Author: Jilavian Emma

ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH RECEIVES MEMBERSHIP INTO CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE OF ASIA

SYDNEY, APRIL 8, NOYAN TAPAN. Primate of the Diocese of Australia &
New Zealand, His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian returned on April
8 from the 12th General Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia
(CCA) held in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 31 March to 6 April. According
to the Press Release of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia
& New Zealand, the theme of the conference was “Building Communities
of Peace For All”. The CCA is a regional ecumenical organisation
representing 15 National Councils and over 100 churches in Aotearoa-New
Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, East Timor,
Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan,
Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand. The Armenian
Apostolic Church of Australia was received as a new member of the CCA
at the General Assembly and joins sister churches from Australia –
Anglican Church, Uniting Church and Churches of Christ – as a full
member. Guest speakers at the conference included Dr Sam Kobia,
General Secretary of the World Council of Churches; Dr James Haire,
President of the National Council of Churches in Australia; and other
notable leaders of different faiths and scholars of public policy.

AZG Armenian Daily #062, 08/04/2005

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MERCURY AWARDS TO BUSINESSMEN AND PRIME MINISTER

The ceremony of Mercury Awards set by Armenia’s Trade-Industrial House
took place in “Moscow” cinema, yesterday. Martin Sargsian, chairman of
ATIH, said that the awards will go to the businessmen, members of ATIH,
in various spheres of economy, as well as to the people who support
the ATIH system. He gave the first Mercury to Andranik Margarian, RA
Prime Minister, for his assistance to the entrepreneurship. Afterwards,
he handed Mercuries in various nominations to Andranik Aleksanian,
chairman of Arminco, to Genik Karapetian, chairman of Yerevan Pure
Iron Plant, to Emil Grigorian, chairman of the Association of Jewelers,
to Misak Mailian, director of Arax Gold company and to many other.

Our colleague Vrezh Sarukhanian, head of “Banugorts” program at H2
TV, was also awarded Mercury for highlighting the private sector of
the economy.

Andranik Margarian emphasized the importance of the activities unfolded
by Armenia’ Trade-Industrial House.

By Ara Martirosian

NAGORNO-KARABAKH FOREIGN MINISTER ARMAN MELIKYAN RECEIVES OSCE CHAIR-IN-OFFICE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE

STEPANAKERT, April 6. /ARKA/. Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Minister Arman
Melikyan received OSCE Chair-in-Office Personal Representative Andrzej
Kasprzyk on Wednesday, the ministry’s source says. Karabakh conflict
settlement prospects were discussed at the meeting.

Other issues were discussed as well. M.V. -0–

A1 Plus | 15:38:54 | 04-04-2005 | Social |

JOIN US

Every day up to April 12 the act of complaint in defensae of the TV
Company “A1+” will continue. From 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. near the
statue of Komitas a collection of signatures is organized with the
demand to “immediately announce the list of the free frequencies and
organize an open and transparent competition.”

If freedom of speech and democratic values are dear to you, join us.

UK MPs criticise export agency for secrecy on support for BP pipeline investment

AFX Europe (Focus)
Apr 04, 2005

LONDON (AFX) – A group of MPs has criticised the government’s Export
Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD) for being too secretive about why
it was willing to put up 150 mln usd of taxpayers’ money to support
BP PLC’s investment in the Baku-Tbilisi pipeline.

The all-party Trade and Industry select committee said the ECGD’s
reasons for refusing to provide a full assessment of the deal on the
grounds of confidentiality were “unconvincing and unsatisfactory”.

The ECGD provides insurance to British companies involved in
potentially risky export sales.

The committee said the ECGD had followed government guidelines in
considering the views of parties with an interest in the project,
but should be more transparent with its findings.

“Such reluctance has affected our ability to explain our own
conclusions about ECGD’s involvement in the project,” the MPs said.

The committee’s chairman said the brief outline provided by the ECGD
was “not enough” for “such a large and controversial project”.

“We do not believe that it is impossible to produce such a document
without betraying commercial or other confidences, as the department
seemed to suggest,” Martin O’Neill said. The pipeline, which will take
oil from Azerbaijan’s side of the Caspian Sea across the Caucasus
to the Mediterranean, bypassing Russia, is being built by a BP-led
consortium.

The project has sparked protests over environmental concerns, including
the fact that it is being built in an earthquake-prone area.

The pipeline, is due to become operational this year and carry 1 mln
barrels of oil a day to Turkey.

15 ARMENIAN CITIZENS RESCUED FROM SNOWDRIFT ON TRANSCAUCASIAN HIGHWAY

04.04.2005 03:24

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 15 Armenian citizens, who were caught in a snowdrift
while travelling to Russia in a mini bus on April 1, were rescued last
night, Interfax-south news agency reports. The life-saving operation
lasted for 3 days. All the Armenian citizens are safe and sound and
presently stay in the village of Nar at the Transcaucasian highway.

noticias.info

Domingo 3 de abril de 2005

OSCE Chairman calls on all sides to focus on ways to resolve
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

/noticias.info/ BAKU, 2 April 2005 – In talks today with Azerbaijani
officials, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij
Rupel, continued to pursue ways of reaching a lasting solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, following similar meetings in Armenia on
Wednesday.

Minister Rupel reaffirmed his conviction that every existing avenue to
accelerate this peace process should be explored to the full: “I encourage
all parties to seek the resolution of this issue through political dialogue.
Any means other than those of a peaceful nature are not part of the OSCE’s
vocabulary”, he said.

He called for the stabilization of the situation along the frontlines. “To
defuse the present tension and start developing confidence between the
sides, ceasefire violations must stop.”

After meeting President Ilham Aliyev, the Chairman-in-Office added: “I would
like to see the year 2005 as a turning-point in the process of resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The personal engagement of the two Presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia is an important milestone on the path to this
objective.

“We hope that the peaceful resolution of the conflict will have the full
support of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh”, he stressed.

The Minister also said the OSCE welcomed the President’s recent decree
pardoning 115 persons, including the majority of those imprisoned in the
aftermath of the 2003 Presidential Election: “We hope that this step, and
the establishment of the Expert Group to look at ways of implementing the
trial monitoring report, will promote civil reconciliation.”

Minister Rupel drew attention to the Post-Election Report by the OSCE Office
for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights: “I hope its recommendations
will be implemented prior to the parliamentary elections due later this
year.”

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office also met the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan,
Arthur Rasizade, Parliamentary Chairman Murtuz Alaskarov, Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov and the Representative of the Azerbaijani Population of
Nagorno-Karabakh, Nizami Bahmanov, as well as representatives of political
parties and local non-governmental organizations.

He emphasized the readiness of the OSCE to continue assisting Azerbaijan in
implementing various reforms, particularly in the fields of anti-corruption
and money-laundering, diversification of the economy, human rights promotion
and protection programmes.

“We hope that the reform process will get a new impetus. Together with
increased efforts to promote freedom of assembly and freedom of the media,
political pluralism in the country can be further strengthened.”

Minister Rupel added that the OSCE would continue to offer its assistance in
the area of judicial reform and underlined the significance of the principle
of a fair trial: “Adoption of the relevant legislative framework should be
followed up by its implementation”, he said.

OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE WILL HOLD FOCUSED DISCUSSIONS ON SITUATION IN
NAGORNY KARABAKH

YEREVAN, MARCH 30. ARMINFO. Regional visit of OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel to Armenia starts
today. OSCE informs ARMINFO that in Armenia, the Chairman-in-Office is
due to meet President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, as well as the
Chairman of the National Assembly, Artur Baghdasaryan and the
political leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arkadi Ghoukasian. His trip
begins in Armenia today, before flying on to Kyrgyzstan in the
evening. In each of the countries, his talks are set to include
matters on the OSCE’s current political agenda and the further
development of democratic processes in the region. The visit also
provides Foreign Minister Rupel with the opportunity for focused
discussions with the leaders of several OSCE participating States in
the southern Caucasus on specific issues, such as the
Georgia-Abkhazia, Georgia-South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh
conflicts, which have so far proved intractable. In Azerbaijan, where
Minister Rupel’s trip will end on Saturday, he will have meetings with
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, the Speaker of the Mejlis
(Parliament) Murtuz Alaskarov, Prime Minister Arthur Rasizade and
President Ilham Aliyev.

To note, in his recent interview to ARMINFO, D.Rupel said that the
intention of the international community is to ensure a lasting and
above all peaceful settlement.” And the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group
are working to promote negotiations that will lead to a lasting and
stable settlement. Their role is to mediate, not to arbitrate. A
solution depends on the political will of all the parties concerned.

PRESS RELEASE
Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Haigazian University
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – Lebanon

Haigazian University launches its new website:
A generous gift for the university’s 50th anniversary.

After more than 6 months of hard work, Haigazian University has succeeded
in launching its new website.
The total makeover came to fruition through the efforts of Webserv, the
software company, and Mrs. Tzovig Oghassabian, the University’s Webmaster,
who acted as the liaison between the software company and the various
departments of the university, in addition to closely monitoring the flaws
of the previous website, and designing the new layout.
The project objectives were threefold: implementing a full fledged dynamic
portal with various services and features, which are of interest to
Haigazian students, academic staff, and researchers; including a new
designed layout with the spirit of Haigazian University; and accommodating
two features, easy-to-use and easy to expand, maintain and manage.
Structure wise, the portal general outline includes information for new
students, current students, alumni and friends, staff, donors and
information about Haigazian University, admissions, faculties,
publications, libraries and multimedia centers.
In addition, the portal general features incorporates; news and
announcements, where users can view updated news and announcements in the
home page as well as search for archived news; electronic newsletter
enabling users to subscribe and receive the university’s publications;
calendar-based events where users can be updated with upcoming events of
the university.
The aesthetic transformation is major; it portrays the real spirit of the
university: the arcades of the Mugar building are decorating the home
page, with the Haigazian 50th Anniversary logo, in addition to the
university’s motto “Truth, Freedom and Service” that flashes constantly.
All are invited to visit the site
<;, and alumni can update
the university with their addresses at
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]. càí¸

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 30, 2005 Wednesday

Minister comes out for existence of two Armenian states

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

Armenian Defense Minister, Secretary of the National Security Council
Serzh Sarkisyan came out for the “one Armenian people, two Armenian
states” concept envisioning the existence of two countries – Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh.

Sarkisyan, speaking at a parliamentary hearing Wednesday over the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, said it is strategically
advantageous to raise the issue of membership in international
organizations of the two fraternal states – Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh – and their active cooperation.

“As a principled compromise on settling the conflict, we consider the
fact that Armenia has not yet officially recognized Nagorno Karabakh
as independent state,” the defense minister emphasized.

In his view, it shows Yerevan’s good will with the view of
contributing to the peaceful settlement processes which the OSCE
Minsk group is helping to promote.

Sarkisyan noted that concessions at the talks can be made on the
condition that Azerbaijan gives the guarantee of non-resumption of
war, which should be confirmed by influential international
organizations and separate states.