Author: Takmazian

KESQ, CA
KSBY, CA
Oct 5 2007

Fresno County grapegrower leaves millions to UCSF and three
Armenian-American nonprofits

Associated Press – October 5, 2007 1:14 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The University of California at San Francisco
has an extra $2.7 million in its coffers thanks to a Fresno County
grapegrower.

Trustees of the estate of Leo Diran delivered the donation last month
to the university, as well as additional checks for the same amount
to three Armenian-American nonprofit groups.

In all, trustees for Diran’s estate gave about eleven million dollars
to the four organizations.

Diran never married and had worked his grape farm in Kingsburg until
he was 90.

He died last December at the age of 98.

A friend says Diran accumulated his wealth while living a simple life
and investing in stocks.

Besides the university, the California Armenian Home in Fresno, the
American Armenian Missionary Association in New Jersey and the
Armenian General Benevolent Union in New York received checks from
Diran’s estate.

RISE IN PRICES ARE SUBJECTIVE

A1+
[08:13 pm] 04 October, 2007

"No unexpected incidents have occurred in our legislation or
administrative management that would make our businessmen rise prices",
said Armen Alaverdyan, Deputy Head of the State Tax Service in the
interview with "A1+".

If the Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan connects the rise of prices
of some goods with the rise of prices in international market, then
Armen Alaverdyan connects it not only with the international market,
but also with other subjective phenomenon: "It is more connected with
the behavior of economic subjects.

Until the imported goods reach market, each one who is engaged in
this process raises the prices and at the end the level of the rise
becomes essential for the consumer".

LEADER OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ARMENIA: THEY ARE NEGOTIATING BUT THERE IS NO RESULT

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 5 2007

ArmInfo. The Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is one of the most important
issues of Armenian foreign policy. But although they are negotiating,
there is no success except the one reached in 1994, the leader
of the Democratic Party of Armenia Aram Sarkisyan said at the
press-conference, Friday.

At the same time Sarkisyan thinks that unlike Armenia the people
of Nagornyy Karabakh managed establishing inner stability in their
republic and gaining security as a result. In this sense the NKR is
in more favourable state than Armenia, Aram Sarkisyan said. Touching
on the Karabakh talks, he pointed at two mistakes of the Armenian
diplomacy. The first is that the NKR does not take part in the talks.

The second is that the Armenian party unlike the Azerbaijani one does
not hold agressive propaganda. ‘The world needs information about
the Karabakh conflict. We should always voice our position. But it
turns out that private persons fulfill obligations of the state’, –
Sarkisyan said. He also added that no principle of the document on
Karabakh settlement is in line with the interests of the Armenian
party. ‘What do those principles suppose? Returning of territories,
returning of Azerbaijani refugees to the places of their former
residence. And there is no word about the Armenian refugees. They
also suppose peace-makers, behind which Azerbaijan will be able to
arm better.

Incidentally Azerbaijan is not going to recognize independence of
Nagornyy Karabakh!’, – Aram Sarkisyan concluded pessimistically.

October 5, 2007

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: info@westernprelacy.org <mailto:prelacy@aol.com>
Website: <;

DIVINE LITURGY AT THE PRELACY CHAPEL ON

THE FEAST OF THE HOLY TRANSLATORS

On Saturday, October 13, Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at the
Prelacy St. Dertad and St. Ashkhen Chapel under the auspices of H.E.
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, and in honor of the Feast of the
Holy Translators and the day of Seminarians. Services will begin at 6:30
p.m.

Divine Liturgy will be celebrated and the sermon delivered by
Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian. We invite our faithful and especially our
seminarians to attend and participate in this spiritually uplifting event.

CANADIAN SECRETARY OF STATE ATTENDS DIVINE LITURGY AT HOLY MARTYRS CHURCH

On Sunday, September 30, the Armenian Church celebrated the
Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak, a feast that is unique to our church. On
this occasion, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, presided over
Divine Liturgy, which was celebrated by Rev. Razmig Khatchadourian, and
delivered the sermon at Holy Martyrs Church in Encino. Very Rev. Fr.
Barthev Gulumian also participated in the service.

In attendance was the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism
and Canadian Identity the Honorable Jason Kenney, who was in Los Angeles to
accept the ANC Freedom Award on behalf of the Honorable Prime Minister
Stephen Harper. Also in attendance were ARF Bureau members Dr. Viken
Hovsepian and Mr. Hagop Khatchadourian, ARF Central Committee representative
Mr. Avedik Izmirkian and members, Prelacy Executive Council members, ANC
Chairman Mr. Ken Hachikian, and parish Board of Trustees members and
delegates.

Prior to the sermon the Prelate welcomed Secretary Kenney and
expressed appreciation for his efforts in the Canadian government’s official
recognition of the Genocide and his support of Armenian causes. The Prelate
continued with his sermon in which he spoke about the significance and
meaning of the Holy Cross and Varak and the Cross in general.

During Liturgy, the Prelate also conducted the ordination of
Deacon Sevag Badoyan, who after studying at the Catholicosate’s Seminary for
six years is now serving at St. Gregory Church in San Francisco. In
addition, the Prelate bestowed the honor of bearing a stole on Roubik
Azizian for his many years of service to the Armenian Church.

Following church services, a private reception took place in the
church assembly room with the participation of the Prelate, the Secretary of
State, and distinguished guests.

PRELATE ATTENDS STUDENT GATHERING AND BANQUET

IN HONOR OF H.H. KAREKIN II

Early last week H.H. Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, arrived in Los
Angeles on His third Pontifical visit to the Western Diocese. Among the
events planned on this occasion were a student gathering with the
participation of students from Prelacy and non-Prelacy schools, and a
banquet.

The Prelate, accompanied by Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian,
attended the student gathering which took place on Monday, October 1st at
the Diocesan headquarters in Burbank.

The Prelate also attended the banquet which took place on the
evening of Tuesday, October 2nd, at the Taglian Cultural Center in
Hollywood.

PRELATE VISITS PRELACY SCHOOLS

At the start of each academic year, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, visits all our Prelacy schools to meet with and
convey his message for the new school year to the administrators and
students.

On Tuesday, October 2nd, the Prelate visited Rose and Alex Pilibos High
School where he was welcomed by the administration. He was accompanied by
Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian, Archpriest Rev. Viken Vassilian, and Executive
Council Vice-Chair Dr. Hagop Der Megerdichian. Following a visit to the
Kindergarten, the Prelate headed to the library where the 11th and 12th
grade students had prepared a special program on this occasion.

The Prelate conveyed his blessings and best wishes for a
successful school year to the administration, teachers, students, and
parents, after which he delivered his message to the students. The Prelate
pointed out that many times in our lives we find ourselves in a dilemma and
struggle to make the right decision. The Armenian school has the task of
steering our students in the right direction. However, it is still the
responsibility of each individual to make the right decision for himself,
something that can be especially difficult once they encounter the countless
negative influences found in the outside world today. The Prelate then
encouraged the students to participate in community life and to bring their
valuable contributions to our collective lives. In conclusion, the Prelate
urged the students to remain faithful to our spiritual, cultural, and
national values which are taught to them and instilled in them during their
school years. He commended the program the students had prepared pointing
out that it was a beautiful expression of this faithfulness to our heritage.

Besides Pilibos, thus far the Prelate has visited Tavlian,
Mesrobian, Chamlian, and Tufenkian schools, with visits to other schools
taking place in the coming days.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY

Each year at the beginning of the new academic year, the Board of
Regents of Prelacy Schools organizes a one-day seminar for teachers and
administrators. This year, the one-day Professional Development Day will
take place on Monday, October 8, at Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School.

Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian will attend and deliver the
Prelate’s blessings to the participants. He will also lecture on the
subject "Christian Education and our Youth".

AZERI MINISTER CALLS FOR MORE "EFFECTIVE" UN
Mehman Safaraliyev, ANS.

ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Oct 4 2007

[Presenter] Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has
delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York. The
minister spoke about the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. He stated that
unfortunately the Armenian leadership was trying to conceal the
consequences of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the
elimination of its whole heritage. The UN should not tolerate this.

[Correspondent over video of Mammadyarov addressing the General
Assembly] Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov appealed to the Armenian
public during his speech at the UN. They should understand that this
policy undermines peace and stability in the region and can lead
to very dangerous results for Armenia. The talks, which have been
conducted within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group so far, have
yielded no results. The Baku government’s position remains unchanged.

We will undoubtedly restore our territorial integrity. This is a
matter of time, the foreign minister said.

Mammadyarov also touched on the frozen conflicts in the GUAM [Georgia,
Ukraine, Moldova and Azerbaijan alliance] countries. He said that
the conflicts in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova had developed along
similar lines and had very dreadful results. In all three cases, the
conflicts stemmed from aggressive separatism, then ethnic cleansing
was conducted and the countries’ sovereignty was violated.

The minister proposed that the UN’s efficiency increase.

We hope that the UN will be a more effective organization in the 21st
century, the minister said. In his opinion, reforms should be conducted
at the Security Council, the organization should become a responsible
and democratic body. The General Assembly should strengthen as a body
which takes political decisions and its role and mandate should be
increased, Mammadyarov said.

AZERBAIJAN PROMISES TO GUARANTEE THE SECURITY OF THE ARMENIAN MP

ArmRadio – Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 3 2007

The 29th sitting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Culture, Education and Social
Affairs started in Baku today.

Parliament representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary,
Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Chernogoria and Ukraine will discuss the
organization’s activity and will set the time and agenda for the
30th sitting of the BSEC PA Committee on Culture, Education and
Social Affairs.

Armenia will be represented at the sitting by MP Stepan Safaryan,
Secretary of the Heritage faction of the National Assembly. Let
us remind that BSEC has already held a sitting in Baku, in which
the Armenian side did not participate because of lack of security
guarantees. This time the Azeri side has promised to guarantee the
security of the Armenian parliamentarian.

SOUTH CAUCASUS IS A CRITICAL REGION BURDENED WITH PERSISTING UNRESOLVED CONFLICTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.10.2007 17:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "South Caucasus is a critical region burdened with
persisting unresolved conflicts. Its frozen conflicts continue to
represent a serious threat to the peace and stability in the region,"
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in his address to the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe.

"These conflicts provide a major impediment to the region-wide
co-operation initiatives. They are also undermining prospects for
prosperity of the future generations. Therefore, the solution of these
conflicts constitutes one of the most important and urgent issues in
the South Caucasus and beyond.

Peaceful solutions should also meet the Azerbaijani and Georgian
legitimate concerns over their territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Turkey’s approach to the South Caucasus is shaped by its genuine
desire to establish a comprehensive cooperation in the region. The
contribution of all three South Caucasian states would be most
preferable," he said.

"Turning to South Eastern Europe, the crisis unleashed by the
disintegration of former Yugoslavia is back to where it started
two decades ago, in Kosovo. Turkey has acted together with the
international community in the settlement of Kosovo’s final status.

In South Eastern Europe, our focus now must be not on where we were,
but on where we would like to head. The issues confronting the region
call for bilateral and multilateral cooperation among the Balkan
states," Gul said.

OGTAY ASADOV DOES NOT RULE OUT THAT IMPRISONED AZERBAIJANI JOURNALISTS WILL BE RELEASED SOON

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 3 2007

"There is no problem of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
had commitments while admission to the Council of Europe and lists of
political prisoners were made. The problem concerning these lists has
been completely solved. There is a relevant working group. This group
is engaged in the issues on violations of law. Azerbaijan is forming
a secular state, its judicial system is improving and problems are
solved by courts," speaker of Azerbaijani parliament Ogtay Asadov
told journalists in Strasbourg, APA’s Europe bureau reports.

He said that all commitments vis-a-vis the Council of Europe concerning
political prisoners have been implemented.

"As to the problem of journalists, we pay attention to it. There
are serious law violations in these issues and we will again concern
ourselves with it," he said.

Ogtay Asadov said the journalists were arrested for illegal acts,
and did not rule out that they could be pardoned soon.

Mr. Linden stated that he can not say in which countries political
prisoners exist.

"I want to underline again that PACE Monitoring Committee has not
been established for punishing any country, this committee does not
play such role. This Committee is observing the processes, review
them and it is not for punishing," he said.

Ogtay Asadov said that if it was organization for punishing states,
it would punish Armenia for occupying 20% of our regions.

"Armenia also has commitments for peaceful solution of the conflict.

When I was in Armenia, I said that this country has no any relations
with two bordering countries. This is very bad indicator for their
children. Armenians living abroad do not think about their compatriots
living in Armenia," Mr. Linden answered.

Ogtay Asadov will have meeting with head of PACE Subcommittee on
Nagorno Karabakh Lord Russell Johnston and heads of political groups to
PACE today. He will meet with PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteur
for Azerbaijan Andres Herkel and other senior officials tomorrow.

PRESS RELEASE

October 1, 2007

St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church
2215 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107
Contact: Carl Bardakian
Phone: 626-449-1523
Fax: 626-449-7039
Email: bardakian@ctbwireless.com <mailto:bardakian@ctbwireless.com>
URL: <;

His Holiness Karekin II Consecrates Main Altar in Pasadena

PASADENA, CA — The main altar of St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian
Apostolic Church of Pasadena was consecrated by His Holiness Karekin II,
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, on Monday, October 1,
2007. His Holiness Karekin II, the head of the worldwide Armenian
Apostolic Church, arrived yesterday from the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin in Armenia.

Upon Catholicos Karekin II’s arrival on the church grounds, four
students from the St. Gregory A & M Hovsepian School, dressed in
traditional Armenian costumes, greeted him with bread, salt and water,
which His Holiness blessed as a symbol of his safe arrival and
thanksgiving for his warm welcome by the parish.

A festive pontifical procession led by Catholicos Karekin II and the
clergy, deacons and choir members of the Western Diocese of the Armenian
Church of North America took place, as the faithful cheerfully received
His Holiness during the procession towards the main entrance of the church.

In the newly built sanctuary, which was consecrated on September 9, a
welcoming Hrashapar service was held. His Holiness Karekin II then
consecrated the main altar of the church, which was donated by brothers
Vahe, Daniel, and Vasken Imasdounian.

Very Rev. Fr. Baret Yeretzian, Pastor of St. Gregory the Illuminator
Armenian Church, enthusiastically welcomed Catholicos Karekin II and
expressed his thanks on behalf of the entire parish to His Holiness, for
his historic visit to Pasadena. On behalf of the entire Western Diocese
of the Armenian Church of North America, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, Primate, also warmly welcomed His Holiness and thanked him
for his participation in the 80^th anniversary celebration of the
founding of the Western Diocese, and the historic consecration of the
main altar of the new church.

His Holiness Karekin II, then thanked the Primate and Pastor, and
encouraged the clergy and faithful to remain strong in their Christian
faith and love for the Armenian Church. His Holiness also noted the
significance of the 80^th anniversary of the founding of the Western
Diocese, as well as the importance of the completion of the new church
sanctuary and consecration of the main altar.

Upon the conclusion of the service the faithful participated in a
welcoming reception for His Holiness Karekin II, the 132^nd Supreme
Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, held in the adjacent
Agajanian Hall.

IAEA OKAYED CONSTRUCTION OF NUCLEAR RESEARCH REACTOR IN AZERBAIJAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.10.2007 12:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In mid-December the Azeri delegation will head for
Vienna to discuss the construction stages.

Mahmoud Kerimov, president of the Azerbaijani national academy of
sciences, told reporters that the reactor with 1-megawatt capacity
will be built somewhere between Baku and Sumgait.

Baku made the proposal during an IAEA session in Vienna, according
to him.

"The proposal was welcomed. Moreover, the Agency will finance the
construction scheduled for 2009-2011," he added.

"Energy knows no alternative to nuclear power plants.

Many states made a shift in their policy and engaged in competition
for building such plants. However, Azerbaijan doesn’t plan construction
of a nuclear power plant in the near future," Kerimov said.

Local experts say hydrocarbon supplies in Azerbaijan will exhaust by
2020-2025. Hence, construction of a nuclear power plant can become
a dire necessity for the republic. Furthermore, Azerbaijan’s energy
potential is incapable to satisfy the needs of developing economy,
Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports.