Russia post highest CIS inflation in H1
MOSCOW. Aug 9 (Interfax) – Russia had the highest rate of consumer
market inflation in the first half of 2005, with prices growing 8.0%,
the CIS Interstate Statistics Committee said.
Ukraine also had high inflation of 6.4%.
Inflation was 4.8% in Azerbaijan, 4.7% in Moldova, 4.4% in Kyrgyzstan,
4.1% in Tajikistan, 4.0% in Belarus and 3.5% in Kazakhstan.
Georgia had the lowest inflation, with 0.7% and Armenia, with 1.4%.
The committee did not give figures for Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan. [RU
ASIA EUROPE EEU EMRG MCE] rm

DISCUSSION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT AT PACE CONTRIBUTED TO ACTIVATION OF
NEGOTIATION PROCESS: AZERBAIJANI REPRESENTATIVE AT CE
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8. ARMINFO. The report of Davis-Atkinson has become
the “last alarm warning Armenians to revise their positions in the
conflict.” Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan at the Council of
Europe Agshin Mekhtiyev says in his interview to Trend.
He says the report showed whose advantage the balance is tilted to.
“The Committee engaged in conflicts within the frameworks of PACE is
created, and it means that neither PACE nor CE intend to leave the
settlement of the given issue without attention,” Mekhtiyev says.
In his opinion, Davis-Atkinson report reflects the position of the
CE. No one can ignore it, Mekhtiyev thinks. I think discussion of the
given problem at PACE as well as inclusion of the issue of
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in the agenda of UN General Assembly
have become factors which contributed to facilitation of the
negotiation process alongside with others, Mekhtiyev says.

TURKEY’S MASSACRE OF ARMENIANS IN 1915 WILL NEVER BE AN ISSUE FOR THE
SWISS SENATE
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8. ARMINFO. Turkey’s massacre of Armenians in 1915
will never be an issue for the Swiss Senate, according to the
president of the Senate foreign-affairs committee Peter Briner.
According to Swissinfo, Peter Briner said other countries had no
business pointing the finger at Turkey 90 years after the disputed
events.Briner said the committee had decided that the death or
deportation of 800,000-1.8 million Armenians between 1915 and 1919
would not be the subject of a plenary session.
He said the committee agreed with the government that it was not
parliament’s job to decide whether the killings constituted genocide.
They have been recognised as such by the parliaments of several
countries, including the United States, France, Russia and Italy.
The Swiss House of Representatives recognised the genocide in 2003.
The Swiss government, however, does not officially speak of “genocide”
but of “mass deportation” and “massacre”.
Briner said the committee believed that it was up to the parties
involved, namely Turkey and Armenia, to reach an agreement.
Sabre-rattling A week is a long time in Swiss-Turkish politics, but
diplomatic relations need some serious resuscitation after a miserable
ten days for the two countries.
At the end of July the Swiss ambassador to Ankara had to deflect a
barrage of diplomatic flak concerning the Swiss investigation of a
Turkish politician who had proffered revisionist views about the
Armenian genocide in 1915.
Then on August 5 the Turkish authorities postponed indefinitely a
visit to Turkey in September by Swiss Economics Minister Joseph Deiss,
citing agenda problems of his Turkish counterpart.
Few in Switzerland believe an inability to use a diary was the reason
for the cancellation.
“That’s a typical diplomatic excuse if you can’t think of a better
one,” said Briner.
“The important thing is that we now show some guts,” he said. “I get
the impression that the Turkish government wants to placate its people
with this sabre-rattling.”

Armenian, Latvian prosecutors sign cooperation memo
Mediamax news agency
9 Aug 05
YEREVAN
The prosecutor-generals of Armenia and Latvia, Agvan Ovsepyan and
Janis Maizitis respectively, signed a memorandum “On legal assistance
and cooperation” in Yerevan today.
Ovsepyan said that the document would allow the law-enforcement
agencies of the two countries to exchange experience and fight crimes
more effectively. He said that practical cooperation between the
Armenian and Latvian prosecutors-generals has not been established
yet, but “the signing of the memorandum acquires significance given
the fact that interstate and economic relations have becoming active”.
Maizitis invited his Armenian counterpart to pay a visit to Latvia to
familiarize himself with the activity of the Latvian
Prosecutor-General’s Office which is based on the EU norms.
Ovsepyan pointed out the necessity of adopting a new Armenian law “On
prosecutor’s office” in line with the European norms which would be
totally different from the current law adopted in 1999.

CENN – August 9, Daily Digest
Table of Contents:
1.. Processing of manufacturing water
2.. The World Conservation Union reports on progress of Natura 2000
3.. Waste site fined for breaking waste rules
4.. Environment Agency set to commence River Maintenance works in
Henley-In-Arden
5.. Water Dam Put into Usage in Zeitun
6.. Illegal waste operations targeted in South Gloucestershire
7.. American forests getting ‘loved to death’
8.. The ecological effects of the Chernobyl disaster

1. Processing of manufacturing water
On August 5, 2005 in the office of Bolnisi Public Informational Center
meeting was held between local NGOs and representatives of local
government. The main objective of the meeting was the processing of
manufacturing water. It was pointed out that in Bolnisi there is no
sewerage system and all the wastes directly spill in river Mashavera.
NGOs raised a question of creating the project on the sewerage system in
Bolnisi. The representative of the city government A. Khucishvili
mentioned that working on this issue was launched at the beginning of
90th. The city scheme was made but then everything was stopped. The
local NGOs proposed to find out the old project or demand from the
government to develop the new project, to make a general plan of the
city development and to include in this plan the construction of
sewerage system and cleaning constructions in Bolnisi.
2. The World Conservation Union reports on progress of Natura
2000
Source: The World Conservation Union (IUCN), 2 August 2005
The World Conservation Union’s Programme Office for Central Europe
released an assessment report entitled “Implementation of Natura 2000 in
New EU Member States of Central Europe”. The main goal of nature
conservation on a European Union level, is the successful implementation
of a European Ecological Network – Natura 2000. The report, produced by
the World Conservation Union, summarises the ecological efforts made in
the region. More than a year after EU Accession it is still early to
assess the implementation of the acquis communautaire in all areas, but
the environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are
collaborating in order to protect nature with their knowledge, expertise
and experience on the ground. The text of the report is based upon
questionnaires sent out to NGOs of eight of the new Central European
Member States of the EU. It assesses the procedure and methods of Natura
2000 sites designation, involvement of NGOs and local communities in the
process, as well as national and transboundary cohesion of the network.
It furthermore covers the sources of financing Natura 2000 sites and the
adaptation of national legislation for successful implementation of the
Birds and Habitats Directives. A number of areas of implementation
require improvement, whereas for other areas good examples of can be
identified. The readers of this report are encouraged to use the
information for further support and development of Natura 2000.
The report can be downloaded from:

For further information, please contact Dorota Metera on
[email protected]
3. Waste site fined for breaking waste rules
Source: Environment Agency, August 5, 2005
On August 4 Corbuild Limited were fined £5000 after pleading guilty at
Buxton Magistrates to a charge relating to failing to comply with the
conditions of its Waste Management Licence.
The charge was brought by the Environment Agency under Section 33 of the
Environmental Protection Act 1990. The company was ordered to pay
£1174.14p costs.
Speaking after the case, Geoff Craig, an Environment Agency Team Leader
involved in the investigation, said: ‘A Waste Management Licence
contains strict criteria which must be followed at all times in order to
protect the environment and reduce the impact operations may have on
those neighbouring the site. Any failure to meet these conditions is
irresponsible, anti-social and illegal and we will not hesitate to take
action when it takes place.’
For the Environment Agency, Patrick Howell told the court that the
company was granted a Waste Management Licence in 1991. It covered a
waste transfer station operating on land at Waterswallows, Fairfield,
Buxton.
On 29 September 2004, Environment Agency officers served the company
with a Notice requiring it to meet conditions of its licence by removing
all waste from the deposit bay, installing a suitable drainage system
and erect a litter net around the bay. This work was to be done by 30
November 2004.
On 3 December 2004 Environment Agency officers inspected the site and
found that waste was still in the deposit bay; that a suitable drainage
system had not been installed; and that a litter tent had not been
erected.
In mitigation, Neil Bolton for the company said that they needed to
remove the waste to rebuild a wall, but their normal tip was closed
down. They had since spent £30,000 in building works, that they were a
small company, and that a large fine might well put them out of
business.
4. Environment Agency set to commence River Maintenance works in
Henley-In-Arden
Source: Environment Agency, August 5, 2005
The Environment Agency will start river maintenance work during the week
commencing 15 August 2005 on the River Alne in Henley-in Arden. This
follows the success of the open day at the Guild Hall on the 21 July
2005 and the positive public response. Work will continue for a duration
of approximately three months.
Our Flood Risk Management team will be undertaking essential river
maintenance work to re-establish flood protection for at-risk
properties. The work is essential to maintain the level of flood
protection to the town. Residents are not likely to be affected by the
noise coming from machinery, as the majority of the construction work is
not taking place beside the houses.
We will be working at various locations between a point just upstream of
Beaudesert Lane Bridge and down past Blackford Bridge (A4189 Warwick
Road) where it joins the Ullenhall Brook. Work will start at Blackford
Bridge and make its way up stream.
In addition to the proposed maintenance work to improve flood
protection, several weirs will be modified to allow fish movement along
the River Alne. A fish pass will be made which involves altering a small
section of the weir.
We will also try to provide additional recreational facilities such as
seats and information boards beside the river so that people can enjoy
the environment. The maintenance work will improve wildlife habitats
such as those for the protected White Claw Crayfish species.
Information and advice on how to prepare for flooding is available form
Floodline on 0845 988 1188 (Quick Dial Reference Number for
Henley-In-Arden is 052442, then Press 2 for the River Alne) or on our
website:
5. WATER DAM PUT INTO USAGE IN ZEITUN
Source: ARMENPRESS, August 5, 2005
Within the frameworks of a joint “Community Development Credit Program”
implemented by the Armenian government and the World Bank water dam was
constructed in Yerevan
Nerkin Zeitun borough and put today into usage.
Head of the “Yerevan Water and Sewage” company Andranik Andreasian
expressed hope that the water dam constructed within the frameworks of
the first credit program with the World Bank will serve as a guarantor
for providing stabile water supply in this borough.
Director of the Kanaker-Zeitun branch Atom Simonian said the water dam
will give an opportunity to secure 24-hour water supply for 70 percent
of the consumers. For the construction of the dam 277 million drams were
invested.
6. Illegal waste operations targeted in South Gloucestershire
Source: Environment Agency, August 8, 2005
Illegal waste operations in South Gloucestershire are being targeted in
a new crackdown by the Environment Agency and South Gloucestershire
Council.
Environmental crime is proving to be an increasing headache in the area
for both organisations. The Agency and South Gloucestershire have both
recorded a sharp increase in the number of unregulated waste transfer
stations, landfills and dumps in recent years.
To try and tackle the problem, the Waste Awareness Partnership Project,
launched last month, will combine education about waste disposal with
tougher enforcement action against those caught operating illegal waste
facilities.
Illegal disposal of waste causes harm to the environment and blights the
appearance of the beautiful countryside in South Gloucestershire. It
also takes business from legitimate waste disposal firms.
Pete Hart for the Environment Agency said: “It is extraordinary how many
illegal dumps have sprung up in South Gloucestershire, probably due to
the area’s good transport links and the amount of building and
development going on. We are dedicated to fighting environmental crime
and this project is an excellent way to take this forward.
“We welcome the support of our partner organisation South
Gloucestershire Council, and will need the support of the wider public
to tackle this problem. We will do all that is necessary to ensure the
success of the project and target environmental crime in this area.”
Mark Davies, enforcement manager with South Gloucestershire Council,
said: “Unauthorised waste activities are responsible for some of the
most serious breaches of planning control in South Gloucestershire. It
causes harm to the local area and to residents. This council, through
its powers as Local Planning Authority, is committed to protecting and
enhancing the environment. This project represents an excellent
opportunity for waste planning and pollution control authorities to work
together to share expertise and information. Investigations can be
carried out and, where necessary, robust enforcement action can be taken
to remedy breaches urgently.”
The Environment Agency investigates around 5,000 incidents and takes
around 200 prosecutions for fly-tipping and illegal waste dumping around
England and Wales every year. The maximum fine in a magistrates court is
£50,000, although magistrates can refer the case up to the crown court
where the fine is unlimited.
People who manage waste are legally obliged to ensure that it is
disposed of properly. And people who produce waste such as builders,
landscape gardeners or office fitters are legally obliged to ensure that
those who take the waste away for them dispose of it in a proper and
safe way.
Even a householder having work done on their home has a responsibility
to ask how the contractor intends to dispose of it and if it’s going to
a regulated site. They should also ask if the person or company who is
taking it away is a registered carrier and if they can see a copy of
their registration certificate. If the offer to dispose of waste cheaply
appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Details about local amenity sites and their opening times are available
from the Environment Agency’s helpline on 0845 9333111 or online at:
Members of the public can report illegal dumping of waste on a free
24-hour Environment Agency emergency hotline 0800 80 70 60.
Media inquiries to:
Environment Agency press office 01392 442008
South Gloucestershire Council 01454 864969 (Mark Davies)
7. American forests getting ‘loved to death’
Source: Eco-Portal, August 8, 2005
America’s national forests are becoming islands of green that are
increasingly trapped by an expanding sea of new houses, according to a
new study.
Suburban growth threatens to cut off natural corridors, or “wild
highways,” that allow plants and animals to move from one wild patch to
another.
Isolated forests “cannot function as well for biodiversity,” said Volker
Radeloff, a forestry professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Radeloff analyzed government census data on housing increases in and
near all U.S. national forests between 1950 and 2000. He’s presenting
the results today at the 90th annual Ecological Society of America (ESA)
meeting in Montreal, Canada.
The number of housing units within national forest boundaries increased
from 500,000 to 1.5 million, an increase Radeloff largely attributes to
inholdings, or parcels of forest land owned by private citizens.
In the Eastern U.S., most land was settled before national forests were
established in the late 1800s. As a result, private landowners hold up
to 46 percent of the land within forest administrative boundaries.
Nationwide, inholders own about 17 percent of all national forest lands,
Radeloff says.
As more people want to live near wilderness, Radeloff says, forests may
be getting “loved to death.”
8. The ecological effects of the Chernobyl disaster
Source: Ecological Society of America, August 9, 2005
Nearly 20 years ago Reactor number 4 at Chernobyl exploded, sending
radiation across a large region of what is now the Ukraine, Belarus, and
Russia. Some 40 radionucleotides were released into the environment,
including Strontium 90 (90Sr) and Cesium 137 (137Cs). Yet despite
radiation levels dangerous to humans, most natural areas in the region
have rebounded, and by ecological standards, are functioning normally.
The session, organized by James Morris and Timothy Mousseau (University
of South Carolina, US) will reveal how the environment has responded —
from genetic mutation rates, to plant and animal communities, to
nutrient cycling.
Sergey Gaschak (International Radioecology Laboratory, Ukraine) will
open the session with his presentation, “Determinants of levels of 90Sr
and 137Cs in birds in Chernobyl.” Studying 228 birds of 23 different
species captured in Chernobyl, Gaschak and colleagues from the
University of South Carolina (US) and University Pierre et Marie Curie
(France) measured the birds’ levels of radioactive strontium and
radioactive cesium, comparing migrating populations with those that
remain in the area, as well as examining age, sex, and nesting
preferences to determine the amounts and types of radiation accumulating
in the birds. In the presentation, Gaschak will discuss how quantities
of 90Sr and 137Cs vary with feeding, nesting and migration habits.
Timothy Mousseau will present “Consequences of radiation for
reproduction and survival of barn swallows Hirundo rustica from
Chernobyl.” Barn swallows are long-distance migratory birds, which nest
across Europe, providing researchers with numerous populations to
sample. Examining swallows from the Chernobyl region and Kanev,
southeast of Kiev, Mousseau and his colleague, Anders Moller
(Laboratorie de Parasitologie Evolutive, France), found reproductive
success was significantly reduced for the Chernobyl-nesting birds.
Survival rates, number of eggs laid, and overall body condition was
lower, despite similar nesting and laying dates.
The radio nucleotides in the area also filter into the soil, and from
there into plants. Animals that consume these plants, including
livestock, then take up the radionucleotides. Viktor Dolin (National
Academy of Sciences, Kyiv, Ukraine) will discuss a newly described
process of environmental self-cleaning in the talk, “Biogeochemical
cycling of radionucleotide: Implications for the human food web.” Dolin
calculated the rate of 137Cs and 90Srs moving through the environment,
then used the data to determine an ecosystem’s ability to “clean” itself
of excess radiation.
Oleksander Orlov’s (Ukrainian Scientific Research Institute)
presentation, “The distribution and cycling of 137Cs in forests of the
Chernobyl exclusion zone,” will focus on 137Cs levels in three 50-year
old Scotch Pine forests. Forest litter, moss, lichens, understory,
macromycetes, and canopy 137Cs activity measurements will be described.
Also working in these pine forests, Vadim Skripkin and colleagues from
the Institute for Environmental Geochemistry, Ukraine and the University
of South Carolina will report their findings on the distribution of 14C
in, “The turnover of 14C carbon in forests of the Chernobyl exclusion
zone.”
The final presentation of the session, Ronald Chesser (Texas Tech
University, US) will describe the distribution and effects of radiation
doses that hit wildlife that were living in the area at the time of the
accident, as well as how the populations recovered in the talk,
“Temporal trends in radiation doses, survival, and recovery in wildlife
populations at Chernobyl.”
Organized Oral Session 7: “Ecological effects of the Chernobyl disaster:
Genes to ecosystems,” will take place Monday 8 August 2005, 1:30 – 5:00
PM in Meeting Room 510 A, Level 5, Palais des congrès de Montréal.
For more information about this session and other ESA-INTECOL Meeting
activities, visit: The theme of the meeting
is “Ecology at multiple scales,” and some 4,000 scientists are expected
to attend.
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel: ++995 32 75 19 03/04
Fax: ++995 32 75 19 05
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel: (374 10) 517 163
Fax: (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
August 9, 2005
Holy Etchmiadzin Mourns Sudden Death of Young Priest
>From the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, we announce with great
sadness that on August 8, 2005, Rev. Fr. Zaven Hakobian was killed in
a tragic automobile accident on the road from the city of Yeghegnadzor
in southern Armenia to the Monastery of Noravank, where he served as
pastor.
Rev. Fr. Zaven Hakobian (baptismal name Arman) was born on May 12,
1977 in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin). From 1984 to 1992 he
attended the H. Hovhanisian No. 3 Secondary School. He began his
service to the Holy Armenian Church in 1989 at the St. Mary Church in
Etchmiadzin.
>From 1992 to 1994, he studied at the Seminary of the Armenian
Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In 1995, he was admitted to the Gevorkian
Theological Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin and graduated in 2000.
>From 2000 to 2001 he participated in management courses offered by
the American University of Armenia in Yerevan, and in 2001, Fr. Zaven
was admitted to Yerevan State University where he was studying at the
Faculty of Law.
>From 2000 to 2004, Fr. Zaven worked as a secretary for the
Catholicosate.
On December 24, 2002, on the Feast of St. Stephen the Protomartyr, he
was ordained a deacon by His Eminence Archbishop Nerses Bozabalian.
In April of 2003, he defended his graduation thesis entitled “The
Life, Spiritual-Social Work and Literary Legacy of Rev. Fr. Gyut
Archpriest Aghaniants”.
In April of 2004 he was assigned to work in the Architectural
Department of the Mother See.
On May 2, 2004, he was ordained to the Holy Order of Priesthood by His
Grace Bishop Abraham Mkrtchian and received his cowl indicating his
rank as a celibate priest.
On February 1, 2005, upon the Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin
II, Catholicos of All Armenians, Fr. Zaven was appointed as pastor of
the Monastery of Noravank in the Diocese of Syunik.
Fr. Zaven of blessed memory was a dedicated, devoted and hardworking
young priest. His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians,
and the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin mourn the untimely loss of
this young, faithful and kind clergyman.
Fr. Zaven’s body will be placed in the Church of Saint Gayane in Holy
Etchmiadzin for a public viewing at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, August 10.
The Service of the Church Funeral will be offered at 7:00 PM. On
Thursday, August 11, at 10:30 AM, during the celebration of a solemn
Divine Liturgy, the Last Blessing and Funeral Services for Fr. Zaven
will be offered. Fr. Zaven will be buried in the cemetery of the
Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin.
“Blessed be the memory of the righteous. Amen”

The New York Sun
August 9, 2005
Second-Largest Recipients of U.S. Aid, Armenians Fight To Get Ahead
BY MICHAEL MAINVILLE – Special to the Sun
YEREVAN, Armenia – A close ally of Russia, with a grossly corrupt economy
and a ruler accused of increasing authoritarianism, Armenia hardly seems a
prime candidate for massive doses of American aid money.
Yet this tiny South Caucasus republic receives more American aid per capita
than any other country except Israel – a total of more than $1.6 billion
since 1992. When the White House tried to cut sizably American assistance to
Armenia earlier this summer, Congress blocked the move, bumping up the
administration’s allocation from $55 million to $75 million for 2006.
Armenians can thank one of the most effective and well-organized ethnic
lobbies on Capitol Hill for the windfall. With wealthy backing and strong
grassroots support, America’s million-strong Armenian population,
concentrated in the Northeast and California, has for years successfully
lobbied for increased aid.
At the time of its independence after the breakup of the Soviet Union in
1991, Armenia seemed a dream come true for a people with a tragic history.
Less than a century after the Armenian genocide – when the Turks killed
between 500,000 and 1.5 million Armenians – the world’s 4 million ethnic
Armenians finally had a national homeland.
But instead of thriving – and despite the money pouring in from foreign
donors – Armenia is languishing. Its politics are moribund, dominated by
President Kocharian, whom critics accuse of falsifying elections and
cracking down on the opposition. And despite years of significant growth,
its economy remains in shambles, with nearly half the population living on
less than $2 a day.
The result has been a mass exodus – the reverse of early hopes for Armenia.
Instead of hundreds of thousands of dispersed Armenians flocking to the
country, more than 1 million Armenians have left for Russia and the West,
leaving Armenia with a population of less than 3 million. According to some
estimates, the country has lost more than 30% of its working-age population.
“People are leaving because they don’t see any hope for the future,” the
chairman of human rights group Helsinki Committee of Armenia, Avetik
Ishkanyan, said. “And the worst part is that the ones who are leaving are
from the most active part of society – these are the people we need to bring
about changes in this country.”
Critics lay much of the blame at Mr. Kocharian’s feet. They say that the
president – elected for a second time in 2003 – is running a corrupt and
despotic regime, giving free rein to businessmen close to him and stifling
any dissent.
“There is a huge gap between those in power and the majority of Armenian
society,” said the leader of the opposition Justice coalition, Stepan
Demirchian, who is also the son of a Kocharian rival killed in 1999 when
gunmen attacked Parliament and shot several prominent politicians. “And when
we try to resist, when we try to bring democratic change, they respond with
violence.”
In April 2004, inspired by the peaceful Rose Revolution in neighboring
Georgia, thousands of Armenians took to the streets to denounce Mr.
Kocharian and voting fraud in the 2003 elections. After more than 50,000
people demonstrated on April 12 and 13, Mr. Kocharian called in the police
to break up the protest with stun grenades and water cannons.
Government officials insist the crackdown was needed to maintain order and
say opposition parties are simply trying to seize power for themselves.
The foreign minister, Vardan Oskanyan, said the opposition uses the pretense
of supporting democracy to gain support abroad as they attempt to overthrow
the government. He said he knows that Armenia’s democracy is not perfect,
but believes it is improving.
“The government is stable, and the country is on the path to becoming a
fully democratic country,” he said. “A lot has been done, but a lot remains
to be done.”
Under pressure from the West, Armenia will hold a national referendum this
year on a package of constitutional amendments designed to limit the power
of the presidency and protect judicial independence. Mr. Oskanyan said the
reforms will be key to ensuring democratic and economic growth.
“Once we complete our constitutional reforms, Armenia will move forward in
leaps and bounds,” he said.
Opposition leaders see things differently. They say the reforms are only
symbolic and see the referendum as a potential trigger for the kind of mass
protests that drove out authoritarian governments in Georgia and Ukraine.
The leader of the radical Republic Party, Aram Sarkisian, said opposition
parties are gearing up to organize mass demonstrations after the referendum,
which he said is sure to be fraudulent.
“The situation in our country is terrible, people are leaving because they
have no hope,” he said. “Armenian society is ready for revolutionary change,
peaceful and civilized change.”
Mr. Sarkisian said he met with White House and State Department officials
during a June trip to Washington and emerged confident of American support
for a revolution.
“The United States supported the Georgians and the Ukrainians, and they will
help the Armenian people,” he said.
Still, experts said it’s unlikely the opposition could organize a successful
revolution or win Western support. Fractured by in-fighting and with no
clear leader, the opposition is more likely to fall apart before posing any
threat to Mr. Kocharian.
“The opposition is too weak and the government is just democratic enough to
keep the West from supporting drastic changes,” said a Western official in
Yerevan, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Chatting over rich coffees and ice-cold Coca-Colas in Yerevan’s trendy
ArtBridge Cafe, a group of students and recent graduates agreed that a
revolution is next to impossible.
Unlike so many other young Armenians, they’ve decided to stay and try to
build their country.
“I will not leave Armenia, I want do to things for my country, make it a
better place to live,” a 26-year-old university lecturer, Artak Ayunts,
said.
But the group was skeptical about radical changes. They don’t believe
Armenians are ready for a revolution and say it could take decades of slow
progress before the country is free and relatively prosperous.
“People don’t believe in themselves, they think someone else should always
make changes for them,” Mr. Ayunts said.
Joked a 28-year-old student, Gevorg Abrahamyan: “The biggest problem with
Armenia is the Armenians.”

SCIENTISTS FIND MONASTERY OF “BROTHERS ARMENIANS” IN KYRGHYZIA
YEREVAN, AUGUST 8. ARMINFO. Scientists has found a monastery of
“Brothers Armenians” in Kyrghyzia. According to ITAR-TASS, the
archaeological expedition of Kyrghyz-Russian Slavonic University has
founded a Middle Age Christian Monastery on the Northern beach of
mountainous Lake Issik-Kul. “We had known about the so-called
Catalonian map long ago. The map was drawn by Venice merchants
traveling of the Silk Road in the Middle Age. A monastery of “Brothers
Armenians” was mentioned in the map. The map was also saying that
relics of St. Matthew Apostle were buried near that monastery,” Head
of the research group of the expedition Alexander Kamishev told
ITAR-TASS.
The monastery was built in the 14th century, thinks Head of the
expedition, academician Vladimir Ploskikh. Kyrghyz archaeologists and
scientists thinks the find confirms the data of the Catalonian map,
which inspires with hopes for finding the relics of St. Matthew

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:
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH THE AMBASSADOR OF CANADA
His Holiness Aram I received the Ambassador of Canada to Lebanon, Michel
Duval in his office on August 8. The Canadian diplomat visited Antelias to
get His Holiness Aram I’s blessings and bid farewell at the end of his
three-year term.
The two discussed the internal situation in Lebanon and the latest
developments in the country. They also discussed the activeness of the
Armenian community of Canada.
His Holiness informed the ambassador of his upcoming Patriarchal visit to
Canada in September. Duval promised he would meet with His Holiness in
Montreal before accepting his next position at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
The Ambassador commended the work carried out by the Catholicosate of
Cilicia in the Diaspora and its initiatives in this direction.
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View picture here:
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission 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:
PRIME MINISTER MIKATI VISITS ANTELIAS
His Holiness Aram I and Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed the current
situation in Lebanon during a meeting in Antelias on August 8.
Mikati presented a general analysis of the situation during his tenure as
PM. His Holiness and Mikati then singled out the positive events and aspects
and stressed the importance of inter-confessional cooperation and the
strengthening of the country’s internal unity.
His Holiness commended the PM’s patriotism and his efforts in organizing the
parliamentary elections in Lebanon. Mikati assured that he has always been
and will remain a friend of the Armenian community of Lebanon.
The PM and His Holiness also discussed the situation in the Middle East and
its influence on Lebanon.
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View picture here:
******
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission 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.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress