JIM TOROSIAN AND GEGHAM GRIGORIAN GIVEN SURB SAHAK – SURB MESROP ORDERS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 27 2006
ETCHMIADZIN, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Karekin II
Catholicos of All Armenians handed on April 22 at the Mother See of
Holy Etchmiadzin the “Surb Sahak – Surb Mesrop” order to prominent
architecture Jim Torosian and Gegham Grigorian, the Artistic head
of the Yerevan Alexander Spendiarian Opera and Ballet National
Academic Theater, for their services to the Armenian culture and
great contribution. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Information
Services of the Mother See, the ceremony of giving the orderes was
opened by the speech of Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian, the monk of
the Mother See. Archbishop Pozapalian touched upon Jim Torosian’s
and Gegham Grigorian’s creative life way and productive work, then
thanked His Holiness for the attention constantly paid to Armenian
artists and appreciation of cultural figures. Professor Varazdat
Haroutiunian and poet Seyran Zakarian presented their thoughts about
Jim Torosian’s and Gegham Grigorian’s life and activity. Then the
Patriarchal holy condacks were brought and read by Bishop Arshak
Khachatrian and Bishop Paren Avetikian under the sounds of the “Ej
Miatsinn i Hore” church song. “Dear Mr.Torosian, great and valuable
is Your contribution in life of our people. The productive activity
of long years that blessed by the God, has been resulted with valuable
implementations, worthly classified Your name near famous names of the
Armenian architecture. … We touch upon with special satisfaction Your
services to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin which are expressions of
Your sensere love and devotion towards our spiritual holy place. Being
a member of the Architectural Council of the Mother See, You assist
as much as possible to construction programs implemented by the Mother
See, using Your professional abilities for restoration of our historic
monasteries and and construction of new churches and church buildings,”
is said in the Patriarchal condack. “Today we touch upon with great
satisfaction Your cultural activity and productive contribution of
years. Your name as a winner of numerous competitions is widely known
in the Fatherland and out of its borders. … Today You continue
Your significant cultural activity with the same productiveness,
as the Artistic Head of the Yerevan A.Spendiarian Opera and Ballet
National Academic Theater, putting in Your skills and abilities in
making the Opera and Ballet National Academic Theater more prosperous
as well in the thankful affair of developing the music culture,”
is mentioned in the condack addressed to Gegham Grigorian. After the
condacks were read, His Holiness decorated Jim Torosian and Gegham
Grigorian with the “Surb Sahak-Surb Mesrop” order. After giving the
orders, Jim Torosian and Gegham Grigorian said the world of their
heart to those present. The ceremony was closed by the speech of
the Catholicos of All Armenians. His Holiness again appreciated Jim
Torosian’s and Gegham Grigorian’s devotiom, love and faithfulness
shown by the productive activity towards the Armenian people and the
Armenian Apostolic Surb Church.

RA AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON OPENS PHOTO EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO STATE OF ARMENIAN MONUMENTS IN TURKEY AND NAKHIJEVAN
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 27 2006
WASHINGTON, APRIL 27, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A photo exhibition
dedicated to the state of the Armenian historic-cultural monuments in
Turkey and Nakhijevan which was presented by the Armenian Architecture
Studying Organization, opened at the RA Embassy to Washington on April
24. Few dozens of photos that J.Manucharian, the Deputy Chairman of
the organization presented, picture the process and consequences of
the successive annihilation policy implemented towards the Armenians
historic monuments, monasteries and khachkars (cross stones) in the
above-mentioned territories. The organization functions under the
slogan condemning the “cultural genocide” and organizes exhibitions
to draw the international communities’ attention to the necessity
of protecting the Armenian historic-cultural values. As Noyan Tapan
was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, in the exhibiton’s opening speech RA Ambassador Tatul
Margarian appreciated the work done in the direction of studying
Armenian architectural monuments existing out of the borders of the
Republic of Armenia, interpretation and certification of monuments
lost as a result of historic events. The Ambassador mentioned that
the issue of keeping the Armenian rich architectural culture, making
property of generations is today modern and urgent, particularly
emphasizing the fact of barbarous annihilation of Armenian khachkars
implemented recently in Nakhijevan. The exhibition will function
during the coming ten days, hundreds of American Armenians, American
officials have already visited it.

ARMENIA AMONG LARGEST RECIPIENTS OF US ASSISTANCE
PanARMENIAN.Net
27.04.2006 20:24 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia is one of the largest recipients of
U.S. assistance on a per capita basis.
Since 1992, the United States has provided more than 1.6 billion
dollars of assistance to Armenia in support of the country’s transition
to democracy, U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia John Evans stated in an interview with
PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, through this assistance, the United
States government is cooperating with Armenia in pursuit of three
major goals: strengthening democratic institutions, providing for a
more stable and secure South Caucasus, and building the economies of
all three countries of the region.
“In addition to our on-going programs, the United States has developed
a program of assistance worth approximately seven million dollars
to help Armenia in holding free and fair elections in 2007 and
2008. This comprehensive package of election-related assistance will
provide support for the development of the national voter registry
and the conduct of voter education campaigns,” he said. It will also
include assistance for the development of voter education materials,
training for various sectors of society including representatives
of the judicial system and political party representatives, and
exchange visits for media outlets, Evans said. “We believe it is
vitally important for Armenia’s future that the upcoming elections be
free, fair and transparent, and be perceived as such not only by the
international community, but most importantly by the Armenian people
themselves,” the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission underscored.
In addition, on March 27 the United States Millennium Challenge
Corporation signed a $235 million Compact with Armenia, the
U.S. Ambassador reminded. “This assistance program will focus on rural
road rehabilitation and improved irrigation, and will directly impact
approximately 75% of the rural population, increasing their annual
income by an estimated $36 million in 2010 and over $113 million
in 2015. In order to remain eligible for this funding, Armenia must
continue to demonstrate a commitment to ruling justly, investing in
people, and encouraging economic freedom,” Ambassador Evans said.

YOUNG FILM DIRECTORS FROM 12 COUNTRIES TO GATHER IN YEREVAN
Armenpress
Apr 26 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS: Young film directors and critics from
Germany, Cuba, Holland, USA, Russia and other countries, all in all
from 12, will present their fiction, cartoon and documentary films
to a May 3-8 film festival in Yerevan.
Awards will be given in nine nominations, in addition to the Grand
Prix and a special award of Catholicos Karekin II, the head of the
Armenian Church.

AUA AND NORK MARASH MEDICAL CENTER AUTHOR A STUDY ON QUALITY OF INTENSIVE CARE
Armenpress
Apr 26 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS; The American University of Armenia
(AUA) said the April 2006 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Asian
Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals presented findings from a study by
lead author Lusine Abrahamyan, MD, MPH, which demonstrated that quality
of care at Nork Marash Medical Center (NMMC) following coronary artery
bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, measured in terms of post operative
complications and ICU stays, are comparable to those reported by
major international cardiac surgery centers.
According to co-author and Surgical Consultant at NMMC Dr. Hrair
Hovaguimian, “This article is an important step toward establishing
systems for outcomes reporting in parallel with international
standards.”
AUA/CHSR faculty Anahit Demirchyan, MD, MPH, and Michael Thompson,
MS, DrPH, also co-authors noted, “The study reported here was a small
part of a five-year privately funded collaborative project between the
Center for Health Services Research and Development of the American
University of Armenia (AUA/CHSR) and the Nork Marash Medical Center
focused on assessing and improving the quality of care at NMMC.” Lead
author Lusine Abrahamyan, now a PhD candidate at the University of
Toronto, noted that “These results not only attest to the quality
of care at NMMC, but also provide important insights for individual
patient counseling.”
“AUA students, graduates and faculty working together with the Medical
Staff of the Hospital undertook a thorough study and evaluation of all
functions and procedures in the hospital with the express purpose of
raising its standards to accepted international norms. To say that
the Hospital and AUA achieved its goals is both an understatement
and a tribute to all those who worked on the project.
Their professional expertise and personal commitment has manifested
itself in a higher standard of care, the direct beneficiary of which is
each and every patient that enters the Hospital. My congratulations
to them all,” added Mr. Edward Avedisian, who generously funded
this project.

U.S.-ARMENIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION DEVELOPING IN RIGHT DIRECTION
PanARMENIAN.Net
27.04.2006 20:40 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ U.S.-Armenian economic cooperation is continuing to
develop in the right direction, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans
stated in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, in addition
to the U.S. assistance programs, more than seventy American firms
are currently doing business in Armenia, several of which have made
sizeable investments. “In addition, a number of Armenian products have
found markets in America. As this cooperation continues to develop,
we hope to establish additional, stronger economic links between the
United States and Armenia,” the Ambassador remarked.

ARMENIA AND SEYCHELLES ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
Armenpress
Apr 26 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s Permanent Representative in
the UN, Armen Martirosian, and Jeremy Bonelam, the Representative
of the Republic of Seychelles, signed on April 19 a protocol on
establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Armenian foreign ministry said by signing the protocol both countries
committed to promoting mutual understanding, strengthening friendship
and cooperation between the two nations.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR IN MOSCOW ASKS RUSSIAN OFFICIALS TO REACT TO MANIFESTATIONS OF FASCISM
Armenpress
Apr 27 2006
MOSCOW, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS; Armenia’s ambassador to Russia, Armen
Smbatian, has officially asked Russian foreign and interior ministers
and Moscow mayor ‘to take decisive action to prevent manifestation
of fascism.”
The unusual wording was prompted by last weekend killing of an ethnic
Armenian teenager in Moscow, Vigen Abramyants, a Russian citizen. The
boy was stabbed to death by a group of Russian skinheads.
Moscow prosecutors have extended the pre-trial detention of a Russian
boy suspected of killing Abramyants, for 72 hours yesterday.
The murder of the Armenian boy and a subsequent attack on an Armenian
film director who was visiting Moscow have triggered a tough reaction
of Armenian media which accuse Russian law-enforcers of conniving at
hate crime.

THE NUMBER OF HEART DISEASES INCREASED BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER
A1+
[12:30 pm] 27 April, 2006
The number of heart diseases abruptly increased in Shirak
marz. According to the regional Cardio-Rheumatic Department chief
Arthur Stepanyan the number of patients within the 3 months of the
current year increased by 80 in comparison with the previous year data.
There have been about 280 in-patients in the regional hospital
since January. Their number has abruptly increased in the recent
days. According to the specialists this increase is determined by
the abrupt weather changes. Most of the patients are in complicated
hypertonic crisis; they have heart problems, attacks and violations
of heart rhythm.
The cardiologists state one important fact; the heart diseases prevail
among women recently. If only one out of 6 patients suffering heart
problems was a woman in the previous years now their number has also
increased. Men suffer from the illness more rarely.
There were 5 cases of death within the recent 3 months, and 2 of the
patients died because of chronical heart insufficiency.
“Tsayg” TV of Gyumri

NEW PHASE OF CHURCH – SCHOOL RELARTIONS
A1+
[12:46 pm] 27 April, 2006
Today the monk of the Syunyats eparchy Abgar Hovakimyan met the
teachers and pupils of Goris. The meeting was aimed at strengthening
the ties between churches and schools.
Each pupil must be aware of the history of the church and realise its
role and important. According to the eparchy representative school
visits will become more frequent and they will help pupils to suffice
their spiritual needs. School pupils will also get exhaustive answers
to all questions concerning them.
The offer was accepted by the teachers and pupils with great
enthusiasm.
“Last” TV channel of Goris