ARMENIAN GDP GROWS 9.7% IN FOUR MONTHS OF 2006
Armenpress
May 22 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS: In the first four months of this year
Armenia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose 9.7 percent from a year
ago to almost 395 billion Drams. The GDP growth rate in April was 26.6
percent against March, Armenia’s National Statistical Committee said.
The committee said according to preliminary data, almost 188 billion
Drams worth industrial goods, not counting indirect taxes, were
manufactured in this period of time, 3 percent down from figures of
the first four months of 2005, but the industrial growth in April of
2006 was 12 percent higher against March.
Armenian power generating facilities produced in this period of time
2.144 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, down 11 percent from a
year ago.
The Statistical Committee also said population’s incomes in
January-April of this year amounted to 431.4 billion drams and their
expenditures rose to 443.2 billion drams, of which 356.1 billion were
spent on purchase of goods and payments for services.
Compared with figures from a year ago incomes and expenditures grew
respectively 17 and 20 percent.
By the end of April the army of officially registered unemployed man
and women made 91,000 people, 12 percent down from a year ago. The
committee also said the average wage was 58,000 drams, 21 percent
higher from a year ago. Wages in public sector made 41,000 drams
and 71,000 drams in private companies, the growth against 2005 was
respectively 23 and 20 percent.

ORINATS YERKIR WENT “TO BUILD ITS DESIRED ARMENIA”
Panorama.am
13:12 22/05/06
The regular session of the National Assembly started with the planned
event – NA Vice Chairman Tigran TOROSYAN announced the resignation of
NA Chairman Arthur Baghdasaryan. Following the announcement, Arthur
Baghdasaryan thanked his coalition friends and “all 131 deputies”
for three years of joint activity.
He recalled the past and said that “… those three years were time
of progress. We tried to raise the image of the parliament during
that time.”
Recalling all the good things, Arthur Baghdasaryan also said that
there were disagreements between the authorities and Orinats Yerkir
which deepened over time. “We have tried to protest every law against
the interests of people and such cases were many,” he said. He also
stressed that OY aims to promote relations with European Union and
judging from his words also with NATO. “Increased cooperation with
NATO is a right approach for our future,” he said.
Baghdasaryan expressed readiness to criticize every bad action “be
that from the president or someone else.”
Mher SHAHGELDYAN, NA Defense, Security Issues permanent committee
head and Gagk MKHEYAN, NA Social, Health and Nature Protection
Issues permanent committee head also resigned together with Arthur
Baghdasaryan.
At the moment, NA has proceeded to its regular works under the
chairmanship of Tigran Torosyan.

Driver Plows Into Crowd at Mich. Carnival
Associated Press May 21, 2006
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — A van driver plowed into an inflatable “Moon
Walk” attraction at a church carnival, injuring at least eight people,
according to police and news reports.
The man drove his van into a crowd of people in the parking lot of
Alex Manoogian School in the suburban Detroit town of Southfield at
about 2 p.m., police said. The lot was the site of a fair put on by
St. John’s Armenian Church.
“We tried our best to stop him,” said Josep Torossian, principal of
the high school division at the charter school. “He wouldn’t listen to
me.”
The man fled, but police traced the van to a home in Troy, where he
was arrested. He was to be arraigned Monday in Southfield, police said
in a news release.
At least six children and two adults were treated at nearby Providence
Hospital, the Detroit News reported.
ld/nation/wire/sns-ap-church-carnival-crash,1,2425 236.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

ANDRE, 8st to EUROVISION SONG CONTEST

Jean Eckian
May 21, 2006
Retransmitted in 24 countries of Europe, the Eurovision Song Contest
exists since May 24, 1956. For its first participation, in front of
150 million people, Armenia, represented by the singer ANDRE with his
song “With your Love” was classified in 8th position.
In France, during the presentation of the Armenian singer, the
presenter star of French TV (France 3), Michel DRUCKER said: “In 1915,
1 million and half of Armenians perished in the first genocide of the
twenty century by the Turks. Will be needed nevertheless, a day, that
Turkey recognizes this genocide “

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]
Website: <; FELLOWSH IP OF ORIENTAL ORTHODOX SPIRITUAL LEADERS ISSUE JOINT COMMUNIQUE On Tuesday, May 16, 2006, the spiritual leaders of the Oriental Orthodox Churches met to discuss various issues of concern. Included in the discussion were the `Da Vinci Code' and the `Gospel of Judas'. The fellowship was hosted by H.G. Bishop Joseph Al-Zehlaoui of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, and with the participation of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, H.G. Bishop Serapion of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and H.E. Archbishop Mor Clemis Eugene Kaplan of the Syriac Orthodox Church. Also in attendance were Fr. Michael Najim of St. Nicholas Cathedral and Fr. Abdallah Zaidan of Our Lady of Mt. Lebanon Cathedral. At the conclusion of the fellowship, it was decided that a joint communique be issued to the faithful regarding the `Da Vinci Code' and the `Gospel of Judas'. The following is the text of the communique. `We, as Orthodox Bishops caution our faithful about the movie `Da Vinci Code', which falsifies the reality of our Lord Jesus Christ. Based on fiction and falsehood, this movie tries to discredit the fundamentals of our Christian Orthodox faith and attack the authenticity of the New Testament. Also, we caution our faithful about the `Gospel of Judas'. This `gospel', better entitled the Judas Document is neither `good news' (the meaning of `gospel') nor was it written by Judas Iscariot, nor is it even particularly `new'. This ancient manuscript was roundly condemned and refuted by the early Church Fathers. In the midst of the media's relentless avalanche of anti-Christian propaganda concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, we are confident that you are standing firm in your Orthodox faith. Battling for our Apostolic Faith, which bears the Truth of who Jesus Christ is, we must remain undismayed by attacks that the media launches against the accuracy and veracity of the four Gospels.'

PanARMENIAN.Net
Armenia Signed Protocol on Liquidation of Death Penalty under Any
Circumstances
20.05.2006 14:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During his stay in Strasbourg Armenian FM Vartan
Oskanian yesterday signed the 13th Protocol of the Human Rights
Convention on liquidation of death penalty under any circumstances,
the Press Service of the Armenian MFA told PanARMENIAN.Net. Within
the framework of his visit to Strasbourg the Armenian FM met with EU
Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Turkey Speaking of Freedom of Speech without Recognizing Genocide
Ironic

20.05.2006 14:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian addressed the Strasbourg
session of the CE Committee of Ministers May 19. Touching upon the
outcomes of the fifth year of Armenia’s Council of Europe membership,
Oskanian noted the advancement of reforms aimed at boosting democracy
in the country. He especially underscored the repeal of death penalty
and adoption of amendments to the Constitution in compliance with
European standards.
Minister Oskanian addressed the Council in French and spoke about
democratic processes, democratic reforms and in that context, he
raised three issues: Armenian Genocide, destruction of an Armenian
cemetery in Nakhichevan and the Karabakh issue.
“First, even as there is a momentum over the world toward adopting
democratic processes which assure the development of free societies
where freedom of expression is an essential component of life, the
Turkish government has become more and more aggressive in denying the
Armenian Genocide abroad and criminalizing its discussion at home,’
Oskanian said. `As a result, there is a natural response to such
denial in some of our member countries, to attempt to legislate
against all denialist efforts. The irony is that the Turkish
government considers this a travesty of freedom of speech and
expression, without recognizing the Genocide. At the same time they
sustain their own right to punish their own citizens, who use the
term,” the Minister emphasized, reports the Armenian MFA Press
Service.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Oskanian Called Destruction of Armenian Cemetery in Nakhichevan
20.05.2006 14:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When addressing the 116th session of the Council of
Ministers of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Armenian Minister of
Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian addressed the issue of destruction of
Armenian khachkars in Nakhichevan. “I can only wish that the ideas and
ideals of Europe came automatically with membership. Perhaps then I
would not be here today to mourn the irreversible, irrational,
intentional destruction of a medieval Armenian cemetery on the
territory of Azerbaijan,’ he said.
The Minister emphasized, `Thousands of massive, uniqueArmenian
khachkars – stone sculptures which had survived through – centuries
are no longer there. A cemetery has been wiped out and the hillside
has been turned into a shooting range. This barbarism is a blatant
attempt to wipe out traces of Armenian presence on those lands,”
Oskanian said, reports the Press Service of the Armenian MFA.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Karabakh Conflict Has No Military Solution
20.05.2006 15:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When addressing the 116th session of the Council of
Ministers of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Armenian Minister of
Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian addressed the issue of settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. “Upon membership, Armenia and
Azerbaijan made a commitment to see a peaceful resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict,» he said. «There are positive
elements in the negotiations process in which we have been involved
over these last several years, but that can produce results only if
the parties understand – and clearly declare – that they don’t have a
military option here.
Europe offers a new context for negotiation: regional cooperation and
post-war reconciliation. This is the Europe – the place of peace and
cooperation – to which our two countries belong, ” Vartan Oskanian
remarked, reports the Armenian MFA Press Service.

PanARMENIAN.Net
France to Discuss Bill Criminalizing Armenian Genocide in November

20.05.2006 15:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `The most important role, played in the dropping of
the motion to penalize those who deny the Armenian Genocide in France
yesterday, was undertaken by Parliamentary Speaker Jean Louis Debre,’
the Zaman newspaper writes. Though not customary, Debre, a close
friend of President Jacques Chirac, took the decision of directing the
session where the draft was discussed. It is very rare for
parliamentary speakers in France to chair the sessions where motions
brought by the opposition are discussed. Debre gave the deputies
discussing the first item of the session the unlimited right to speak,
which diminished the time remaining. He twice allotted a break to ease
the tensions that rose because of this. In the statement he made after
the session, Debre said, `We can write the history of neither France
nor its relationships among other nations,’ and repeated once again
that he is against the bill. Nevertheless, the PS must also use its
next `right to determine the agenda’ for the motion to reach the
parliamentary agenda again, which would be possible only in November.
Alexis Govciyan, Chairman of the Coordination Council of the Armenian
Organizations of France, who foresaw the delay of the bill until
November. Even the Armenian associations, the architects of the
project, did not expect the bill to pass in the first attempt.
Turkish analysts note that the discussion is postponed due to coming
parliamentary and presidential elections in France.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress