BILL TAKES UP UNSOLVED CASE OF U.S. TEACHER KILLED IN ARMENIA
AP Worldstream
May 18, 2006
On the Net:
Joshua Haglund Memorial Peace Scholarship Fund:
A bill introduced in the U.S. House Wednesday is aimed at finding
answers about the unsolved death of an American teacher two years
ago in Armenia.
Joshua Haglund, 33, of Minnesota, was killed less than a year after he
began teaching English at Armenia’s state-run Linguistics University
through an exchange program overseen by the United States.
The bill introduced by Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum
seeks answers in the death and authorizes $250,000 (A194,069) for
a scholarship fund in Haglund’s name at the University of Minnesota
for study abroad and diversity training programs.
Haglund was found fatally beaten on May 17, 2003, on the street
outside his apartment in Yerevan, the Armenian capital.
Before moving to Armenia, Haglund taught in inner-city schools in
the United States as well as in Japan, India and Puerto Rico.
Haglund’s family went to Armenia five months after he died, hired an
Armenian lawyer and has been in frequent contact with the U.S.
Embassy in Yerevan. The family also asked for help from McCollum and
Minnesota’s two U.S. senators.
“Somebody knows who did it,” said Haglund’s mother, Maxine
Haglund-Blommer.
“I don’t know if I’ll see it (resolved) in my lifetime, but maybe
my kids will,” she said. “Maybe someday as those people get older,
their conscience will bother them.”
Haglund’s family thinks he may have been the victim of a hate crime
because he was gay. Armenia has a strong stigma against homosexuality.
“The Haglund family deserves justice, and the Armenian and American
governments need to continue working together to resolve the
investigation into Joshua’s death,” McCollum said.
“The bill is also an opportunity to honor Joshua’s life. He selflessly
dedicated his life to peace and cross-cultural understanding,
becoming an educator who invested his energy in students around the
world. Encouraging others to reach out with a helping hand is a truly
fitting legacy for Joshua,” she said.
Haglund’s family has established the Joshua Haglund Memorial Peace
Scholarship Fund at the University of Minnesota, to “continue his
vision, through love and education, to make the world a better place,
one person at a time.”

RUSSIAN MILITARY CHIEF URGES MORE CONTACTS BETWEEN CIS COUNTRIES’ TOP BRASS
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
18 May 06
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces Yuriy
Baluyevskiy has called on his Collective Security Treaty Organization
[CSTO] counterparts to improve cooperation between the general and
main staffs of the member states’ armed forces, the ITAR-TASS news
agency reported at 0716 gmt on 18 May. In an opening speech at the
meeting of the chiefs of the CSTO main and general staffs, which
was held on 18 May in Moscow, Baluyevskiy said the efficiency of the
CSTO’s military component relies extensively on practical interaction
between the member nations’ armed forces.
“We know that not everybody is happy with [the current state of] this
interaction. It has weakened for a number of reasons. This is how
our performance was appraised at a meeting of the Council of Defence
Ministers of the CIS and the CSTO member states,” Baluyevskiy said.
The member states of the CSTO are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. ITAR-TASS reports that Belarus
was not represented at the meeting in Moscow.

MARZPET ALIK SARGSYAN AT RA PRESIDENT’S OFFICE
ArmRadio.am
18.05.2006 15:25
Issues related to state assistance for elimination of spring flood
consequences in Ararat marz were discussed today during President
Robert Kocharyan’s working meeting with Marzpet Alik Sargsyan.
The President instructed the Marzpet to provide assistance to those
citizens who suffered losses because of the deluge. Reference was
made also socio-economic, health, cultural and educational programs
to be implemented in the region this year.

ANDRE TO REPRESENT ARMENIA AT “EUROVISION-2006”
ArmRadio.am
18.05.2006 15:32
The semifinal of the “Eurovision-2006″ song contest will be held today
at the Olympic Stadium of Athens meant for 18 spectators. Armenia will
be represented by best singer of the year Andre, who will present a
song titled ” Without your love.”
In a few hours the third general rehersal will be held in Athens. It
completely performs the concert program.
“After having a rest after the rehearsal, the actors and singers will
perform already at the semifinal. The spirit is high, the atmosphere
is friendly,” director Hrach Keshishyan said in his phone talk with
“Radiolur” correspondent.
The interest towards Armenia, Armenians and Andre, in particular,
is great in Athens. Andre is well known, local TV and radio Channels
often air his song.

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:
VIDEO SCREENING IN THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA
“THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 90 YEARS LATER”
The Armenian Church University Students’ Association (HEHOM) organized a
screening of “The Armenian Genocide 90 Year Later” in cooperation with
“Aztag” Armenian Daily in the Catholicosate of Cilicia on the evening May
13. The video screened in the hall of the “Cilicia” museum was prepared by
the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies of Minnesota University.
Saro Kendirdjian from the Students’ Association delivered the opening
remarks of the event, stressing that the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian
Cause have become unifying factors for the entire Armenian nation to fight
against injustice. Kendirdjian added that the struggle for Armenian rights
has become the nation’s principal aim and highest value.
“The pursuit of the Armenian Cause has been the source of our nation’s
survival and eternity, it has been our sanctity, our spirit, our blood, our
identity and our pride,” Kendirdjian said. He pointed out that the Armenian
Cause progressed due to the efforts of Armenian unions and organizations and
entered into the hearts of each Armenian.
Highlighting the efforts of the students’ union in this context, Kendirdjian
described its main aim as gathering the Armenian youth under one concern,
that of justice, the realization of rights and national aims. He said these
efforts might have been incomplete without the support of the media and
thanked “Aztag” Daily for securing the video to be screened during the
event.
The English language documentary “The Armenian Genocide 90 Years Later” was
then screened for the first time in the Middle East. Stating that the
survivors of the Armenian Genocide revived their cause, the video featured
Armenian, foreign and Turkish academicians and their approaches on the
Armenian Genocide.
Among others, the video included appearances from Eric Weits (professor at
Minnesota University), Stephan Feinstein (Director of the university’s
Holocaust and Genocide Studies Center), professor Taner Akcam, Lou Ann
Matossian (daughter of Genocide survivor, lecturer and administrative
officer in the Kafsedjian Institute). It also featured descendants of
Armenian Genocide survivors.
Each of the academicians and speakers presented their views and knowledge on
the reasons behind the Armenian Genocide: the Turkish policy towards
minorities, the role and importance of Armenians in the regions which were
worrying factors for Turkey. Thus, Turkey preferred the annihilation of
Armenians and the islamisation of the region.
Foreign academicians referred to evidence of more than two million Armenians
living on the region and of their disappearance in a short period of time.
They stressed the existence of great evidence about the Armenian Genocide in
American and German archives, but pointed out that these remain concealed
because of political interests.
The professors assured that news about the Armenian Genocide filled the
pages of newspapers in 1915 along with news about the First World War.
Without playing with words, everybody wrote that collective massacres are
occurring in the deserts in Der Zor, that people are dying from fatigue,
torture and starvation.
Speaking about the Armenian Genocide, Taner Akcam considered it a crime
against humanity. He assured that it is not a crime executed by a couple of
criminals, but an inhumane act carried out by the aid of the Turkish
society, something Turks deny today still because psychologically they can’t
accept that their predecessors were criminals.
The speakers then talked about the role of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey’s
EU bid and the former Turkish laws that punished people referring to the
Armenian Genocide.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the youth
activities 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
“Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Building 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Anush Babayan
Tel: 3741 52 09 40
Fax: 3741 52 37 95
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
18.05.06
The 15th Meeting of the Board of Trustees
The 15th meeting of the `Hayastan’ All-Armenian Fund’s Board of
Trustees convened on May the 5th at the Government Reception House,
Yerevan. The Meeting approved the 2005 report of the Executive Board.
Then it discussed the agenda issues, which included also election of new
Trustees. Three new trustees were elected to the Board-Mark Geragos,
Hasmik Terterian and Mike Kharapian.
One of the main issues of the Board Meeting was the `Rebirth of
Artsakh’ project which was approved last year. The project will go
along this year and the 2006 Telethon will be devoted to it. The Board
of Trustees decided to organize the Telethon on November 30. Amounts
raised during the Telethon will be directed to rehabilitation and
development of Hadrout and Mardakert regions.
The Meeting touched on also the issue of border communities’
development. Vardan Oskanian, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trustee of
the `Hayastan’ Fund presented the project. A commission was set to
study the development project and put forward suggestions on
implementation of it jointly with other Himnadram projects. The
commission involved trustees, chairs of the local committees and the
Executive Director of the Fund.
It was also decided to provide $25 000 to the families of the recent
airliner crash victims through the donations of the Fund’s worldwide
affiliates. The Fund will go on assisting those families.
A few days following the Meeting the major donor Jean Boghossian added
$10,000 to the collected amount.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
MAY 12-18, 2006
HIGHLIGHTS:
ARMENIAN NEWSPAPER ARCHIVE ON
“PRESS-CLUB+”: “NATIONAL UNITY” DISCUSSING ECONOMY AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
ANOTHER INCIDENT WITH “LORI” TV HEAD
HAMLET GHUSHIAN MADE A PUBLIC APOLOGY
“AVETIS” CAUTIONED
THE PRESS LEGION REPLENISHED
BOOK ABOUT ONE HUNDRED ARMENIANS
SPECIAL AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISING
“TSAYG” AND “ARKA” CELEBRATING JUBILEES
ARMENIAN NEWSPAPER ARCHIVE ON
On Yerevan Press Club web-site () the Armenian Press Archive is
re-launched (). In the Archive the following national
periodicals are stored and constantly updated:
Armenian-language newspapers – official “Hayastani Hanrapetutiun” (issues
since December 2003), “Azg” (since January 1999), “Haikakan Zhamanak” (since
March 2000), “Hayots Ashkhar” (since December 2000), “Aravot” (since March
1998) dailies, “Iravunk” (since January 1998) published twice a week,
“Yerkir” weekly (since January 2006) as well as the previously published
“Orran” daily (issues from August 2002 till May 2003);
Russian-language newspapers – official “Respublika Armenia”, published twice
a week (issues since March 2001),”Golos Armenii” (since January 2000) and
“Novoye Vremya” (since December 2000), published three times a week,
“Delovoy Express” weekly (since March 2000), as well as “Azg” and “Aravot”
Russian-language versions (since 2000).
Apart from general re-structuring of , the search
engine for the data base has been improved, too.
“PRESS-CLUB+”: “NATIONAL UNITY” DISCUSSING ECONOMY AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
On May 16 the eighth talk show of “Press Club+” series went on the evening
air of “Yerkir-Media” TV company.
The invitees of the program host, the Chief Editor of “Aravot” daily Aram
Abrahamian were the leaders of “National Unity” party as guests, and NGO and
media representatives as experts. The TV discussion focused on economic
situation in Armenia and the process of European integration of the country.
It is expected that at 21.00, May 23 (next Tuesday) “Press Club+” will give
floor to the representatives of Democratic Party of Armenia, sharing their
opinions on the issues of the day.
ANOTHER INCIDENT WITH “LORI” TV HEAD
In the early morning of May 16 in Vanadzor the Volkswagen owned by the
Executive Director of “Lori” TV company Narineh Avetisian was stoned. The
glasses of the car were broken. In the opinion of Narineh Avetisian, the
incident can be related to the talk show aired in the evening of May 15 on
“Lori” TV under the project “Isolated Civilization”, implemented by the
Vanadzor Office of Helsinki Citizens Assembly. The program was dealing with
the problems of Vanadzor residents, living in the temporary dwellings in one
of the city areas, in particular, their eviction process and the sale of the
land lots at low prices and with no auctioning. The TV show gave floor to
the representatives of the local administration and the residents
themselves. As YPC was told by Narineh Avetisian, after the talk show was
over its organizers stayed in the studio for a discussion, which ended after
midnight. Going then out into the street they found the journalist’s car
damaged. The two other cars standing by were intact. Narineh Avetisian also
noted that the investigation of the incident was started by Vanadzor City
Police Division.
As it has been reported, three months ago another incident had happened to
the head of “Lori” TV. On February 23 she was insulted by the owner of two
routes of the city microbuses. The discontent of the entrepreneur was raised
by the persistence of the TV company to raise on its air the issue of
ungrounded fare raises in the city transport (see details in YPC Weekly
Newsletter, February 24 – March 2, 2006). According to Narineh Avetisian,
the entrepreneur was summoned to the police for a confrontation and, as far
as she knows, this is how the investigation ended.
HAMLET GHUSHIAN MADE A PUBLIC APOLOGY
On May 15 in Yerevan a press-conference of TV journalist Hamlet Ghushian was
held. Hamlet Ghushian had previously worked for different TV channels and
till 2002 he headed “Yerevan” TV company. At the meeting with his colleagues
Hamlet Ghushian disseminated a statement, making a public apology to the
former Chief Commander of Mountainous Karabagh army, presently the leader of
“Dashink” party Samvel Babayan.
After the attempted assassination of Mountainous Karabagh President Arkadiy
Ghukasian on March 22, 2000 (Samvel Babayan had been charged with its
organization), Hamlet Ghushian made a revelatory film about him, titled “The
Master of Heaven and Hell”. As the author maintains, while preparing the
film he was using the materials provided by the Prosecutor’s Office, tax
bodies and the MK State Television, and it has now turned out the
information was false. According to the TV journalist, after the amnesty of
Samvel Babayan (the former Chief Commander, having been sentenced to 14
years’ imprisonment, was pardoned in September 2004) they met, and he had a
chance to realize how wrong he had been. For this reason Hamlet Ghushian
decided to make a public apology and would like to make another film, with a
conventional title of “Samvel Babayan: an Outside Look”, where different
opinions would be presented.
At the press-conference Hamlet Ghushian also informed that his return from
Moscow to Yerevan after an over three years’ absence is related to the
invitation of a well-known entrepreneur Hrant Vardanian to head “Grand
Media” holding, incorporating, in particular, the two TV companies owned by
the Vardanian family – “AR” and “Hayrenik”.
Meanwhile, on May 17 “Hayots Ashkhar” daily published the comment of
“Dashink” party with regard to the press-conference held: “Neither Samvel
Babayan, nor his party needs the new film by Hamlet Ghushian. (…) We are
fully satisfied with the public apology made by Ghushian, and we think this
issue solved.”
“AVETIS” CAUTIONED
On May 11 the National Commission on Television and Radio made a forewarning
to “Editorial Office of ‘Echmiadzin’ TV company” production cooperative
(aired with “Avetis” logotype) for the violation of the broadcast license
terms. As YPC was told by the National Commission, after the change of the
owner (currently the cooperative is owned by Levon Partakchian) the TV
company expanded its broadcast area, covering Yerevan, too. Meanwhile,
according to the license, its maximum coverage area is limited to
Echmiadzin.
THE PRESS LEGION REPLENISHED
Recently three new publications have been launched.
On May 12 the legion of daily periodical publications was replenished by
Armenian-language “Zhamanak-Yerevan”. This is the version of “Zhamanak-Los
Angeles” newspaper, published in the USA in Armenian and English, intended
for Armenia. According to the Chief Editor Arman Babajanian,
“Zhamanak-Yerevan” will come out 5 times a week, in tabloid format with a
preliminary print run of 1,500 copies.
On May 12 a new monthly magazine for adolescents appeared called “Es? Yes!”.
Its founder and publisher is “CS Publishing House” CJSC. The magazine is
issued on 32 full-color pages with a print run of 5,000 copies. The stories
for “Es? Yes!” are produced by students, and the Chief Editor, Ani Kochar,
is also a student of the Journalism Department of Yerevan State University.
Since May 11 the Russian “Gudok” transport daily started to produce a
supplement – “Gudok-Armenia”. One of the 8 pages of the supplement (A2
format) is dealing with events in Armenia. The print run of “Gudok-Armenia”
is 1,500 copies.
BOOK ABOUT ONE HUNDRED ARMENIANS
The Moscow MEDIAKRAT publishing house produced a book by political observer
of “Golos Armenii” newspaper Aris Ghazinian, “100 Greatest Armenians of the
20th Century”. It presented biographical essays about the famous Armenians
of the last century, classified by 10 thematic sections: military science;
science and technology; theater; cinema and television; music; literature;
arts and architecture; sports; business and politics; national figures. The
graphic portraits illustrating each essay are made by well-known artist Ara
Ohanian (Arzo). The print run of the book is 50,000 copies.
SPECIAL AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISING
On May 9 in Yerevan the award ceremony of the Third International Youth Film
Festival “Es Em” was held. Among the winners of the festival is “Art Site
Studio” (producer Arzuman Harutiunian), awarded a diploma and a special
prize, “Just So”, for adverts on volunteers’ work (“Advertising, Video Art,
Musical Clip” nomination).
“TSAYG” AND “ARKA” CELEBRATING JUBILEES
On May 10 the Gyumri “Tsayg” TV company celebrated the 15th anniversary
since its foundation. The programs of the TV company appeared on air for the
first time on May 10, 1992.
On May 15 “ARKA” news agency celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Yerevan Press Club congratulates colleagues with memorable dates and wishes
them prosperity and success.
When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.
You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]
Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]
Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
_____________________________________ _______
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief
========================================== ======
Thursday 18 May 2006
RUSSIA: SOCHI MUSLIMS WITHOUT MOSQUE, CATHOLICS HOPE FOR CHAPEL
In the Black Sea town of Sochi, close to the Georgian border, the
authorities have persistently denied the Yasin Muslim community permission
to construct a mosque, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The community has
been trying to find a suitable site for 10 years but, “whenever I find
somewhere, the [city] architectural department says that it’s already
sold, obstructed by pipes, or something else,” Ravza Ramazanova, the
organisation’s chair, told Forum 18. The community’s roughly 70
worshippers currently use three cramped cellar rooms – which Forum 18 has
seen – to pray and study. Similarly, local Catholic priest Fr Dariusz
Jagodzinski hopes that Sochi’s bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2014
will assist plans for the construction of a Catholic chapel in the nearby
town of Adler. This, he explained to Forum 18, was how the Catholic church
in Sochi was built from 1995-97: “They were hoping to hold the Winter
Olympics here in 2002.” Forum 18 noted that the Russian Orthodox Church,
the Armenian Apostolic Church, Baptists, Pentecostals, Jews and the New
Apostolic Church all have prominent houses of worship in the Sochi area.
RUSSIA: SOCHI MUSLIMS WITHOUT MOSQUE, CATHOLICS HOPE FOR CHAPEL
By Geraldine Fagan, Forum 18 News Service <; The authorities in the Black Sea coastal town of Sochi, close to the border with Georgia, have persistently denied the Yasin Muslim community permission to construct a mosque, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Ravza Ramazanova, who chairs the organisation, showed Forum 18 the three cramped cellar rooms where its approximately 70 worshippers are obliged to pray and study. "I'm so tired of writing letters - whole files - it just drags on and on," she told Forum 18 on 11 April, adding that, although she has identified some 20 possible construction sites over the ten years since her organisation was registered, "whenever I find somewhere, the [city] architectural department says that it's already sold, obstructed by pipes, or something else." In one 2002 reply to Yasin, Krasnodar region's Department for Relations with Social Organisations explained that, in the absence of an area in Sochi populated largely by those "oriented towards the Muslim faith," allocation of land must be accompanied by a survey of public opinion in the area where the mosque would be situated "so as to avoid conflict situations" (see F18News 7 December 2004 < e_id=470>).
In fact, according to Ramazanova, there are positive community relations
in Sochi, with members of the local Tree of Friendship nationalities
society – “Estonians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Adygeis, Armenians,
Georgians, Greeks” – all supporting her campaign for a mosque. While a
prominent public figure – she showed Forum 18 numerous photographs of
herself with various local and national politicians, including Moscow
mayor Yuri Luzhkov and parliamentary speaker Boris Gryzlov – Ramazanova
said that even an appeal to the local authorities on her behalf by
Tatarstan president Mintimer Shaimiyev had failed to yield any result.
Showing Forum 18 a copy of her latest – unanswered – 27 March 2006 letter
to Sochi mayor Viktor Kolodyazhny, Ramazanova said that she still retains
some hope, however. “The town has got much cleaner since he became mayor
two years ago – I think he’ll get around to us at some point.” The letter
reminds Kolodyazhny that he promised, at a 30 November 2005 Tree of
Friendship meeting, to review the issue of identifying a construction site
for the Muslim community by the end of the same year.
In the meantime, as Ramazanova complained to Forum 18, “all this stops me
from working – how are the young supposed to learn their religion, to
understand that God sees everything so they shouldn’t drink or steal –
without a mosque?” She pointed out that there is currently no fitting
place for Muslims in the area – Russia’s most popular holiday destination
– to come for naming or burial rites: “When the father of a Tatar family
here on holiday died, they had to come to this cellar!”
The telephone of Sochi administration’s press secretary Oksana Velichkina
went unanswered on 17 and 18 May, as did that of the city’s department
dealing with law enforcement agencies, religious and social organisations,
Cossacks and international affairs.
Similarly to Ravza Ramazanova, local Catholic priest Fr Dariusz
Jagodzinski is hoping that Sochi’s bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2014
will assist plans for the construction of a chapel by his 80-strong parish
of the Cappadocian Fathers in Adler, a town ten minutes’ drive along the
coast south of Sochi but coming under its municipal authority. This, he
explained to Forum 18 on 11 April, was how the Catholic church of SS
Apostles Thaddeus and Simon was built in Sochi from 1995-97: “They were
hoping to hold the Winter Olympics here in 2002.” Currently, however, the
Adler parish is fighting court cases against ten different parties
claiming to have been promised the same 700-square-metre plot of land
already purchased by the Catholics for 25,000 US Dollars [675,750 Russian
Roubles, 153,000 Norwegian Kroner, or 19,550 Euros], said Fr Dariusz, “but
we have the official documents.”
According to Fr Dariusz, the Adler chapel – while apparently close to
Sochi – is sorely needed. He pointed out that some parishioners currently
spend all day travelling to and from Sunday Mass, and that even the 100
Rouble [23 Norwegian Kroner, 3 Euros, or 4 US Dollars] single fare to
Sochi from nearby towns is too much for a household where the monthly wage
is 1,500 Roubles [340 Norwegian Kroner, 43 Euros, or 55 US Dollars].
Forum 18 noted that the Russian Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic
Church, Baptists, Pentecostals, Jews and the New Apostolic Church all have
prominent houses of worship in the Sochi area.
For more on the problems experienced by religious organisations in
securing worship premises, see F18News 7 December 2004
< e_id=470>, 19 August 2005
< e_id=633>, 24 August 2005
< e_id=637> and 30 August 2005
< e_id=639>. (END)
For a personal commentary by an Old Believer about continuing denial of
equality to Russia’s religious minorities see F18News
< icle_id=570>
For more background see Forum 18’s Russia religious freedom survey at
< id=509>
A printer-friendly map of Russia is available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=europe&Rootmap=russi >
(END)
© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News
Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Microsurgery
58, Abovyan St.
Yerevan, Armenia
Contact: Gevorg Yaghjyan MD, PhD
Secretary General
Tel: (37410) 560636
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Intensive Course in Breast Reconstruction
Yerevan, May 27, 2006
Armenian Association of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery and
Microsurgery (AAPRSM), as well as the Yerevan State Medical University
will organized an Intensive Course in Breast Reconstruction.
The event will take place on May 27th in the Conference Hall of
the Yerevan State Medical University. About 60 oncosurgeons and
reconstructive surgeons from different Yerevan hospitals will
attend the course.
The course will be lead by Dr. Artavazd Sahakyan MD, PhD , the
president of AAPRSM, and invited lecturer Dr. Jaco Festekjian MD, FACS
from UCLA Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, USA.
Dr. Festekjian board certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon,
Assistant Clinical Professor, author of numerous articles, abstracts
and book chapters.
The lectures will be dedicated to Breast Reconstruction problem, the
use of autologous tissues and new technologies in breast
reconstructive surgery .
The goal of the teaching course is to present the latest information,
the experience and knowledge of an international faculty member to
Armenian doctors.
The course is open for all doctors, residents and medical students
upon the registration on the web site:
We hope that programs of this kind will be continued in future and
help to enhance the professional level of local specialists through the
gained theoretical knowledge and discussions.
AAPRSM is a non-for-profit organization of medical professionals, aimed
at improving the health care system of the community and advancing
medical sciences in Armenia.

PRESS RELEASE
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Contact: Information Desk
Tel: (374-10) 52-35-31
Email: [email protected]
Web:
Minister Oskanian Meets with Azerbaijani FM and OSCE Minsk Group co-Chairs
On Thursday, May 18, in Strasbourg, France, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in the presence of
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, in the ongoing Nagorno Karabakh negotiation
process.
Following the bilateral meeting, the co-chairs met with each minister
separately. The purpose of this round of talks was to prepare for the visit
to the region later this month of a high-level delegation from the co-chair
countries.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Minister Oskanian positively assessed the
talks, despite the outstanding issues that remain, he said.
On Friday, May 19, Minister Oskanian will take part in the 116th Session of
the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.