Author: Boshkezenian Garik

EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY AMBASSADOR OF RA TO THE U.S. HANDS
OVER COPIES OF CREDENTIALS TO U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE

YEREVAN, April 6. /ARKA/. Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador
of RA to the U.S. Tatul Margaryan handed over copies of credentials
to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. As the Press Service
of RA Foreign Ministry told ARKA News Agency, during the meeting,
Rice and Margaryan exchanged views on issues of mutual interest,
in particular, Armenian-American bilateral relations and issues of
regional development.

The Ambassador thanked Rice for continuous support to Armenia on the
part of the U.S. authorities, constructive participation in settlement
of regional issues and expressed readiness to make efforts to develop
relations and intensification of bilateral partnership. L.V.â~@”0â~@”

–Boundary_(ID_UNc6qIqzWvxBXFWoefYynQ)–

ISTANBUL (Lraper Church Bulletin, 6 April 2005) –

His Excellency Archbishop Dirayr Mardigian of
Romania and Bulgaria was hospitalized at the
Surp Prgich Armenian Hospital in Yedikule,
Istanbul, due to dicomfort caused by diabetes,
irregularity of the bladder and prostate
enlargement.

Eight years ago, the 75-year-old Archbishop
received treatment at the same hospital for
a cancerous formation in his left armpit.

His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob II of Istanbul
& All Turkey visited Archbishop Dirayr in his
room at the Hospital, on 6 April 2005, at 13:00
hours and prayed for his speedy recovery.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
LRAPER Church Bulletin 06/04/2005
Armenian Patriarchate
TR-34130 Kumkapi, Istanbul
Licensee: The Revd. Fr. Drtad Uzunyan
Editors: The Revd.Dr.Krikor Damatyan,
Deacon Vagharshag Seropyan
Press Spokesperson: Attorney Luiz Bakar
T: +90 (212) 517-0970
F: +90 (533) 942-7019
E-mail: [email protected]
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

CIS Air Defense Practised on Russia’s Missile Carriers

Air defense divisions of Tadjikistan called on duty December 1, 2000
as part of the joint air defense system of CIS. Soldiers of the
launch crew in Tadjikistan run to shelter after they charged the
system.

KOMMERSANT Daily, APRIL 06, 2005

Double military exercise was held Tuesday in the air of eight countries
of CIS. At the final stage, strategic missile carriers Tu-160 and
Tu-95MS as well as bombers Tu-22M3 from the 22nd air division were
redeploying from Russia to Belarus, simultaneously acting as a
potential enemy for Belarus air defense.

In scale, the exercise held at 10:00 a.m., MSK, yesterday in the air
of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tadjikistan, Uzbekistan and
Ukraine was well above the usual command-and-staff training. Chief of
Russia’s Air Force Staff, General-Colonel Boris Cheltsov said almost
60 planes were involved. Usually no more than 40 planes take part in
the exercise. Besides, Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Army General
Vladimir Mikhailov kept an eye on the exercise not from Russia’s
headquarters as he generally does, but from Dushanbe, Tadjikistan,
where he was supervising “Rubezh-2003” exercise.

Moreover, it was decided to combine the final stage of Russian
strategic air force exercise with the exercise of the CIS air
defense. En route from Russia to Belarus, Tu-160s, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3
were simulating the planes of an enemy. They were spotted by the
air force and air defense of Belarus, backed up by the long-range
radar detection aircraft A-50, which arrived from Ivanovo to the
effect. Once intercepted and conditionally destroyed, two strategic
missile carriers Tu-95MS and a couple of Tu-160s landed in Machulishchi
aerodrome near Minsk. For Russia’s Tu-22M3 it was the first landing
on the above airdrome. At the same time, four Tu-22M3s of Russia put
down in Baranovichy.

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYER DETAINED IN DUBAI BY MISTAKE

06.04.2005 03:42

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ International grand master Vladimir Hakobian was
arrested in the Dubai International airport, press service of the
RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The well-known chess player was
confused with another Vladimir Hakobian, who is wanted by Interpol
on suspicion of a murder. On hearing about the incident the Armenian
Embassy undertook measures to release chess player. Presently Vladimir
Hakobyan is free but his passport is kept in the Dubai police till
the circumstances are completely made clear. “The Interpol National
Bureau in Armenia sent the essential explanation to the Interpol
Bureau in the United Arab Emirates and got the reply saying that the
problem is settled”, representatives of the RA MFA informed.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRESENTS MAIN DIRECTIONS OF ARMENIA’S
FOREIGN POLICY TO PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION OF BELGIUM

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The delegation of the Belgian parliament
was received by the RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian on April
4. According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, an open
and frank discussion of a wide range of issues was held during the
meeting. V. Oskanian presented the main directions of the Armenian
foreign policy based on the principle of complementarism. In connection
with Armenia’s European integration in general and inclusion in the
EU New Neighborhood Program in particular, the sides discussed the
issue of development and implementation of specific programs aimed at
increasing the cooperation with the European structures. The necessity
for developing consistently the democratization process in Armenia
was underlined in this respect. Regarding the current situation and
developments in the South Caucasus, there was an exchange of ideas on
the negotiation process to settle the Karabakh conflict. The sides
also touched upon the issues of the Armenian-Turkish relations in
the context of Turkey’s joining the European Union.

Azerbaijani Convict Fought Beside al-Qaida

The Associated Press
03/17/05

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) – The government in this tightly controlled
former Soviet republic said Thursday that the leader of a group of
six men convicted last month on charges of plotting terror attacks
once fought alongside al-Qaida in Afghanistan.

Amiraslan Iskendrov, who was convicted in a closed trial on Feb. 7
along with five other suspects and sentenced to 14 years in prison,
spent time in Afghanistan from 1999 to 2003 and fought in the ranks
of Osama bin Laden’s terrorist group there, the Security Ministry
said in a statement.

After the trial, authorities did not name the men convicted, saying
only that they were followers of Wahhabi Islam, bin Laden’s spiritual
underpinning and dominant in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

According to the Security Ministry, Iskendrov returned from Afghanistan
and began recruiting mostly young people to join a militant group. It
said the group was planning for terrorist attacks, including by
conducting surveillance of crowded areas, the offices and homes of
foreigners and government and law enforcement facilities.

In arresting the six alleged group members, authorities confiscated
large amounts of explosives, detonators and grenades as well as
literature and audio and videotapes containing terrorist propaganda,
the statement said.

Political tensions have grown in Azerbaijan – an oil-rich, mainly
Muslim country on the Caspian Sea – since an October 2003 election in
which Ilham Aliev replaced his father, longtime leader Geidar Aliev,
as president. The opposition said the vote was marred by fraud.

Geidar Aliev, who died in December, voiced support for democratic
reforms but also employed authoritarian means to stay in power. His
son has vowed to follow the same policies.

Newburyport News, MA

Church directory

Saturday, April 02, 2005

ARMENIAN

St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church, Crescent Place, Haverhill,
(978) 372-9227. Sunday worship service at 10 a.m.; Sunday School, 10 a.m.

COURT EXAMINATION OF CLAIMS CONTESTING RESULTS OF ELECTIONS OF CHAMBER
OF LAWYERS POSTPONED UNTIL APRIL 11

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 31, the court of first
instance of Kentron and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan (chaired by
Judge Ruben Nersisian) started examining the claims that were
submitted by a a number of lawyers and contest the results of the
elections of the RA Chamber of lawyers. 5 of 6 the claims filed have
been included in one legal action – 2 claims filed by the lawyers
Ruben Sahakian, Artur Grigorian and Ara Zakarian contest the decisions
taken by chairman of the Chamber, the claims of lawyers Liparit
Simonian, Hayk Alumian and Sos Grigorian – all the decisions made by
the constituent assembly. At the sitting, lawyer Ruben Sahakian, a
candidate for chairman of the Chamber of lawyers, submitted an
application requesting to change the grounds and subject of the
claim. The lawyer asked that all the decisions made the constituent
assembly of the Chamber be declared invalid, incliding the results of
the Chamber Chairman elections, since these decisions were made in
gross violation of the RA Civil Code and the RA Law on Advocacy. The
claimant also asked the court to oblige th RA Union of Lawyers and the
International Union of Lawyers to hold the general meetings on the
issues of approving the merger and transfer acts within 15 days, as
well as to oblige them to approve, prior to holding the constituent
assembly of the RA Chamber of Lawyers, the procedure for holding the
Chamber’s constituent assembly, the draft regulations of the Chamber
and the draft regulations of the lawyer behavior at the joint sitting
of the councils and submit these documents to the Chamber constituent
assembly for approval. The lawyer also asked the court to oblige the
eldest lawyer to hold the Chamber’s constituent assembly within 15
days of the decisions of the Union’s general meetings on the approval
of the transfer and merger acts, as well as to put on the agenda the
issues of approving the procedure for holding the assembly, the
Chamber regulations and the lawyer behavior regulations and the issue
of electi! ons of al l the bodies of the Chamber. The court postponed
the examination until April 11 in order to ensure the presence of 12
lawyers on the side of the defandant. The claimant requests that
licences for parctising advocacy given to them by the RA Chamber of
Lawyers be invalidated, since persons who have no certificates of the
Highest Qualification Commission can neither be considered lawyers nor
vote at the general meeting of the Chamber.

RA PRESIDENT AND ASSISTANT TO NATO SECRETARY GENERAL DISCUSS WAYS OF
KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues concerning Armenia-NATO
cooperation were discussed at the March 31 meeting of RA President
Robert Kocharian with Gunter Altenberg, Assistant to NATO Secretary
General on Issues of Policy and Security. The sides mentioned that the
cooperation proceeds in a constructive and dynamic way. According to
RA President’s Press Service, the interlocutors also touched upon
issues of preservation of security and peace in the region. In this
context they also spoke about the Karabakh conflict and ways of its
settlement.

COMMODITY TURNOVER BETWEEN ARMENIA AND SLOVENIA MADE $1.1 MILLION IN 2004

01.04.2005 03:24

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An Armenian-Slovenian business-forum was held in
Yerevan March 31, IA Regnum reports. According to Slovenian Ambassador
to Armenia, Georgia and Greece (residence in Athens) Jozefa Puhar the
forum was organized simultaneously with the visit of OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel. 17
Slovenian businessmen arrived in Armenia to held meetings with the
representatives of the Armenian business circles. Slovenian Foreign
Ministry’s representative on economic policy Natasha Marak
reportedthat the commodity turnover between the two states in 2004
made $1.1 million, $1 million being Slovenia’s export to Armenia and
$100 thousand – Armenia’s export to Slovenia. In part, medicine to the
sum of $700 thousand was exported to Armenia. The latter mostly
exports textile and chemical products.