MATENADARAN TO TAKE ACTIVE PART IN EVENTS ON OCCASION OF 1600TH
ANNIVERSARY OF INVENTION OF ARMENIAN ALPHABET

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The 1600th anniversary of invention
of Armenian alphabet and translation of the Holy Writ into Armenian
will be celebrated at state level in 2005 in Armenia. Sen Arevshatian,
Director of Yerevan Matenadaran, RA NAS Academician, said during the
March 31 press conference that Matenadaran will take an active part in
all events to be organized on the occasion of the 1600th anniversary
of invention of Armenian alphabet at state level. An international
conference will be organized in connection with the jubilee. Scientists
from Matenadaran, Universities and RA Academy of Sciences, as well as
foreign scientists will participate in the conference. An exhibition
will open in Matenadaran in connection with this Materials about the
life and activity of Mashtots, works of miniaturists of the Golden Age
will be represented at the exhibition. With Matenadaran’s immediate
participation Koryun’s “Vark Mashtotsi” (“Mashtots’ Life”) book will
be published in 5 languages – Armenian, English, French, German and
Grabar (Old Armenian), as well as Hrachya Acharian’s “Hayots Grer”
(“Armenian Letters”) work will be republished. The events will
start in June in Nagorno Karabakh – in the Amaras temple, and will
finish in October in Oshakan, during the Targmanchats (Translators’)
Holiday. Academician Sen Arevshatian said that lately, owing to the
“Matenadaran’s Friends” fund 17 more manuscripts were added to the
17 thousand manuscripts kept in Matenadaran. The fragments of the
New Testament written in 1282 in Lim desert of Vaspurakan are worth
mentioning among them. The fund’s executive director is sure that the
jubilee of invention of the alphabet will stimulate the development
of publishing activity in the sphere of Armenology, organization of
conferences and propaganda. The fund’s most important plan is search
and obtaining of ancient manuscripts. The expedition on revelation
of manuscripts is carrying out large-scale activity in Armenia and
abroad for this purpose. Besides the above-mentioned 17 manuscripts,
the fund obtained 15 more ancient Armenian original books during this
period. To recap, the idea of foundation of the “Matenadaran’s Friends”
fund has a 40-year history and belongs to Academician Levon Khachikian,
the former director of Matenadaran.

Federer proves a point to himself

Reuters.uk, UK
Mon Apr 4, 2005 6:17 PM BST

LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) – Roger Federer accomplished something at
the Nasdaq-100 Open he had not done for almost four years when he
won a match from two sets down.

The Swiss master usually bamboozles his opponents from the moment he
steps on court but Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal made a blistering
start to Sunday’s final.

It was not that Federer was playing badly in what turned out to be
a thrilling contest, just that he ran into an inspired Nadal, who
went into the biggest match of his burgeoning career on a 15-match
winning streak.

For a man who had tasted defeat just once in eight months, Federer
was on unfamiliar territory as he lost the opening two sets.

The world number one had to dig deep into his memory bank as the
last time he overcame a two-set deficit was in the 2001 French Open,
when Armenia’s Sargis Sargsian took him to 9-7 in the fifth set of
a second-round match.

Federer was only two points from defeat in the third-set tiebreaker
against Nadal but he found his way out of trouble to win 2-6 6-7 7-6
6-3 6-1.

“I was very worried, especially after the first set as I don’t lose
sets very often 6-2, so this really shows you that I was struggling,”
said Federer, whose only defeat since last August was a five-set
marathon against Marat Safin in the Australian Open semi-finals.

“Every match I go into, I’m this huge favourite. When I lose sets,
it’s like crazy,” he said.

“I’m really happy that I came back because I’ve hardly ever done it
in my career. This is a big moment in my career, especially in the
final against a player of this calibre.”

CALM AUTHORITY

Since bursting on the scene with a stunning win over seven-times
Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras at the All England Club in 2001,
Federer has been the epitome of calm authority.

Even that facade slipped against Nadal, however, with the top seed
hurling his racket to the ground in frustration as his record of 17
consecutive final victories came under threat.

“I was very disappointed as I was missing one opportunity after
another,” he said. “I really felt like I was climbing uphill all
the time.

“I had an opportunity and I missed it again and just had enough. So
I threw it hard… who knows, maybe it did me good and woke me up.”

Having extended his record to 18 successive final triumphs and
recovered his cool, Federer turned his thoughts to the French Open,
the one grand slam title to elude him.

“I’ll definitely work on my physical conditioning but there’s only
so much you can do before the French,” said the Swiss, who has never
advanced beyond the quarter-finals in six visits to the claycourt
major.

“My potential relies very much on my explosiveness, I’ve got to use
that on clay as well.

“I know I’ve got the game, and I know I can hang tough now for five
sets without a problem, where in the past maybe that wasn’t always
the case.”

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION

BARDAKJIAN, LIBARIDIAN AND SUNY TO SPEAK

University of Michigan
Armenian Studies Program
1080 S. University, Suite 4640
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106
Tel: (734) 764-0350
Fax: (734) 764-8523
E-mail: [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ANN ARBOR, MI — The Armenian Studies Program and the Armenian
Students’ Cultural Association at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
will jointly commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Professors Kevork B. Bardakjian, Gerard J. Libaridian and Ronald
G. Suny will discuss various aspects of the Genocide and, in a session
following their talks, will respond to questions from the audience.

The evening will take place at 4:00 pm on Sunday, April 10, 2005,
at the Hussey Room of the Michigan League, 911 North University,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

A reception will follow the session and the public is cordially
invited to attend.

0.9% GROWTH OF GROSS INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN TWO
MONTHS OF 2005

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-February, 2005, the RA
gross agricultural output made 23.3 bln drams (about 49.5 mln USD),
which exceeds by 0.9% the index of the same period of last year.
According to the RA National Statistical Service, 11.1 thousand tons
of meat and poultry was produced in the country (less by 7.1% than
the index of the same months of 2004), 38.4 thousand tons of milk
(greater by 11.1%) and 63.6 mln eggs (less by 2.9%).

Call to lift bar on prisoners voting

Guardian, UK

Press Association
Monday April 4, 2005

A national campaign launched today to give prisoners voting rights
has won high-level political backing.

Former Tory home secretary Douglas Hurd and the Liberal Democrat
president, Simon Hughes, are supporting the Barred from Voting
campaign, which is demanding a review of 135-year-old laws stripping
inmates of their voting rights.

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, which is jointly
running the campaign with ex-offenders’ organisation Unlock, said:
“People are sent to prison to lose their liberty not their identity.

“Prison has an important job to do to prevent the next victim and
release people less, not more likely, to offend again. “Prisoners
should be given every opportunity to pay back for what they have done,
take responsibility for their lives and make plans for effective
resettlement and this should include maintaining their right to
vote. It’s time to stop pretending that people in prison don’t exist.”

Campaigners said the law was a relic from the 19th century – dating
to the 1870 Forfeiture Act – which is based on the notion of civic
death, a punishment that involves the withdrawal of citizenship rights.

The European Court of Human Rights last year ruled that the ban
violated article three of the European Convention on Human Rights
after British prisoner John Hirst took a case to Strasbourg. A
government appeal against the judgement is to be heard on April 27,
with a final ruling later this year.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy, was accused by his
political opponents of being “soft on crime” four weeks ago when he
backed giving the vote to all prisoners, saying: “We believe that
citizens are citizens, full stop.”

The Barred from Voting campaign is also supported by Labour peer
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, Liberal Democrat peer Lord Dholakia,
barrister Baroness Kennedy QC and former chief inspector of prisons
Sir David Ramsbotham.

Supporters argue that the right to vote is an “inalienable human
right” and that a voting ban does nothing to deter inmates from
crime. In fact, giving prisoners the vote would encourage them to
become responsible, law-abiding citizens, they add.

The chief executive of Unlock, Bobby Cummines, said: “Giving
prisoners the vote is a question of moral conscience, not political
conscience. If prisoners are excluded from voting then we don’t have
a democratic society, we are just paying lip service to one.

“The government must accept that prisoners remain citizens of this
country with legitimate human rights, including the right to vote.”

A campaign spokesman said only seven other European countries
automatically disenfranchise sentenced prisoners – Armenia, Bulgaria,
Czech Republic, Estonia, Luxembourg and Romania.

But Tory MP Ann Widdecombe said she was opposed to the move. “When
a judge has taken the decision that somebody’s crimes are of such an
order of magnitude that they need to be taken out of society then it
does seem perverse to hand that same person a say in how society is
governed,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

But Mr Ramsbotham said the law was anachronistic.

He said: “Prisoners remain citizens of this country. They have had
their liberty removed, that is the punishment, nothing else. They
haven’t had their citizens’ rights removed.”

IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, CONSTRUCTION INCREASES 22.2% IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. In January and February of 2005,
37 new appartment houses of a total area of 15,281 sq.meters were
put into operation at the expense of the population, which is 5.7%
less than the index of the same period of 2004. According to the
RA National Statistical Service, construction work of 9 bln 82
mln drams (20.6 mln USD) was done during this period, including
building and assembly work of 7 bln 698 mln drams. The growth rate
of the construction work carried out during the first two months of
2005 made 22.2% compared with the same period of last year, that of
building and assembly work – 14.7%. Construction work of 331.4 mln
drams was done in the disaster zone with all the financial sources
in the period of January and February of 2005. 4 appartment houses
of a total area of 1,191 sq.meters were put into operation.

PRODUCTION OF 195 MLN DOLLARS MANUFACTURED IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. In the period of January and February
of 2005, industrial production of about 91 bln 808.1 mln drams
(about 195 mln USD) was manufactured in the country, while sales
made about 92 bln 179.3 mln drams. Goods of 6 bln 304.7 mln drams
was sold in the CIS countries, those of 22 bln 424.8 mln drams – in
other countries. The volume of the industrial production in February,
2005, increased 5.7% compared with the same month in 2004. According
to the RA National Statistical Service, in the indicated period, the
processing industry accounted for 55.5% of the industrial production,
production and distribution of electricity, gas and water – for 23.3%,
and mining industry – 21.2%.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COUNCILLOR AND COUNCIL OF ARMENIAN INTELLECTUALS’ FORUM CONTINUE
THEIR ATTEMPT TO UNITE POLITICAL FIELD

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The Councillor and Council of Armenian
Intellectuals’ Forum resumed meetings with political parties,
NGOs and separate individuals. According to the report submitted to
Noyan Tapan from the Council of Intellectuals’ Forum, the goal of the
meetings is to unite the political field by means of a dialogues and
join the common they have to come out of the situation formed in the
country. The first meeting took place with Hovhannes Hovhannisian,
the Chairman of the Liberal Progressive Party of Armenia, on April 1.
After exchanging opinions H. Hovhannisian represented his viewpoints
concerning the issues being discussed to the Councillor and Council.
The parties agreed to continue contacts and joint work in this
direction.

Yahoo News (press release)

Press Release Source: The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center

Pope John Paul II Papal & Polish Heritage Room Captures Spirit and
Personality of the Pope
Monday April 4, 11:32 am ET

NORWALK, Conn., April 4 /PRNewswire/ — The Pope John Paul II Cultural
Center in Washington, D.C. contains more than 50,000 square feet of museum
and exhibit space, but one of the most beloved areas of the impressive
building is the one room that concentrates on Pope John Paul II.
The Papal & Polish Heritage Room is the only area in the Cultural Center
exclusively dedicated to the life of Pope John Paul II. “The Pope did not
want the building to be a monument to him,” said Msgr. William A. Kerr,
Cultural Center director, “but he did allow this one room to be focused on
him and his papacy.”

As you enter the room you see Pope John Paul II’s papal crest etched in
glass on the doorway. A special place for reflection and study of the Holy
Father, the Papal & Polish Heritage Room features personal items and papal
gifts as well as photographs of the Pope.

The Cultural Center possesses a collection of approximately 2,300 objects
related to Pope John Paul II, more than half of which are photographs. The
artwork, personal memorabilia, photographs and other artifacts show various
aspects of his life, mostly during his papacy. The items capture the
charisma and humanity of the Holy Father as the Vicar of Christ and
spiritual leader of the world.

Among the items currently on display are a red cape worn by Pope John Paul
II in the 1990s; a cassock he wore throughout the 1980s; a pair of Alpine
Skis the Pope used during the late 1980s; and a pair of his Cordovan leather
shoes.

Also included is a replica of the Holy Father’s famed Papal Staff. The
silver staff was designed and cast by artist Lello Scorzelli, the maker of
the original piece. It is one of very few replicas of the one Pope John Paul
II carried throughout his papacy.

Some of the items and gifts on display from people and leaders throughout
the world include:

— A wooden sculpture of the Last Supper from Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat.
— A gold cross from His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia of the
Armenians. The cross contains a piece of bone from a martyr who
perished in the Syrian desert in 1915, a victim of the Armenian
genocide.
— A gilt chalice, a gift from Pope John Paul II. The chalice was
presented on the occasion of the grand opening of the Pope John Paul II

Cultural Center to Cardinal Adam Maida, archbishop of Detroit and
president of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, by Cardinal Edmund
Szoka, papal delegate and Latore and president of the Pontifical
Commission for Vatican City State.
— The Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Pope John Paul II in January
2001. The medal, the most distinguished civilian award that the
Congress of the United States can bestow, bears an image of the Pope on

one side and the symbolic bald eagle on the other.

Source: The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“ARMENIA WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN MY HEART” ANATOLY DRYUKOV, COMPLETING
HIS AMBASSADOR’S MISSION IN ARMENIA, SAYS

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 1, Artur Baghdasarian, the RA
NA Chairman, received Anatoly Dryukov, the Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of RF to Armenia, on the occasion of completing
the Ambassador’s mission. According to the RA NA Public Relations
Department, the Chairman of the Parliament expressed his satisfaction
with the Ambassador’s long-term and effective work in the process
of development of the Armenian-Russian relations, which also greatly
contributed to extension of interparliamentary relations. A.Dryukov,
also attaching importance to development of the Armenian-Russian
relations, mentioned that he has always felt the assistance of the
National Assembly during his activities and will always remember his
Armenian friends and Armenia after his return to homeland.