Author: Harutyunian Christine

Head of AAC Artsakh Diocese consecrates Shoshkavank Church
14.11.2009 16:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Head of Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan consecrated Shoshkavank Church
on November 12. NKR NA speaker Ashot Ghulyan, Supreme Court chairman
Ararat Danielyan and other officials attended the holy ceremony.

The Church was built in the 13th century. It was closed in the soviet
era. Reconstruction of the church was financed by Karo and Samvel
Babayan brothers.

November 13, 2009

PRESS RELEASE
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

PRELATE TO DEPART FOR LEBANON TO PARTICIPATE IN MEETINGS AT THE
CATHOLICOSATE

On Sunday, November 15th, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, will depart for Lebanon to participate in meetings at the
Catholicosate presided over by H.H. Catholicos Aram I. The Prelates of the
North American Prelacies, Central Executive members and Executive Council
members from the three Prelacies will participate in the meetings.
Central Executive members Mr. Khajag Dikijian and Mr. Vahe
Yacoubian, along with Executive Council Chair Dr. Garo Agopian and
Vice-Chair Mr. Garo Avakian will also participate in the meetings, which are
scheduled for November 18th to the 20th.

FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR FORMER PASTOR OF
ST. GREGORY CHURCH

The Board of Trustees of St. Gregory Church of San Francisco has
organized a farewell reception for outgoing parish pastor Rev. Fr. Avedis
Torossian, to take place on the evening of Friday, November 13th, 2009.
Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian will attend and convey the Prelate’s
blessings and well wishes, as well as present the pastor with a pectoral
cross on behalf of the Prelate.
Among those in attendance will be Very Rev. Fr .Vaghinag Meloian,
Board of Trustees members, Delegates, Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan School
representatives, and members of community organizations.

PRELATE CELEBRATES DIVINE LITURGY AT
ST. SARKIS CHURCH ON THE 24TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASADENA PARISH COMMUNITY

On Sunday, November 8th, 2009, in honor of the 24th anniversary of
the Pasadena parish community, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, celebrated Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon at St. Sarkis
Church. Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian and parish pastor Rev. Fr. Khoren
Babochian assisted at the altar.
The Prelate gave thanks to God for the growth the parish community
has experienced in the last 24 years, from its humble beginnings on Allen
Blvd. to having its own church today, St. Sarkis, by the grace of God, and
prayed for continued advancements for the community in the coming years.
The topic of the sermon was from a passage in the Gospel of Luke
which chronicles the healing of a woman and of Jesus bringing to life the
daughter of Jairus. The Prelate stated that though the woman and Jairus had
different spiritual needs and were facing different circumstances, both were
seeking to see Jesus Christ, to meet Him and receive His blessings. And it
was through their faith that their prayers were answered. The woman was
healed not because she touched Jesus’ garment, rather because she believed
in His power and His ability to heal, just as Jairus did.
The Prelate asserted that today, we need the same faith, we need to
be filled with the Holy Spirit, to pray for ourselves and for one another,
and to cast out destructive and debilitating thoughts and feelings.
"Prayer must be our path, with faith as our guide; only then will we receive
the answers to our supplications. Let us therefore relinquish our worries
to God for He will ease our troubles. Let us open our hearts and souls to
God and He will rid us of our weaknesses and iniquities and guide us in our
service and our mission", concluded the Prelate.
Requiem service was offered following Divine Liturgy, after which
the Prelate was led in a procession to the entrance of the church where the
Prelate once again congratulated the parish on their anniversary. The
singing of "Cilicia" and the Pontifical anthems concluded the service.
In the afternoon, the Prelate presided over the 24th anniversary
luncheon which took place at the hall of the Marash Compatriotic Union with
the participation of clergy members, Executive Council, Board of Trustees,
and Ladies Auxiliary members, sponsors and friends. During the luncheon
remarks were delivered by the Pastor and Board of Trustees Chairman, and the
Prelate once again conveyed his well wishes.

ELEMENT BAND CONCERT DEDICATED TO ARS CENTENARY

Under the auspices of the ARS Regional Executive, the ARS Centennial
Fund Committee has organized a concert featuring the Element Band to
celebrate a 100 years of service. The concert will take place at Glendale
Presbyterian Church on Sunday, November 15th, 2009.
Rev. Fr. Ardak Demirjian will represent the Prelate.

JUDGE ORDERS LANDLORD TO LIVE IN HIS NEGLECTED HOME

Tert
Nov 12 2009
Armenia

A man in Richmond, Virgina, will have to live more than a month in one
of his neglected rental houses as punishment for failing to maintain
his properties, reports the Associated Press (with news from the
Richmond Times-Dispatch).

Convicted slumlord Oliver Lawrence was sentenced Monday to 30 days
in jail, followed by 40 days in home incarceration at a small,
single-story house owned by his company, Bayou Properties. He also
was fined more than $177 thousand USD.

Lawrence was convicted on more than 180 property-maintance violations.

Richmond officials have been fighting with Lawrence over the
condition of his properties for more than two years. He owns 150 to
300 properties, according to city estimates.

RA 2010 NATIONAL BUDGET NOT EFFICIENT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
13.11.2009 14:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The 2010 national budget of the Republic of
Armenia is not efficient. It’s just a program allowing to maintain the
country’s existence, said Artsvik Minasyan, head of ARF Dashnaktsutyun
parliamentary group.

"The national budget doesn’t satisfy the goals announced by the
government earlier, these being maintenance of macroeconomic stability,
consumption incentives and export growth," he told a news conference
on Friday.

The government is not in a hurry announce state budget sequester,
according to him.

As to the government’s resignation, Minasyan said the political
majority will hardly agree to it.

OFFICE OF AN HONORARY CONSUL TO OPEN IN URUGUAY

Aysor
Nov 11 2009
Armenia

Ruben Abrahamyan was invited to Uruguay’s Foreign Ministry on October,
30, to be handed an exequatur as a sign of his recognition of Armenia’s
Honorary Consul in Uruguay, press-office of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry
reports. Late November will mark opening ceremony of Office of an
Honored Council of Armenia in Uruguay.

Ruben Abrahamyan, a citizen of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, was
appointed as a Consul in Uruguay (Montevideo residence) by Armenia’s
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan’s decree on September 16 2009.

Tert, Armenia
Nov 7 2009

Then Where was Nikol Pashinyan on March 1?
12:42 ¢ 07.11.09

The Police of the Republic of Armenia Passports and Visas Department,
when asked by Nikol Pashinyan’s plenipotentiary representative David
Matevosyan, declined to comment on a certificate related to
Pashinyan’s permanent residence status in Armenia in the last 5 years,
reports daily paper Haykakan Zhamanak (`Armenian Times’).

As reported by the daily, it is noted in the certificate that `The
Police of the Republic of Armenia Criminal Investigations Main
Department, in accordance with [date] 03-11-2009, number 3/3-3671,
[states that] N. Pashinyan, between 26-02-2008 and 07-07-2009 has been
wanted and during that time [when the police were searching for him],
he has not lived in the Republic of Armenia.’

It is because of this, it seems, that the police refused to comment on
the certificate. Haykakan Zhamanak notes that the Armenian police,
with this letter, has permitted a few falsifications to emerge.

`The sole fact of being wanted can never mean that the person in
question has not resided in Armenia during that time,’ reports
Haykakan Zhamanak.

Apart from that, the authors of the article write, if corresponding
state bodies state that Nikol Pashinyan was not in Armenia from
February 26, 2008, then how can they charge him with organizing mass
disorder on March 1, 2008? From the letter it seems, as well, that
Pashinyan wasn’t in Armenia till July 7 this year.

`It’s interesting, then, who was the Nikol Pashinyan who presented
himself to RA General Prosecutor’s office on July 1, 2009?’ asks
Haykakan Zhamanak.

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Nov 5 2009

Iranians visit occupied Azeri region – report

05-11-2009 05:09:33

Iranian representatives included in a group on friendship with
Armenia have visited the South Caucasus republic and further
Azerbaijan’s Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh region it occupies, Iranian ISNA
news agency reported.
The delegation reportedly held talks with Armenian business leaders to
discuss economic cooperation between the two countries. The Iranian
representatives said they were ready to invest in a slew of sectors of
Armenia’s economy, including solar energy, the development of
communications, urban infrastructure, environmental protection, and
agriculture.
The members of the Iran-Armenia Friendship Society are expected to
stay in Armenia and Upper Garabagh until Friday.
Upper Garabagh has been occupied by Armenia since a 1994 cease-fire
ended separatist hostilities that killed an estimated 30,000 people
and ousted about one million Azerbaijanis from their homes. Armenia
continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani
districts in defiance of international law. Years of peace talks have
brought few tangible results.*

BUDGET OF SURVIVAL: THE ASSESSMENT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
05.11.2009 14:28

Discussions of the State Budget for Fiscal Year 2010 continued today at
the Standing Committees of the National Assembly. This morning the MPs
listened to Human Rights Defender Armen Harutyunyan. The draft budget
for FY2010 envisages 125 million AMD for the Human Rights Defender’s
Office, which is 10 millions less as compared to allocations of the
current year.

Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan characterized the draft budget as a
"budget of survival" although he said he understands that it’s a
result of the global financial-economic crisis.

Armen Harutyunyan complained today that the flow of cadres from the
Ombudsman’s Office continues because of cuts in salaries. Harutyunyan
pointed out that the office has a 47-member staff, with only 28 of
them being experts. Over the past two years, 50% of the experts have
quitted because of low salaries.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TO ALLOCATE 8.3 BILLION DRAMS TO FUND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN 2010

ARKA
Nov 4, 2009

YEREVAN, November 4, /ARKA/. The Armenian government plans to allocate
8.3 billion Drams to fund scientific research next year, first deputy
minister of finance Pavel Safarian said Tuesday during a parliamentary
hearing on the 2010 draft budget. He said science spending has not
been slashed and will remain on the 2009 level.

According to the deputy minister, the funds will be directed to three
major research directions- fundamental, targeted and thematic. Some
5.2 billion Drams are earmarked to support fundamental research and 1.5
billion Drams will be spent on thematic or contractual research work.

According to Pavel Safarian, some 529 million Drams will be paid
to scientists with academic degrees. The extra payment will be from
10,000 to 20,000 Drams.

According to the 2010 draft budget, the government plans to collect
676. 6 billion Drams of revenues, down from 772 billion projected
for 2009. It also plans to spend 859.6 billion drams, of which 85.7%
will be current expenditures. Tax revenues for 2010 are projected at
533 billion Drams, up from 510 billion, projected for 2009.

ADP: AZERBAIJAN’S WAR PREPARATIONS -OPEN SECRET

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 12:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The statement of US Deputy Assistant Secretary,
Tina S. Kaidanow on the possibility of Washington’s recognizing NKR
independence in case Baku renews hostilities, is partially true,
despite the fact it was disproved later," Armenian Democratic Party
Leader Aram Sargsyan told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter at news conference
in Yerevan.

"Statements similar to that of Kaidanow are always disproved, still
they’re sent up like trial balloons to assess the reaction," Aram
Sargsyan believes. "Azerbaijan’s war preparations is an open secret.

This is what increased armament purchases suggest. Still USA’s bitter
experience in Iraq and Afghanistan proves the country’s being opposed
to hostilities renewal along the contact line between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, as the process will be impossible to stop. Should the war
unleash in Karabakh, most serious consequences are to be expected,
as in contrast to previous war, this time it won’t be restricted to
NKR only," Sargsyan emphasized.