Author: Nahapetian Lilit

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
June 16, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
received today Indian ambassador to Armenia Mrs. Rina Pandey on the
occasion of ending her diplomatic mission in Armenia.

Governmental press service told Armenpress that the prime minister
highly assessed the ambassador’s work in Armenia which contributed
to strengthening the cooperation between the two countries and noted
that Armenian-Indian relations and friendly ties have deep historical
roots and traditions and they must be even more strengthened involving
new cooperation spheres.

Mrs. Rina Pandey expressed her gratitude to the Armenian prime minister
for his support during the implementation of her diplomatic mission
in our country.

At the end of the meeting Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
wished good luck to Mrs. Rina Pandey in her further activity.

JUNE 19 NA EXTRAORDINARY SESSION TO DISCUSS GRANTING PARDON

ARMENPRESS
June 16, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, ARMENPRESS: Armenian National Assembly Speaker Hovik
Abrahamyan signed a decree on calling an extraordinary session June
19 at 12:00 pm on the initiative of the President of Armenia.

National Assembly public relations department told Armenpress that
the agenda of the session includes the proposal of the President of
Armenia on declaring pardon.

AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 8 2009

FRENCH LAWMAKERS VISIT TO OCCUPIED REGION UNDER SCRUTINY

The Azerbaijani government is scrutinizing reports on a French
lawmakers visit to the Armenia-occupied Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
region, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov says. Armenian
media reported that Francois Rochebloine, a member of the French
parliaments lower chamber who chairs the legislatures friendship group
with Armenia, is visiting the self-styled Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
republic. He is reportedly due to address parliament there. Polukhov
said the ministry had instructed the Azerbaijani embassy in France to
ascertain whether or not these allegations have merit. Once the issue
is fully clarified, Baku will respond with adequate steps. If
necessary, we might issue a note of protest to France, the spokesman
added. Upper Garabagh is an Azerbaijani region occupied by Armenia
since a 1994 cease-fire ended separatist hostilities that killed an
estimated 30,000 people and ousted about a million Azerbaijanis out of
their homes. Armenia
continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani
districts in defiance of international law. Years of peace talks have
brought little tangible result.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Karine Abalyan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: <mailto:[email protected]>
[email protected]

Website: <;

June 12, 2009

_______________________________

WORCESTER’S ARMENIAN CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOUR CELEBRATES PASTOR’S MILESTONE

Some 430 people gathered at the Armenian Church of Our Saviour in Worcester,
Mass. on Sunday, June 7, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ordination
of their pastor, the Rev. Fr. Aved Terzian.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), presided over the day’s events, which began with the
celebration of the Divine Liturgy by Fr. Terzian and included a banquet
featuring guest speakers, musical performances, and a special video
presentation prepared by the parish.

"This year our Diocese is observing its ‘Year of Vocations,’ and as we seek
out new souls to train for the priesthood, we also need to honor those who
made the choice to take up our Lord’s pastoral staff, and who continue to
carry it forward, with honor and dignity," the Primate said. "You are
blessed in this parish to have a wonderful example of such a pastor in Fr.
Aved Terzian."

Archbishop Barsamian presented Fr. Terzian with an encyclical issued by His
Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
The Catholicos bestowed upon Fr. Terzian the title of "avak kahana," or
archpriest.

The Primate recalled his own pastorate at the Armenian Church of Our Saviour
upon his arrival in the Eastern Diocese, and spoke about meeting Fr. Terzian
when he was still a deacon serving at the Diocesan Center in New York.

"I have known Der Aved for many years now, and it was a blessed day when he
chose to answer the call of our Lord a quarter-century ago," Archbishop
Barsamian said.

‘A Process of Growth’

Fr. Terzian is the longest serving pastor of the Armenian Church of Our
Saviour. Born in Turkey, he first began serving the Armenian Church as an
acolyte at the Holy Resurrection Church in Istanbul.

When he turned 14, Fr. Terzian enrolled at the St. James Monastery of the
Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, an education that was later supplemented
by his work in the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America.

He said he knew by his early 20s that he was going to be a priest.

"In this materialistic, spiritually void society around us, we tend to
define every task as a job," he said. "I never looked at the priesthood as a
job. I looked at it as a Christian journey, a process of growth."

At the invitation of then-Primate Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, the young
Onnig Terzian traveled to New York in 1975. He was ordained to the deaconate
and continued his studies at Concordia College and the General Theological
Seminary, where he earned his Master’s in Divinity Degree in 1982.

Fr. Terzian began serving the Armenian Church of Our Saviour in Worcester
after his graduation. In his 25 years at the parish, Fr. Terzian has helped
organize a number of large-scale events, including in 1991 the 100th
anniversary celebration of the establishment of the first Armenian Church in
America, and the 1988 Armenian earthquake relief effort.

He is also known for reaching out to the larger Worcester community. He has
offered crisis counseling at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, advised the
dean of students at Clark University, and served on the City Manager’s
Coalition on Bias and Hate, among other initiatives.

Parishioners say Fr. Terzian inspires others to dedicate their time and
talents to the Armenian Church.

"He brings you in," said Edward Atamian, chair of the 25th Anniversary
Committee. "He is an inspiration, and makes people like me and so many other
parishioners want to get involved with church activities."

In honor of his silver anniversary of ordination, Fr. Terzian requested that
the parish establish a memorial fund to help sponsor annual Armenian
cultural events, ranging from lectures to plays and concerts. Named the "Fr.
Aved Terzian Memorial Endowment Fund," it has already raised more than
$27,000.

A Grand Celebration

Fr. Terzian’s many accomplishments were highlighted during Sunday’s banquet
at the church’s Cultural Center.

A 20-minute video prepared by the parish focused on his many contributions
to church life and featured short messages from various church
organizations.

Sunday School students and other parishioners also offered musical
performances, and deacons presented Fr. Terzian with a set of vestments – a
gift from the entire parish community.

Worcester Mayor Konstantina Lukes read a proclamation congratulating Fr.
Terzian. In addition, proclamations had been prepared by Congressman James
McGovern, Massachusetts State Senator Harriette Chandler, and State
Representative John Fresolo.

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, President of the National Council of Churches
and Legate of the Eastern Diocese, spoke about his close friendship with Fr.
Terzian. Also making remarks was the Rev. Fr. Carnig Hallajian. Archbishop
Yeghishe Gizirian, who has served as pastor at the Armenian Church of Our
Saviour, delivered the opening prayer.

Yn. Vivian Terzian thanked the parish for embracing her family, and asked
members of parish organizations to rise as she described their involvement
in the church.

An anniversary cake weighing 400 pounds – catered by a Rhode Island bakery –
added to the day’s festivities.

"It took four of us, four men, to get it into the hall," Mr. Atamian said.
"And it was a struggle."

He added that a generous donation by Margaret Zakarian helped underwrite the
banquet expenses. Mrs. Zakarian made a surprise contribution of $10,000 in
memory of her late husband, Asbed Zakarian, who had served as a mentor to
Fr. Terzian.

Fr. Terzian thanked the day’s organizing committee and said he was
appreciative of the support extended by friends and family.

"I was honored by their presence and show of their love," he said. "It was a
wonderful event."

###

Photos attached.

Photo 1: The Rev. Fr. Aved Terzian cuts the anniversary cake presented on
the occasion of his 25th anniversary of ordination.

Photo 2: Sunday School students perform at the anniversary celebration in
Worcester.

Photo 3: The Rev. Fr. Carnig Hallajian reads the pontifical encyclical
issued on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the ordination of the Rev.
Fr. Aved Terzian. Archbishop Khajag Barsamian presided over the day’s
celebration.

Photo 4: Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, President of the National Council of
Churches and Legate of the Eastern Diocese, spoke about his close friendship
with Fr. Terzian.

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ARMENIANS IS AMONG FIRST NATIONS ENGAGED IN HORSE BREEDING FOR MILITARY PURPOSES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
11.06.2009 20:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenians is among first nations engaged in horse
breeding for military purposes Evidence is found in archeological
excavations on the territory of Shengavit and the village of Nor Naver
(Armenia), Hakob Simonyan, director of the Research and Development
Center of Cultural and Historical Heritage, told a press conference
on June 11.

Archeologists have managed to excavate seven toms with bones and
pictures of horses, proving their intensive cultivation. Archeological
finds are dated at 25-20 centuries B.C., the period when the statehood
had already been established in Armenia.

"Evidence is found, that Armenians is among first nations engaged in
horse breeding and particularly thanks to ancient Armenians several
breeds of horses were created," Hakob Simonyan said.

Armenia’s ministry of culture allocated AMD 31 million last year to
implement the "Origin of ancient civilizations and early statehood in
Armenia" program, one third of that amount must cover archeological
excavations on the territory of Armenia.

FRESH DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Arab News
;section=0 &article=123462&d=10&m=6&y=2009
Ju ne 10 2009
Saudi Arabia

SUNDAY’S elections will go down as a watershed in Lebanese’s political
history. The victory won by the March 14 bloc led by Saad Hariri
is a clear statement from the Lebanese people that they have had
enough of outside political interference in their country. It is a
fresh declaration for independence. Henceforth, voters have said they
alone will be masters in their own house — not the Syrians, not the
Iranians, not the Israelis or Palestinians — nor indeed, despite the
wholly misleading description in some quarters of Hariri’s bloc as
"Western backed", the Americans or the French. It is to be Lebanon
for the Lebanese. And rightly so. Lebanon’s crises for the past three
decades are in large part due to outside interference.

It was voters in the key Christian districts of Zahleh and Ashrafiyeh
who won for Hariri although, on reflection, that should not have
been so surprising. The Christians were one with Sunnis, the Druze
and the Armenians in having the same vision of a free, sovereign
Lebanon, able to stand up for itself in the Arab world and in the
wider international community.

The vote is not the end of the story. The idea that Lebanon can now
settle down to a peaceful new future is a fine hope but there are
real problems ahead. The results may have provided an immediate boost
to economic confidence in the country but they also give a picture
of a seriously divided Lebanon: Shiites on one side; everyone else
on the other. The reaction of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
who has accepted the outcome is encouraging, so too that of Amal
leader Nabih Berri who has praised Hariri and called for national
unity. What is not encouraging is Hezbollah’s insistence it retain
both its veto over the government and its independent army. Both have
to go. Lebanon cannot be held hostage to the politics of a minority —
and it is clear that Hariri, who now has a strong claim to be prime
minister, plans something different. The worry, though, has to be that
there will be those in Hezbollah, where there is no divide between
military and political, who will argue that because they cannot win
by the ballot, they must go back to the bullet. Not just within them
but behind them. Those who have used Hezbollah and others, both as
a means to manipulate the country and as a weapon against Israel
(but for their own political purposes), are unlikely to give up
simply because the Lebanese have declared their independence anew;
they have known since the Cedar Revolution four years ago that they
do not have the Lebanese people with them, but it did not stop them
trying to terrorize the people into submission.

The people of Lebanon have made their choice. They have chosen
freedom. Now it is Hezbollah’s turn. It has to decide whether it
respects that choice and becomes a wholly civil political party or
tries to retain its military muscle and links to outside interests. If
it tries the latter, there will be trouble. But what also can be said
following the election is that it will be the loser. There is a tide
in the affairs of Lebanon, and it will not be stopped.

Labour in crisis: Change or die

THE Guardian in its editorial yesterday commented on the crisis
gripping the Labour Party. Excerpts:

On a day in which a mild-mannered minister walked out of the government
comparing its leadership to the "militant" tendency, even the most
extraordinary facts about Labour’s crisis seemed plausible. Behind the
Tories in Wales? Sixth place, in Cornwall, trailing a small band of
nationalists? Crushed by the Greens in Norwich? A national share of
the vote below 20 percent for the first time since 1910? Vying with
the Liberal Democrats for fourth place? In the huge southeast England
Euro constituency Labour won just 8.2 percent, in territory that is,
even now, represented by many Labour MPs.

Panic would be the right response to such results, followed by a
determination to do things differently — but Labour’s world and the
real world are now quite separate places, and the party may settle
instead for more of the same. One wonders how bad the party’s election
performance would have to be for its leaders to recognize the obvious
— that the public want to throw them out of office and will do so with
extreme force unless the party changes. Even now, those in charge are
trying to blame external factors for the calamity: the expenses scandal
and the dastardly Daily Telegraph, the recession, disloyal Blairites
and indiscipline, racists and nationalists, the instant appeal of
David Cameron … the list of excuses is long and misguided. Labour’s
leaders have reached a point once described by Bertolt Brecht: "The
people have lost the confidence of the government; the government
has decided to dissolve the people, and to appoint another one."

Not all of the party’s problems are Gordon Brown’s fault, and his
departure may not solve them. Labour needs to find unity and knows it
would be easiest to do this by calling off the attacks on Brown. A
rising economy might lift its vote. The rebels have no leader, and
no agreed policy plan. But the public could not have made their views
clearer. Labour must change, or it will die.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES ANNUAL REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF 2008 STATE BUDGET

Noyan Tapan
June 9, 2009

YEREVAN, JUNE 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The National Assembly of the RA on June 9
approved the annual report on implementation of the 2008 state budget
with 87 votes for and 3 votes against. Heritage faction’s members
present at the sitting voted against.

By the report, the revenues of the 2008 state budget amounted to
785.4bn drams, expenditures – 810.6bn drams, and the deficit of the
budget made 25.2bn drams.

The revenues and official transfers made 97.7% of the specified
programmed index or 21.5% of GDP, while the expenditures made 94.2%
or 22.2% of GDP.

The underfulfilment was mainly conditioned by the insufficient
receiving of envisaged funds from foreign sources. The deficit made
up 0.7% of GDP instead of the programmed 2.1%.

In 2008, under conditions of the global financial and economic crisis,
6.8% growth was recorded in the Armenian economy, which was lower by
3.2% than the programmed index. The target amount of tax revenues
(including duties) of 621.1bn drams or 17% of GDP was ensured. The
programmed level of inflation – 4+/-1.5% was maintained, with inflation
being 5.2% at the end of the reporting period. As a result, in 2008
GDP amounted to 3,650bn drams in market prices, while GDP per capita
made 1 million 128 thousand 600 drams or 3,689 USD.

KHURSHUDYAN REGISTERED AS MP

A1+
04:19 pm | June 08, 2009 | Official

The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Armenia today
convened a special sitting.

The CEC decided to register BHK Party member Vachagan Khurshudyan as
an MP.

The seat had been vacant since Avet Adonts was appointed Armenia’s
Ambassador to Belgium.

TURKEY GOING TO BUILD RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA "ON HEALTHY GROUNDS"

PanARMENIAN.Net/
09.06.2009 13:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu started
Monday a tour to Pakistan and Afghanistan for the first time since
he assumed office.

Responding to a question at a press conference before his departure,
Davutoglu said that "Turkey is committed to build its relations with
Armenia on healthy grounds as it did with its other neighbors."

"This is a common future for all of us – for Turkey, Azerbaijan,
Armenia, Georgia and Russia as well as other players of the region. We
all have to show good faith and avoid moves that could turn the
positive into negative," he said, World Bulletin reported.

AN ARMENIAN JOURNEY IN PHOTOGRAPHS
Steven Mikulan

LA Weekly
/an-armenian-journey-in-photogr/
June 8 2009
CA

This Friday A&I Photographic and Digital Services will turn its lobby
into a gallery for a one-night photograph exhibit that benefits a
good cause. "A Journey to Armenia" showcases the imagery of Sara
Anjargolian, Vahe D’Ala and Sevag Vrej — not to mention the on-site
support of actor Ken Davitian (Borat).

The Doctor Is Out: Below, a view of Shinuhayr’s ambulatory care
facility.

The show’s hourlong private reception with the artists will help the
Real Medicine Foundation’s Primary Care Clinic in the Armenian village
of Shinuhayr — an impoverished town whose people have no access to
quality health care. Except, that is, for a crumbling, Soviet-era
ambulatory clinic that the L.A.-based Real Medicine Foundation is
trying to rehabilitate. The four-year-old group forms partnerships
with existing organizations from Pakistan to Boyle Heights, to create
clinics and medical programs, or to renovate existing ones in regions
struck by poverty, war or natural disaster.

The reception’s spread will be laid on by PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur,
Mi Piace Italian restaurant and bakery, Sandella’s Flatbread Cafe and
by Falafel Arax of Little Armenia. A&I Photographic, 933 N. Highland
Ave., Hollywood; Friday, June 12; champagne reception & preview:
7 p.m.-8 p.m., $75; general admission reception: 8 p.m.-10 p.m.;
$25 online advance (see RMF link), $30 door. (323) 856-5280.