Author: Nahapetian Boris

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
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PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, March 30, 2004

AGBU Hye Geen Carries Out Successful Pregnant Women’s Project in
Armenia: Program Stresses Importance of Good Pre-Natal Care

With the goal of improving the health of expectant mothers and
reducing the alarming rates of infant mortality and complicated
pregnancies in Armenia, AGBU Hye Geen established the Pregnant Women
Project in the country’s second largest city, Gyumri, in June
2002. The participating women benefit from substantial pre-natal care
and vital medical exams, while also creating a unique and strong bond
among each other.

Since 1994, AGBU Hye Geen has continued to further its goals of
empowering women, making them more aware of their changing roles and
shedding light on women’s issues. Committee members initiated Hye
Geen with events to create awareness about the social and emotional
problems faced by Armenian women in Armenia and the Diaspora today.

As a group interested in women’s welfare, Hye Geen avidly follows the
female Armenian role both in the family and society. Recognizing the
realities that women face in the homeland, the group established a
sister center in Yerevan in 2001, and continues to co-sponsor the work
of the Sociology Department of Yerevan State University. In addition
to publishing a quarterly journal entitled, “Ganayk Hayots,” the
Department conducts extensive research and surveys about the status of
women in Armenia. The journal covers issues that were often considered
taboo, such as domestic violence, prostitution and the female prison
population.

AGBU Hye Geen’s Chairperson, Mrs. Sona Yacoubian, often accompanies
her physician husband on medical trips to Armenia. While touring
hospitals, she meets gynecologists who inform her of the startling
realities of pre and post-natal care in the country. Birthrates have
been decreasing considerably as abortion rates rise. In addition,
women were sustaining difficult pregnancies due to the lack of medical
attention and malnutrition. Consequentially, birth defects and infant
abandonment became growing problems.

Extremely troubled by the situation, Mrs. Yacoubian shared her
findings with the Hye Geen Committee, and the idea for a Pregnant
Women’s Center was conceived. “As a women’s organization, we must make
the effort to reach out to other women. The mother is the caretaker of
the household, therefore she must be safe and well provided for,” she
said. After consulting with its sister group in Armenia, AGBU Hye Geen
was advised by the Minister of Social Security that the town of Gyumri
had a very high birthrate, and thought it would be ideal to start the
pilot program there.

In June 2002, the Pregnant Women’s Center in Gyumri welcomed 20
pregnant women through its doors, whose lives changed considerably as
a result of this program. The group gathers at the Center, meets with
counselors individually, prepares nutritious meals together, obtains
vitamins sent by Hye Geen, receives advice on pre-natal care and
creates strong friendship ties. Physicians also visit on a regular
basis to provide medical exams.

Hye Geen Committee members stated, “The pregnant women bonded with
each other so greatly that they often return to the Center even after
childbirth. We had not initially anticipated such a situation, so we
quickly thought of occupational therapy activities that would allow
them to join the pregnant women and still feel involved.” Sitting
alongside the expectant mothers, the new mothers engage in productive
activities, such as knitting and sewing. Returning to the Center gives
them comfort, particularly since many of the program participants face
serious problems, such as unemployment, issues with family members, or
husbands who have left the country in search of better living
conditions. These women often turn to the counselors and each other
for support.

“The majority of these women have no other outlet for getting out of
the home,” a Hye Geen Committee member commented. “They come to the
Center for the important services we provide, in addition to the good
friendships they have developed. Some of the women even bring their
other children with them because they do not have anyone helping them
with childrearing.”

Hye Geen’s sister group in Armenia was so pleased with the outcome of
the project that the Yerevan State University Sociology Department has
sponsored another independent Pregnant Women’s Center in Vanatzor. Hye
Geen is hopeful that they will be able to establish and sponsor more
such Centers in Armenia so that a greater number of women will have
safer and healthier pregnancies. Mrs. Yacoubian summed up the program
by saying, “What we do through this project is keep two people
healthy: the mother and her newborn child. This way, mothers will be
far less likely to abandon their children and both will remain
healthy. Just consider how strong this will make the future
generations of our nation.”

AGBU Hye Geen’s mission is to preserve and honor the achievements of
Armenian women and to provide a forum for Armenian women throughout
the world. AGBU () is the largest international,
non-profit Armenian organization in the world, and is dedicated to
preserving and promoting the Armenian heritage and culture through
humanitarian, educational, cultural and social programs that serve
some 400,000 Armenians annually.

International body official downbeat on Karabakh settlement

Arminfo, Yerevan
27 Mar 04

STEPANAKERT

The coordinator of the Caucasus project of the Institute for War and
Peace Reporting, Thomas de Waal, has told an Arminfo correspondent in
Stepanakert that he does not see any prospects for resolving the
Karabakh problem in the near future.

The sides were proposed a good document, but the chance of using the
favourable situation was missed as the Azerbaijani side was not ready
for that, Waal said.

[Former Azerbaijani President] Heydar Aliyev, who undoubtedly was
politically intelligent, lacked democratic intelligence to communicate
with the public and to explain to the Azerbaijani people the need for
compromises. He simply failed to agree with his society over the
Karabakh issue because society was not ready for the compromises which
were virtually agreed at the Key West meeting [meeting between the
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents]. Unfortunately, they missed the
opportunity, Waal noted.

He said that since his first visit to Nagornyy Karabakh (March 1996),
many positive changes had taken place. Today, Stepanakert looks much
better and society is more open and democratic. I am happy that
Karabakh is moving in a more positive direction in this difficult
situation, he said.

Los Angeles Times , CA
March 27 2004

Historic N.Y. Church May Close Doors

Valuable real estate and decreasing attendance threaten St. Ann’s in
Greenwich Village.

By John J. Goldman, Times Staff Writer

NEW YORK – St. Ann’s Armenian Catholic Cathedral stands apart amid
the Greenwich Village bustle of trendy shops and university students.
For 157 years, it has served the faithful, through the Civil War, the
Great Depression and New York’s brush with bankruptcy.

But many here fear the valuable real estate is about to fall victim
to shrinking attendance and the budgetary crisis facing the
Archdiocese of New York.

At 2.5 million members, this is the nation’s second-largest
archdiocese. And like others across the country, it is in the process
of reallocating resources – which will mean closing some parishes and
consolidating others. St. Ann’s is one of those likely targets.

Studies show that growth in the Roman Catholic community has been in
the suburbs and counties north of New York City, not in Manhattan,
where a quarter of the archdiocese’s 414 parishes are located.

A spokesman said church officials have not made a final decision
about St. Ann’s fate. But inside the gray stone Gothic Revival
building, where thousands have practiced a parade of religions, the
specter of the padlock looms large.

During its 157 years, St. Ann’s has been a Baptist church, a
Protestant church, a synagogue, a Catholic parish and, most recently,
the headquarters of the U.S. and Canadian leader of the Armenian
Rite.

“You could almost feel the generations that had gone before you,”
said Olivia Fitzsimons, who has attended Mass at the church for 20
years. “If those walls could talk… It is very sad.”

Ann-Isabel Friedman, director of the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s
sacred sites program, said any eleventh-hour attempt to preserve the
building through a historical designation likely would fail, because
the archdiocese could claim financial hardship.

“We are deciding what to do with the building. Selling it is a
possibility,” church spokesman Joseph Zwilling said. “The primary
thing we are looking at is where are the Catholic people today, and
where will they be in the future.

“Do we need to open new churches in some places? Do we need to close
or merge churches or parishes in other parts of the archdiocese?”
Zwilling said. “Are there other creative ways we could use the
resources we have – including our people – in a more effective way?”

Friedman said that as real estate values have skyrocketed in parts of
Manhattan, developers are approaching churches to sell buildings and
property – often with plans that would allow them to stay on the
site, albeit in scaled-down quarters.

St. Ann’s stands in the East Village, across from New School
University’s modern brick dormitory. Apartment rentals in the area
have risen dramatically in recent years.

Some parishioners speculate the archdiocese could receive $16 million
for the St. Ann’s property, which includes a parish house and a
parking lot. The potential buyers, Friedman and others said, could
include New York University and the New School University, major
educational institutions in the area.

Most days the church, with its stone steeple and ornate wrought-iron
railings, remains locked. Masses are held only on weekends. The
parish house, paint peeling, stands empty.

There once were Masses in Latin and Spanish here. Now, even most of
the Armenian parishioners have left, attending religious services in
Brooklyn instead.

But others are putting up a fight. They have fasted, picketed St.
Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue and launched a website condemning
Cardinal Edward M. Egan, the archbishop of New York, for considering
closing the church.

“Culturally, this church has been a place of worship for different
kinds of people,” said Roz Li, an architect who still goes to Mass at
St. Ann’s. “This is the place were I have been going since I came to
New York over 20 years ago.

“For me, it signifies what landmarks are all about. It is a point of
providing continuity for generations.”

Paper says US influence seen in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan Caspian cooperation

Karavan web site, Almaty
5 Mar 04

Text of article by Dosym Satpayev, director of the Risk Assessment
Group, entitled “Will there be a Caspian duet?” published by Kazakh
newspaper Karavan web site on 5 March; subheadings inserted
editorially

While Aliyev Sr late President Heydar Aliyev was pinned to his
hospital bed, relations between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan appeared
temporarily frozen. Kazakhstan’s participation in the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline was in doubt, for example. Everyone
understood that a presence in this project, an alternative to the
Russian direction, could hit at relations with Moscow.

But the meeting in Astana, at which the leaders spoke about everything
openly and without constraint, dotted the “i’s”. Kazakhstan will
supply oil by the new pipeline. But another question has arisen
concerning security in the Caspian.

Political scientists and economists will, following the Azerbaijani
president’s visit, set about tallying the political and economic
benefits from the meeting. But let us, for a start, cite several
reasons why President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev’s visit attracted
such interest.

Reasons for interest in Azerbaijani president’s visit

First, this was his first visit to our republic as head of state.

Second, Ilham Aliyev is a new player on the political field of Central
Asia, and there is undoubtedly heightened interest in his person.

Third, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, as Caspian neighbours, have
practically no contentious issues and are cooperating closely in
various spheres.

Fourth, this visit was indirectly linked with Caspian topics in
various areas, be it the process of demilitarization of the Caspian or
Kazakhstan’s affiliation to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil line. This was
the main and most symbolic subject, in any event.

Ilham Aliyev came to Kazakhstan not only as president but also as a
lobbyist for the abovementioned oil project. He came for a specific
answer to a specific question: when does Kazakhstan intend to become
part of the oil pipe? This is for Azerbaijan by no means an idle
question, since all the participants in this project long since
arrived at the thought that without Kazakhstan the oil line will be
simply populist.

As the Azerbaijani expert F. Fatulla observes, “it is increasingly
often coming to be a question of the oil in the Azerbaijani sector
being insufficient for filling the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. But the
problem is not only that of filling this pipeline but also of finding
oil for the Baku-Supsa and Baku-Novorossiysk oil lines that are
already operating and for two major oil refineries.”

It is not known whether Ilham Aliyev was satisfied with the response
of the president of Kazakhstan, who in oriental fashion subtly spoke
about Astana’s interest in the successful implementation of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project, from the viewpoint of the multi-vector
nature of oil and gas exports included. But, on the other hand,
questions pertaining to the tariffs proposed by Kazakhstan for the
transfer of oil, which did not satisfy Astana, remain.

Will there be enough Kazakh oil?

In addition, Azerbaijan, the United States, Turkey, and other
lobbyists for the oil line could not have failed to have been alerted
by the fact that on the threshold of Ilham Aliyev’s visit the
management of the KazMunayGaz national oil company announced its
decision to begin implementation of the plan for the construction of a
West Kazakhstan-Western China oil line. The legitimate question
arises: where will Kazakh oil flow to the west or the east and will
its quantities be sufficient for filling the two new oil lines plus
the pipe of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which is already
operating, simultaneously?

Also important for Kazakhstan is the level of political risk in the
countries through which the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil line will run. The
reference is primarily to Georgia, where the change of power has not
reduced the political tension, between Tbilisi and the separatist
regions included. In addition, the Chechen hotbed of instability is
still smouldering, which is reflected in the level of security of the
entire Caucasus region.

Threat of terrorist attacks

It is not surprising that during Ilham Aliyev’s visit Kazakhstan
offered to discuss an initiative for the formation of a regional
anti-terrorist centre of Caspian states. This indicates that
Kazakhstan takes seriously the threat of terrorist acts in the
Caspian, which would strike primarily at the oil and gas
infrastructure.

>From the viewpoint of any terrorist organization, sabotage in the
area of the Caspian could have serious consequences: incite interstate
clashes, particularly if they are carried out in disputed oil and gas
fields, and strike at the economic security of certain states whose
budget depends on exports of Caspian oil. This would, naturally, cause
a deterioration in the investment climate, which also would strike
primarily at the economy of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

In addition, acts of terrorism like, for example, the bombing of
operating oil lines or tankers could give rise to serious
environmental problems, which also could result in interstate strife.

Distrust between Caspian states

Another problem into which both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have been
pulled is the militarization of the Caspian. Given the geopolitical
and geo-economic significance of the Caspian, the appearance of the
military factor is perfectly natural. The militarization of the
Caspian region is an objective process, which is only just beginning
to gather speed and is more a restraining factor than an instrument of
aggression.

A principal reason for the militarization of the Caspian is the mutual
distrust of the Caspian states, primarily Iran and Turkmenistan of
Azerbaijan over disputed fields. Nor should we forget the
participation in the process of militarization of the Caspian of third
countries the United States and Turkey which is doing little to
promote a lessening of the mistrust in this region.

China’s increased assertiveness noted

A possible change in the balance of military-political forces in the
Caspian having to do with the increased assertiveness of China, which
also could provoke new interstate strife, is also giving rise to
certain fears in the pessimists. The competition of the oil lines is
making its contribution to the militarization also. We can agree here
with Vardan Oskanyan, minister of foreign affairs of Armenia, who
believes that the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil line
could result in a foreign military presence in the region.

The fruitlessness of the negotiations on the Caspian’s legal status
against the background of the start of the active development of the
oil and gas fields in the Caspian on the part of Russia, Kazakhstan
and Azerbaijan, and now Turkmenistan also may also be highlighted as
being among the reasons for its militarization. The military
reinforcement of these states is aimed at securing the efforts of
their own and foreign oil and gas companies under the conditions of
the current friction between Caspian states. And it is ultimately not
a question of militarization itself but of the fact that this process
is still moving ahead under the conditions of the uncertain legal
status of the Caspian.

As a result, Azerbaijan is now, not without the assistance of the
United States and Turkey, the second military flotilla in strength
level in the Caspian after Russia. This has given rise to a
retaliatory response on the part of Iran and even Turkmenistan. A
Caspian arms race has begun. And Kazakhstan has decided to join it,
forming its own navy and military infrastructure in the Caspian,
despite Russia protests.

It is interesting to note that Donald Rumsfeld, who spoke in
militarily direct fashion of the United States’s interest in helping
Kazakhstan, building up its military arsenal in this region, visited
Kazakhstan shortly before Ilham Aliyev’s visit. It is noticeable also
that one of the agreements signed between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
was one on cooperation in the military sphere.

One solution is the synchronization of the military interests of the
five Caspian states. It makes no sense to separate the security of its
states from the security of the region as a whole.

But this is merely a pious wish. Reality is pointing to an interesting
situation arising. Whereas in the sphere of division of the Caspian
along a median modified line a stable trio in the shape of Kazakhstan,
Russia and Azerbaijan has evolved, in the military plane in the
Caspian a Kazakh-Azerbaijani duet could emerge, specially since the
two states are being given active assistance by Uncle Sam here.

Batumi News
March 20 2004

Blackout in Georgia may linger on over parliamentary elections

Din White, director general of the Georgian Unified Energy
Distributing Company fails to set the date for the power crisis
reduction. Meanwhile, he stressed on the measures taken to reach the
goal. Mr. White said the blackout results from the decrepit system,
mismanagement and absence of investments.

`The Caucasioni high voltage power transmission link has been
switched off since March, we have no dates for restoring it. We are
posed to the deficit of water supplies in the `Engurhes’ power
station, instead of 200 mgwt. it can aggregate 50 mgwt. power
presently’, – Din White said.

Mr. White said they are relying hopes the power deficit will slacken
in some regions after they reach negotiations with Armenia on power
import; however, most Georgian regions are going to remain blackout.

`We have no outlook yet for having better power supply by the
Parliamentary elections March 28, the crisis is in its critical phase
for the week on, we depend on better weather conditions and restoring
of the `Caucasioni’ transmission wire, – the director general quoted.

Azeri police disperse nationalist group’s picket, detain three

ANS TV, Baku
21 Mar 04

A group of people has gathered outside Qiz Qalasi Maiden Tower . But
this time they gathered for a different reason – for a protest
action. Young members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization staged
an unsanctioned action under the slogans “Well-done Ramil” Ramil
Safarov murdered an Armenian officer in Budapest and “We will avenge
the victims of Xocali” town in Karabakh whose Azeri residents were
massacred by Armenian troops in 1992 .

Five minutes into the action, police officers arrived and seized the
slogans from the protesters. They tried to disperse the protesters and
move them further away from the Maiden Tower.

The chairman of the organization, Akif Nagi, said that the policemen
took three of their members, Rovsan Fatiyev, Manaf Karimov and Mursal
Hasanov, to police station No 9.

CIS unified air defence system to hold exercise on 7 April

Interfax-AVN military news agency web site, Moscow
19 Mar 04

TVER

A command post exercise of the CIS Unified Air Defence System is
scheduled for 7 April, Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Vladimir
Mikhaylov said on Friday 19 March .

“The command post exercise of the CIS Unified Air Defence System will
take place on 7 April. The exercise will involve representatives of
all nations participating in the CIS Unified Air Defence System,”
Mikhaylov told reporters in Tver, summing up results of the 20th
session of the Air Defence Coordination Committee under the CIS
Defence Ministers Council.

Participants in the exercise will practice counteraction to aerial
terrorism and prevention of the violation of CIS aerial borders, as
well as interaction of air force and air defence headquarters of the
nations participating in the CIS Unified Air Defence System, Mikhaylov
noted. “On-duty forces will be checked as well,” he added.

Mikhaylov said he will personally supervise the exercise from the
Russian Air Force’s central command post. The Unified Air Defence
System brings together forces and assets of Russia, Armenia, Belarus,
Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.

New Armenian party set to protect businesses

Noyan Tapan news agency
18 Mar 04

YEREVAN

The main goal of the new Party of Democracy and Labour (PDL) is to
assist the development of small and medium-sized businesses in
Armenia, the head of the initiative group of the party and former
deputy chairman of the Armenian Democratic and Liberal Party (ADLP),
Spartak Melikyan, told a news conference on 18 March. He said that
this sphere in Armenia was in a catastrophic state, as the country’s
parliament adopted laws hindering their development.

Members of the initiative group of the new party called on the owners
of small and medium-sized businesses to enter the party, win a seat in
parliament and protect their interests.

Melikyan said that the party would pursue a pro-state policy and
cooperate with both pro-government and opposition forces to ensure
people’s welfare and prosperity. “There is no idea of the third force
in Armenia’s political spectrum today and this is what our party is
going to be,” Melikyan said.

Passage omitted: minor details

March 16, 2004
U.S. BUSINESS NEWS

MGM Considers Special Dividend

Move Would Mean Windfall
Of $1 Billion to $1.6 Billion
For Investor Kirk Kerkorian
By BRUCE ORWALL
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian would reap a windfall of between $1
billion and $1.6 billion if the film studio he controls,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., issues a one-time special dividend of $6 to $9
a share that the company is currently considering.

MGM has been talking about ways to “share the wealth” with shareholders
since last summer, when the company tried and failed to acquire Vivendi
Universal SA’s entertainment assets. MGM recently has eliminated all of
its debt and increased its annual cash flow to nearly $200 million in
2003. The idea of a dividend was floated as a possibility when the
company was in the early stages of considering its options.

In September, MGM Chairman and Chief Executive Alex Yemenidjian said
that the management had at the time decided against recommending any
kind of extraordinary dividend. Later, MGM bought back about 10 million
shares, at about $17 a share, through a Dutch auction that was completed
earlier this year.

‘Committed to Sharing’

Late Monday, however, MGM disclosed that it is contemplating a
“significant” one-time dividend payment, which people familiar with the
matter put at between $6 and $9 a share. “Our management remains
committed to sharing the company’s wealth with our shareholders,” Mr.
Yemenidjian said in a statement. He emphasized that neither the decision
nor its possible timing was yet final.

Of course, while all shareholders would benefit equally on a per-share
basis, the move would most clearly be a boon for the 86-year-old Mr.
Kerkorian, who controls about 74% of the company’s 235 million shares
outstanding. MGM would borrow money at low interest rates to pay the
possible dividend, which would probably be payable in about a month if
the company decides to proceed. The borrowing would then be quickly
repaid; MGM is expected to generate a total of $600 million to $900
million in cash flow over the four years from 2003 to 2006.

Mr. Kerkorian in recent years has at times seemed eager for a sale of
MGM, and the company has in fact said numerous times that it was
pursuing strategic alternatives. In 2001, the company held unsuccessful
talks to merge with Sony Corp.’s Sony Pictures Entertainment. Later, the
company approached possible partners including Walt Disney Co. and
DreamWorks SKG. In 2003, Vivendi made an aggressive bid for the Vivendi
Universal entertainment assets, such as Universal Pictures, but didn’t
prevail. As recently as late last year, MGM held preliminary talks with
Time Warner Inc. that didn’t pan out.

As a rule, it is assumed that Mr. Kerkorian has been seeking a stock
transaction of some kind because of the preferable tax consequences. Yet
even as he has failed to sell the company, Mr. Kerkorian has at times
raised his stake in it. Harris Nesbitt Gerard analyst Jeffrey Logsdon
estimates that Mr. Kerkorian has put about $3 billion into MGM over the
years.

Now, the possible one-time dividend represents a way for Mr. Kerkorian
to realize some return on his investment in MGM, the legendary studio
that he purchased for the third time in 1996, at a low tax rate. The
one-time dividend also wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a sale. Once
such a payout is made, MGM’s stock would be expected to decline by about
the same amount as the dividend, though going forward, it would have
higher debt because of the proposed dividend plan.

Tax Consequences

The tax consequences of such a move for MGM shareholders are now more
appealing than they once were. A 2003 tax-relief law cut the personal
tax rate on corporate dividends from a maximum of 39.1% to 15%,
inspiring a wave of companies to raise their dividends. A portion of
MGM’s dividend could be ruled tax-free if it is judged to be a “return
of capital,” owing to the fact that MGM has generated net losses instead
of earnings in recent years.

MGM, with a 4,000-title film library, has generated greater operating
cash flows recently as a result of several factors, one of which has
been the explosion of DVD movie sales in the U.S. The company has also
done a better job of managing its feature-film business, betting less on
risky big-budget movies and more on modest titles such as “Legally
Blonde” and “Barbershop,” which can be enormously profitable if they
become hits.

Write to Bruce Orwall at [email protected]

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PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Foreign Press Office
Tel: (374 1) 517 163
Fax: (374 1) 517 301
E-Mail: [email protected]
March 15, 2004

His Holiness Karekin II Receives Mikael Saakashvili, President of the
Republic of Georgia

In the morning of March 13, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, received Mikael Saakashvili, the new President
of the Republic of Georgia, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Mr.
Saakashvili is in Armenia on his first visit since his election.

Welcoming the President’s visit to the worldwide spiritual center of the
Armenian Church, the Pontiff of All Armenians congratulated President
Saakashvili on his recent election victory, and offered a prayer asking for
God’s support to help the new president bring his services to the Georgian
nation. His Holiness further expressed hope that the Georgian people and
state will live peaceful and prosperous lives, noting that Armenia and her
neighbor to the north are closely linked and interrelated to one another.

His Holiness and President Saakashvili also spoke about the fraternal
relations which exist between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Georgian
Orthodox Church. In addition, they discussed issues existing in the
Armenian Diocese of Georgia and concerns related to Georgian Armenians.

The President of Georgia thanked the Catholicos of All Armenians for the
warm reception and conveyed the brotherly greetings and kind wishes of His
Holiness Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. Mr. Saakashvili
touched on some of the problems facing the two republics and expressed his
hope that due to the centuries-old friendship and cooperation among the
neighbor states, it will be possible to provide solutions that will lead to
prosperity for both the Armenian and the Georgian nations.

“I have a feeling of deep respect towards Your Holiness and the Armenian
Church, and as the President of the Republic of Georgia, I will make every
effort to foster and develop the relations existing between our two brother
nations and Churches,” noted the President in his remarks.

At the conclusion of the meeting the President visited the museum inside the
Pontifical Residence and lit a candle in the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of
Georgia; Very Rev. Fr. Arshak Khachatrian, Chancellor of the Mother See; Mr.
Vartan Oskanian, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia; Mr. Georgi
Khosroyev, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Georgia;
Mr. Nikoloz Nikolozishvili, President Saakashvili’s Representative in the
Region of Javakhk; and members of the Governments of Armenia and Georgia
attending the meeting.

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