facts, the principal of the school
will be dismissed not only from the school but from the educational
system,” Kamo Areyan warned.

NGO CHARGES ARMWATERCANAL WITH CORRUPTION
Yerevan, August 26. ArmInfo. Representatives of the Civil Rights
Development NGO appeared today in the Azdak discussion club with
corruption charges against ArmWaterCanal.
The head of the NGO, French citizen, lawyer Artashes Barseghyan says
that he has lived in the village of Kaghtsrashen, Ararat region,
since 2003. He has invested $1 mln in the development of the region’s
agriculture. He has necessary equipment but he can’t work as there
is no water in Kaghtsrashen and nearby villages. “Agriculture can’t
develop without water,” says Barseghyan.
The water pipeline built in the village ten years ago is worn out.
The village has water only 3 hours a day. Because of lack of water
the villagers are forced to drink dirty water, which is dangerous to
their health. However, ArmwaterCanal has not so far responded to any
complaint, while Health Care Ministry experts have said that the water
is good. What ArmWaterCanal really cares for is to collect payments. “I
have paid a huge sum in the last three years – it was quite enough
for repairing the water pipeline and for providing the village with
water round-the-clock. This is nothing but corruption blessed by the
minister of territorial administration Hovik Abrahamyan.”
In his turn, the lawyer of the NGO Hovik Arsenyan said that he had
asked the court of Ararat region to oblige ArmWaterCanal to meet its
contractual obligations and to provide its consumers with high-quality
drinking water. Arsenyan will also send necessary materials to the
public prosecutor’s office.

ANDRZEJ KASPRZYK DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR RUMORS ABOUT HIS PERSON
Baku, August 26. ArmInfo-TURAN. “I work on the basis of OSCE’s mandate,
agreed on with the sides. I am not going to resign; I will resign
only if the sides decline my candidature. However, none of the sides
have made such statement,” Andrzej Kasprzyk, representative of the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, told TURAN, while commenting on critical
publications against him in the Azerbaijani media.
Kasprzyk does not understand the scandal that surrounds him and
has no idea who could be behind it. Kasprzyk categorically refutes
reproaches in media that he was involved in carpet business. “As I
am a diplomat, I cannot appeal to the court for blackmail,” Kasprzyk
said, while expressing concern that press published information from
doubtful sources. Kasprzyk said that he was in Europe and planned to
arrive in Baku in early in September.
Official Baku does not agree with Kasprszyk’s report about the results
of monitoring of fires on the frontline of the Azerbaijani-Armenian
front, particularly the statement that it is impossible to reveal
the reason for fires and who is guilty for them.
After Kasprzyk released this statement to the press, representatives
of the Foreign Ministry, the president’s administration and mass
media controlled by them began to accuse Kasprzyk of being unwilling
to see the obvious, being pro-Armenian and other sins.

AUGUST 31 SEPTEMBER 13 DELEGATION OF THE IMF IS TO VISIT ARMENIA
Yerevan, August 26. ArmInfo. On August 31 – September 13 the delegation
of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will visit Armenia. The
delegation will be lead by Hassan Al-Atrasha, head of the Armenian
quarter of Department for Middle East and Central Asia.
During the visit the process of realizing the economic growth and
poverty reduction programs will be discussed.
To be reminded, in the frameworks of the poverty reduction program
Armenia is to receive SDR 23 million ($32,8 million). The credit is
to granted for 10 year term with 0,5% annual interest rate.

ARMENIA CONVICTS MAN IN 2005 AZUSA SLAYING
Los Angeles Times
August 26, 2006 Saturday
Home Edition
In Brief / Los Angeles County / Glendale
A former Glendale resident who fled the country after being sought
in connection with the slaying of his girlfriend has been tried and
sentenced for the crime in Armenia, Glendale police said Friday.
Artur Khanzadyan was found guilty Friday in an Armenian court of
killing Odet Traturyan, 24, and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Traturyan’s body was found in Khanzadyan’s car last September in Azusa.
U.S. officials had tried unsuccessfully to extradite Khanzadyan
from Armenia.

ENVOY SAYS RUSSIA INTERESTED IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
ANS TV, Baku
23 Aug 06
The newly-appointed Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Vasiliy Istartov,
has said that as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia is doing
a lot to find a solution to the Nagornyy Karabakh problem.
In an interview with the “Point of View” programme on commercial
ANS TV on 23 August, Istratov said: “As a co-chair, Russia is doing
quite a lot within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group to ensure
that the parties can negotiate and resolve the problem between
themselves… A decision cannot be imposed. A decision can be imposed
on the negotiating group. A decision cannot be imposed on this or
another people… A decision should be adopted. This issue will take
some time.”
Asked about his reaction to the statements that the problem is not
resolved as Russia does not want it, the ambassador said that Russia
is interested only in good relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan and
praised the current level of Russian-Azerbaijani relations.
Commenting on a statement that Russia wants to join the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export pipeline, Istratov said that “if
there arises a need for the Russian companies to use it, … then
they will probably use it. The issue is about the economy. Will it
be economical? If they want to send their oil products to the region
of the Mediterranean Sea, they will take their decision”.
The ambassador said that Russia is very interested in the
implementation of the North-South energy project. Speaking about
economic projects that Russia intends to launch in Azerbaijan, Istratov
said that Ural Region was ready to take an active part in trade with
Azerbaijan and stressed that RusAl [Russian Aluminium] company is
going to invest about 1bn dollars in Azerbaijan for a lengthy period.
Asked about repeated attacks on Azerbaijanis by skinheads in Russia,
the ambassador said that their violence was not directed only against
Azerbaijanis.
Meanwhile, he regretted attacks on them. The ambassador was optimistic
about the situation of Azerbaijanis in Russia as a whole. He also
praised ethnic and religious tolerance in Azerbaijan.
Asked about Russia’s position on the development of Iran’s nuclear
programme, the ambassador said that “in view of the fact that during
the previous decades, Iran did not show that it is actually open
for cooperation with the international community [changes tack]
In short, some secret programmes were found in Iran which caused
rather serious doubts on the part of the international community. In
view of this situation, an offer was made to Iran to enrich uranium
on its behalf but – in line with a somewhat more complex scheme –
not on its territory… This was a temporary measure proposed by
the international community, including Russia. Unfortunately, as a
rule, Iran rejected our proposals which we all regard as logical and
reasonable. This is one of the reasons why the given problem is acute”.
Commenting on the situation in the Middle East, the ambassador said
that Russia wanted stability and peace in the region. He stressed
that the international community needs at least to ensure that the
crisis does not deepen even further.

HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY
Mira Yardemian, Public Relations Director
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – Lebanon
Beirut, 28/08/2006
Haigazian University grieves the passing of its beloved longtime professor:
In memoriam of Dr. Ingrid Semaan
Dr. Ingrid Semaan, beloved teacher, scholar and researcher passed away from
complications due to illness, in the evening of August 27, 2006, at 10:10
pm local time in Hungary, at the age of 67.
Dr. Semaan received her B.A. from the University of Dubuque in Modern
Languages in 1960. In 1970 she graduated with a Masters degree in American
Literature from the American University in Beirut, and later on with a
Doctorate in English Literature from the University of Iowa.
During her longtime career, she served as an English instructor in the
American University of Beirut from the year 1969 till 1971, and as a
research assistant in the University of Iowa from the years 1974 till 1975.
She had served on the faculty of Haigazian University from 1975-1999 and
was the head of its English Department.
Dr. Semaan, a teacher of prodigious intellect, wit and humor, contributed
greatly to the academic life of the university, including research and
valuable contributions to the Haigazian Armenological Review.
Her most recent contribution to our community was the donation of a large
collection of her books to the Barsoumian Library.
Interested mostly in drama, music and handcraft, her students still recall
her joyful character, dedication and professionalism.
Dr. Semaan is survived by her husband, Dr. Wanis Semaan.
Haigazian University mourns her passing, yet thanks God that Dr. Semaan’s
gifts were shared with the community so richly.