ARTUR ABRAHAM TO COMPETE WITH DUTCH BOXER ON MAY 13

Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. World champion among professionals by
the IBF version in the medium weight category Artur Abraham (Avetik
Abrahamian) who upheld this title at the March 4 match, will compete
with a Dutch boxer on May 13. Informing about it at the March 15
press conference, the sportsman mentioned that he wants to compete
with Americans Jermen Taylor and Vinky Right who are considered to
be the strongest boxers in the world by another versions.

The boxer from Yerevan has lived in Germany with his family for already
several years. However, he often visits his homeland. Artur Abraham
started to go in for boxing in Yerevan. He attended the sports school
of olympic champion Vladimir Yengibarian. He became the champion of
Armenia for several times. He served in the Armenian army. After
moving to Germany he became a professional boxer. The 26-year-old
boxer has held 20 matches with professionals and gained a victory in
all of them. He ended 17 of these victories with a knockout. As he
said, though he is currently representing Germany, he feels himself
an Armenian.

AMERICAN ARMENIAN ATTORNEYS MARK GERAGOS AND VARTKES YEGHIAYAN HONOURED WITH “ATTORNEY OF THE YEAR” AUTHORITATIVE AWARD OF CALIFORNIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 16 2006

ISTANBUL, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. American Armenian
attorneys Mark Geragos and Vartkes Yeghiayan are honoured with the
“Attorney of the Year” authoritative award of California. According
to the Istanbul “Marmara” daily, two Armenian attorneys as well as
American attorney Brian Kabateck were chosen by California Lawyer
Magazine among 200 thousand attorneys. The California Lawyer Magazine
administrative council took into account the attorney’s productive
work of the recent years, appriciated the positive influence they have
had in the public life as well their introducing important changes
in a number of laws.

Geragos, Yeghiayan and Kabateck protected interests of the Armenian
Genocide victims’ heirs in the case against the New York Life and
AXA insurance companies. To recap, according to agreements signed
with those two companies, heirs of the Genocide victims were get
compensation of correspondingly 20 mln and 17.5 mln dollars.

DIASPORAN ARMENIAN WRITER AND PUBLICIST HAROUTIUN KAZANJIAN (GEGHARD) PASSES AWAY

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 16 2006

ISTANBUL, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Prominent Diasporan
Armenian intellectual, writer and publicist, many-years editor of the
“Akos,” “Bzhishk” and “Bagin” periodicals Haroutiun Kazanjian with
Geghard pen name passed away on March 14 in France. The Istanbul
“Marmara” daily informs about this, quoting information of the
Hamazgayin (all-national) central administration.

Haroutiun Kazanjian was born in 1928 in Beirut. He got pre-education
at the Surb Nshan national seminary, then, at the Nshan Palamjian
academy. In 1954 he graduated from the French University of Beirut,
getting speciality of a dentist-surgeon. In 1949-1954 he edited the
“Akos” daily, and has published the “Bzhishk” monthly since 1955,
at the same time being a part of the editorial staff of the “Bagin”
literary monthly. He contributed a number of Diasporan Armenian
newspapers, publishing poems, fables, stories amd publicistic articles
in them.

Haroutiun Kazanjian’s first books are “Under Strangers’ Roof” and
“The Seine” collecions of stories. Collections of poems and fables
were published as well.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN FUNERAL OF YOUNG MAN KILLED IN TSALKA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 16 2006

AKHALKALAK, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The funeral of
23-years old Gevorg Gevorgian took place on March 14, in the Ghunchi
village of the region of Tsalka. The young man was fiercely killed in
the regional center few days ago. According to the “A-Info” agency,
about 3 thousand people participated in the funeral. In spite of
the difficult road conditions, about 500 people came from Akhalkalak
and Ninotsminda.

Public figures, intellectuals, citizens who demand of the judicial
system of Georgia a just sentence towards the murderers, spoke during
the mourning ceremony.

Three suspects were arrested on the case of falling on Gevorg Gevorgian
and his friends, though the number of criminals was about 1.5 dozen
according to eye witnesses and those suffered.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

16-03-2006

Minister Vartan Oskanian interviewed by Second Armenian TV Channel

Question: Mr. Oskanian, what issues did you discuss with the high-level
representatives of the State Department?

Oskanian: Today, in our meeting with the high-level representatives
of the US State Dept, we focused on three areas: bilateral issues,
energy-related issues and of course the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution process.

Regarding the first, the upcoming Millennium Challenge Compact signing
ceremony is of course uppermost in everyone’s mind. The Minister
of Finance will sign the compact in Washington on March 27. I’ll be
present during the ceremony. We are truly fortunate to have these kinds
of significant resources made available to us. This is a very serious
program that offers us the opportunity to make huge infrastructure
improvements, and it’s related directly to our democratization
process. This program will put Armenia-US relations at a new level.

Energy issues, too, are obviously, very important today. It was
interesting to hear the US thinking on this subject. For Armenia, the
diversification of energy sources is a matter of utmost priority. Our
energy security depends on our being able to maintain the nuclear
resource, and we discussed all of these topics.

Finally, the Nagorno Karabakh issue: Here the fundamental issue is that
negotiations continue. After Rambouillet and the backtracking that we
sensed there, the challenge is to preserve the positive achievements
and build on those. The co-chairs will meet soon and then it will be
clearer what might happen next. Our discussions today revolved around
how we might do that in a way that tries to find solutions for the
deadlocked situation in which we find ourselves today.

Question: What do you make of Aliev’s statements, including those
today, extolling their increasing military capability?

Oskanian: It must be exactly because of their huge military budget
that they have been working overtime at the border and repeatedly
violating the ceasefire. They must have extra bullets to spare.

But let’s look at this from a global context. Today, in the
civilized world, peoples and states don’t compete over the size
of their military budget. That’s not what they take pride in when
they compare themselves with their neighbors. Today, the spheres
of competition are elsewhere. And in all those spheres, Armenia is
ahead of Azerbaijan. So far ahead that there is really no room to
compare. Beginning with the UN’s human development index, Armenia is
ahead of Azerbaijan. The international index that gauges Armenia’s
investment climate puts Armenia way ahead of Azerbaijan. They’re not
even a member of the WTO. There is no comparison in level of democratic
development, human rights protections or press freedoms. In indexes
that measure economic freedoms and development, and transparency and
gains in the battle against corruption, Armenia is disproportionately
better than Azerbaijan. Despite the fact that it’s how many years
now that Azerbaijan produces 400,000 barrels of oil, the per capita
income in Azerbaijan still hasn’t reached Armenia’s. It is better that
Azerbaijan tries to reach Armenia’s levels in these fields, than try
to compete and take pride in being ahead with its military capacity.

,1-0@2-3476,36- 750535@51-734175,0.html

Gianikian et Ricci Lucchi, defricheurs d’archives

Couple singulier dans le petit monde du cinema experimental italien, Yervant
Gianikian et Angela Ricci Lucchi sont d’infatigables resistants qui filment,
retravaillent et recadrent des archives oubliees du debut du XXe siècle.
Pour en faire resurgir, photogramme après photogramme, l’histoire des
guerres, des maux, des cruautes. Mais aussi la siderante beaute de certains
paysages.
Dans leur Trilogie de la guerre, ils montrent des images de batailles a
Monte Pasubio entre soldats autrichiens et italiens pendant la première
guerre mondiale, des prisonniers de guerre qui errent comme des fantômes,
perdus dans la neige des Alpes. Des camps d’enfants orphelins, affames et
mourants en Russie. Des corps mutiles. Le pauvre rafistolage des gueules
cassees au nom d’une science positiviste. La silhouette si douce d’une
infirmière qui vient en aide a des aveugles. Des images recolorisees – en
bleu, rouge, jaune – a ne pas oublier pour ne plus permettre la repetition
des catastrophes. Pour nommer les bourreaux, les victimes, les survivants.
Leur oeuvre – diffusee dans le cadre d’une retrospective au Jeu de paume, a
Paris – est grave, violente, eblouissante.
Pourquoi voir et montrer autant de douleurs ? Savoir que dans chaque boîte
de pellicule les maux du siècle sont tapis et peuvent surgir comme un
serpent pret a mordre a nouveau. “Le monde est plein de dictateurs”, dit
Angela Ricci Lucchi, en ajoutant : “On a d’ailleurs notre propre dictateur
mediatique en Italie.” “Les artistes doivent montrer la guerre, affirmait
deja Leonard de Vinci”, explique Yervant Gianikian. Quitte a en tomber
simultanement malades, a peine termine Oh, Uomo, le plus effroyable de tous
leurs films, presente il y a deux ans au Festival de Cannes.
Tous les deux sont nes en fevrier 1942. Le père de Yervant, chimiste, est
armenien, l’un des rares survivants du genocide de 1915 en Turquie
orientale. Sa mère est autrichienne. Yervant etudie l’architecture a Venise
et passe une thèse atypique sur le cinema muet des annees 1920. De son côte,
Angela Ricci Lucchi suit une formation de peintre a Salzbourg aux côtes
d’Oskar Kokoschka avant de se lancer dans le mail art. Elle envoie des
questions, et les reponses composent ses expositions. Une amie poète lui
suggère d’aller voir quelqu’un qui travaille dans les Dolomites. “Tu me
diras, c’est un fou ou un genie”, la previent-elle. “C’est ainsi que j’ai
rencontre Yervant en 1975”, dit-elle. Ils ont decide de travailler ensemble
et de faire du cinema. Leur premier film a quatre mains se nomme Erat-Stora,
anagramme d’un poème d’Ezra Pound.
Dans les annees 1970, ils collectionnent des milliers d’objets, de jouets,
de cartes postales, des photographies qu’ils reorganisent dans des petites
boîtes, mi-theâtres de poche, mi-paysages duchampiens. Ces objets sont
filmes, catalogues. Fascines par cette idee de catalogue – qui leur vient
d’une inclination pour le Siècle des lumières et les encyclopedistes -,
Yervant Gianikian et Angela Ricci Lucchi se lancent dans ces films poetiques
de found footage (en retravaillant une pellicule deja impressionnee), comme
Catalogue 9,5 Karagoëz.
L’idee de liberer des parfums pendant la projection de ces films vient aussi
du siècle des Lumières, du Traite des sensations de Condillac. Les cineastes
s’inspirent des theories de ce philosophe contemporain de Diderot pour
chauffer et diffuser des essences de rose, d’oeillet ou de framboise, en
fonction des images diffusees a l’ecran. Le plus stupefiant, Cesare
Lombroso, sur le parfum d’oeillet, rend hommage a un criminologue italien,
convaincu que les femmes capables de tuer n’avaient pas d’odorat. Ces
performances d’alchimie et de cinema experimental fascinent le public
americain, mais lassent assez vite les cineastes. Ils ne veulent pas devenir
des magiciens qui promènent de ville en ville leurs valises de films et de
parfums.
Tout bascule quand ils trouvent en 1977 des films muets de format Pathe
Baby. Pour les lire, tous deux mettent au point une technique, “la camera
analytique”, qui leur permet de s'”approcher, de descendre en profondeur
dans le photogramme, d’intervenir sur la vitesse de defilement, sur le
detail, sur la couleur”. Une manière de faire emerger le sens cache des
actualites ou de decrypter des images de propagande. Personne ne connaît
mieux qu’eux les fonds d’archives. L’histoire et la memoire. Ils ont utilise
l’etonnante collection de Luca Comerio, pionnier du documentaire italien,
decrypte les fonds russes, pragois, madrilènes, berlinois autant que ceux de
la Cinemathèque francaise ou du Cinema des armees de Paris. Pour Du pôle a
l’equateur, 347 000 images sur le thème du voyage ont ete retravaillees pour
saisir un incroyable bazar d’exotisme où les marchandises peuvent etre aussi
humaines. On y voit des conquistadors, des chasseurs, des pretres, des
soldats et Mussolini.
Dans Animali criminali, on assiste a des combats de coqs, au festin d’un
serpent mangeant une grenouille ou celui, plus medusant, d’un boa avalant un
petit cochon. Vision tetue, sans intention ni a priori, des combats
effrayants comme des scènes de jours heureux. “Le travail, c’est une drogue.
On n’arrete jamais”, affirme ce couple qui presente desormais son oeuvre aux
quatre coins du monde dans des installations museales ou des retrospectives
cinematographiques.
“Il existe toujours une part d’enfance dans leurs films. Chaque generique
est d’ailleurs une etiquette d’un cahier d’ecolier”, souligne Patrice
Rollet, l’un des fondateurs de la revue de cinema Trafic. Danièle Hibon,
responsable de la programmation cinematographique du Jeu de paume, a montre,
la première, leur travail en France, en 1995. Elle a incite Yervant
Gianikian a filmer son père, dans le très emouvant Retour a Khodorciur. A
plus de 70 ans, ce dernier est retourne voir son pays perdu, a pied, seul,
et raconte la tragique histoire de sa famille. Angela Ricci Lucchi et
Yervant Gianikian sont, eux aussi, alles en Armenie. Ils ont ramene des
stocks d’images. Pour faire un jour un film, le leur, qui ne provienne plus
d’images d’archives. Sauf peut-etre celles laissees par le père de Yervant,
qui avait pris le soin d’emporter une camera Super-8 dans son pèlerinage.
Nicole Vulser
Article paru dans l’edition du 15.03.06

–Boundary_(ID_UoIl9R0PmpROnnZTJRhUYg)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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:

A LECTURE ABOUT THE WCC 9TH ASSEMBLY IS DELIVERED IN THE SEMINARY

A lecture entitled “The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (14-23
February 2006, Porto Alegre, Brazil): An Attempt to Evaluate” was organized
in the Seminary of the Catholicosate of Cilicia on the evening of March 10.

Sub-deacon Hagop Kortmossian talked about the 9th Assembly of WCC and the
ecumenical movement in general during his opening remarks.

The keynote speaker was Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer) who
briefly explained the timeliness of the Assembly’s main theme (God, in your
Grace, transform the world) particularly in light of the unconstructive
political and social conditions of the current world. He also spoke about
the course of the Assembly and the main topics discussed during its
sessions, focusing on the leading of His Holiness Aram I as the Assembly’s
chairman and the contribution of the Catholicosate’s large delegation.

“A responsible and conscious participation in the ecumenical movement, the
World Council of Churches, the Middle East Council of Churches and others
such organizations is essential and is conditioned by reading, studying and
having the necessary formation,” Bishop Alemezian said.

“Our father, His Holiness Aram I is the tangible example of this statement.
His Holiness opened up to ecumenical life starting in the 1970s and due to
his pursuant efforts he reached the high post of the moderator of WCC, which
he occupied with great capability during the last 15 years. It’s not enough
to be justly proud of our Catholicos; we are obligated to follow his steps
and bring our contribution to the mission of our Church the Cilician Holy
See and the Seminary,” he concluded.

Rev. Fr. Housig Mardirossian (Staff-bearer), a member of the Cilician
delegation to the Assembly, also spoke during the event relating his
experiences as a participant in the sessions and emphasizing the role of the
youth in the ecumenical movement.

Bishop Alemezian and Rev. Fr. Mardirossian then answered the questions of
the students.

V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian delivered the closing remarks, thanking the two
speakers on behalf of the Seminary’s administration and assuring the
commitment of the students to the ecumenical movement as an important source
of enrichment and opening up to other churches.

##

View photos here: tm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Theological
Seminary 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.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:

COMM UNIQUÉ NO.: II

THE THIRD PAN-ARMENIAN WRITERS’ CONFERENCE
IN THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA
6-9 APRIL 2006

The preparatory works for the third Pan-Armenian Writers’ Conference to be
held in Antelias on April 6-9 are underway. As we had announced in our first
communiqué, an Organizing Committee of five members was formed. With the
help of the presidency of the Writers’ Union of Armenia, the Committee
successfully collected the addresses of more than 170 Armenian writers in
the Diaspora and sent them invitations.

It is understandable that all the Armenian writers living all over the
Diaspora could not be reached. Realizing this, in our first communiqué we
advised all interested Diaspora writers to contact the Organizing Committee.

Gladly, writers in both Armenia and the Diaspora responded to our
invitations with great enthusiasm. More than 80 writers from Syria, Lebanon,
Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Switzerland, England,
Australia, Georgia, the United States and Canada readily accepted our
invitations. In addition, 50 writers will represent the Writers’ Unions of
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

The Conference is open to all Armenian writers in the Diaspora. Interested
writers should contact the Organizing Committee on the following address:
Kroghneroo Hamahaygagan Kim Hamajoghov
E-mail: [email protected] – Fax : (+961-4) 419 724

Antelias, 14 March 2006
Organizing Committee

NOTE: The Diaspora press is kindly asked to publish the above communiqué.

–Boundary_(ID_rqvXRSNtWtrLQrV2VL9f3g )–

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

16-03-2006

Azeris Transform Armenian Cemetery into a Shooting-Range

In December 2005, the Azerbaijani military razed to the ground about
3,500 khachkars – gigantic carved stone cross headstones, dating
from the 15th century – in the Nakhichevan exclave on the Iranian and
Turkish borders. The medieval cemetery originally held 10,000 of these
exquisitely carved headstones. Armenians formed a majority in this
region during the 17th to 19th centuries. The number of headstones –
which hold both religious and cultural significance – was reduced
to half during the soviet years, and in the last decade, a conscious
effort to demolish them and remove all traces of Armenians resulted
in the complete destruction and removal of all remaining monuments.

The most recent effort to break up and remove the stone crosses was
noted in December 2005. This week, clerics on the Iranian border
photographed the barren cemetery and its new feature – a shooting
range.

The government of Armenia presented a formal complaint to UNESCO
Director General Koichiro Matsuura on the destruction of monuments
which form a part of the cultural patrimony of the world. In addition,
the European Parliament, in February 2006, condemned the destruction
of these irreplaceable treasures.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

16-03-2006

Council of Europe Cooperation with Armenia 2006- 2007 Approved

On March 15, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
approved the Action Plan on Cooperation with Armenia, for 2006-2007.

The Council of Europe prepared this Action Plan in close collaboration
with the Armenian authorities. As Ambasador Christian Ter-Stepanian,
Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, noted,
the Action Plan assesses the progress Armenia has made in regard to
her obligations since becoming a member of the Council five years ago.

Ambassador Ter-Stepanian expressed his satisfaction that the
Action Plan takes into consideration the prospects offered by the
constitutional changes geared toward strengthening democratic
institutions, independence of the judiciary, and human rights
protections.

He also noted that since the Government of Armenia has approved the
schedule of legislative reforms resulting from the constitutional
amendments adopted through Constitutional referendum in November 2005,
this plan has even greater utility.

“We are aware that this cooperation will help Armenia adapt its laws
and practices to European norms and standards, and will facilitate
the reforms policy necessary for deepening Armenia’s integration
process with European structures,” stated the Ambassador.