Author: Takmazian

VLADIMIR KARAPETIAN APPOINTED SPEAKER OF RA MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Noyan Tapan
Aug 07 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Vladimir Karapetian has been appointed
Speaker of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the decree of the
RA Minister of Foreign Affairs. This information was provided to a
Noyan Tapan correspondent by the Press and Information Department of
the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vladimir Karapetian was born on July 5, 1969, in Yerevan. In 1993
he graduated from the Faculty of the Oriental Studies of the Yerevan
State University. Between 1987 and 1989 he served in the Soviet Army.

He has passed to a diplomatic service as an attache of the CIS
Administration since 1994. He worked in the RA Embassy of the Ukraine
as a second secretary between 1996 to 1997. From 1997 up to 2001 he
occupied the positions of the second secretary of the CIS countries
of the CIS Administration, the Head of the Department of the CIS
countries, henceforth, the Head of the Department of the Security
Cooperation of the Army-Political Administration.

He worked in the Armenian Embassy in Georgia as an advisor between 2001
and 2004. Then he returned to Armenia and occupied the position of
the Head of the Section of the Relations with Media of the Press and
Information Department of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs between
2004 and 2006, as well as has assumed the obligations of the Head of
the Press and Information Department of the RA Ministry of Foreign
Affairs since June 2006.

He has taken part in tens of official and working visits, international
assemblies and conferences as a member of Armenian delegations. He
has attended a number of retraining courses abroad and in 2005 he took
part in the five-month course of the NATO Defensive College of Rome.

He is fluent in the Armenian, Russian, and English languages.

He is married and has three children.

Pyunik V Shakhtar

AsianHandicap.com, UK
sterPicks&Match=933310
July 31 2007

Pyunik the Armenian champions is playing champions league qualification
match against team with much bigger name and tradition in European
football, the Ukrainian vice champion Shakhtar Donetsk.

Pyunik in the first round eliminated Irish champion Derry City but
in the first match in Ireland Deryy City was much better opponent.

Pyunik today will have very tough job playing against strong team like
Shakhtar, team with huge experience in European Cups, especially in
the past few years.

Shakhtar had very busy transfer window, buying some great players,
Castillo from Olympiakos (although he won’t play today) Lucarelli
from Livorno, some promising young player Gladkiy, Ilsinho from
Sao Paolo….

They lost some important players too, Elano, Marica and Matuzalem
have left the club, but still with these enforcements Shakhtar is
very strong team and much stronger than their host team. Three years
ago in this qualification round these teams played against each other
and Shakhtar won both matches.

STATE BUILDING IS PERHAPS SHELVED
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir, Armenia
July 31 2007

The self-hired taxi drivers and their families will by all means vote
for Serge Sargsyan in the presidential election of 2008. If they also
manage to persuade at least half of their passengers to vote for the
Republican candidate, Serge Sargsyan is definitely already president,
and the ARF Dashnaktsutyun need not put up its "own" candidate, and
the opposition need not put up its "common candidate". While they are
solving the problem of own and common, Serge Sargsyan solves definite
problems, such as the order of licensing taxis, which had caused taxi
drivers to go on protest. After a few days of protest Prime Minister
Serge Sargsyan appeared to the taxi drivers. It is notable that the
media had reported a few days before that the prime minister refused
to review the order of licensing and did not wish to meet with the
drivers. And now it suddenly becomes known that Serge Sargsyan is
not indifferent towards the problem of taxis. The prime minister
left his office, the building, went up to the taxi drivers, talked
to them and promised that the application of the new order will be
delayed until April 1. By April 1 the prime minister will probably
have become president because Dashnaktsutyun’s own candidate will
have become alternative to all the candidates of the world, and the
opposition will still be on the quest for the common candidate.

Serge Sargsyan will be president because he will have solved many more
other problems. And if all the problems happen to be solved long before
the presidential election, new ones will be caused, more protestors
and underprivileged people will go to the government, Serge Sargsyan
will meet them, as a modest remedy and solve their problems, or will
delay the solution of these problems, which is easier. He will delay,
become president, then come what may. Then let the person who wants
to be the next president think about the delayed problems. Such as
Raffi Hovannisian. Although it is necessary that Serge Sargsyan as a
president appoint Hovannisian prime minister for him to be able to
delay the decisions of the government on one sphere or another. As
to what the taxi drivers will be doing after April 1, 2008, who will
meet them when they go on protest, none of them knows.

Will time forgive them because "they do not understand what they are
doing" when they thank the prime minister for delaying their problem?

And does anyone understand how it happens that part of the disorganized
society is organized so quickly and goes on protest several days
running in several cities of Armenia? Finally, it started in Gyumri,
then the wave moved to Yerevan. Meanwhile, we should not forget
that we deal with self-hired tax drivers. They are not the staff
of a company, members of an NGO, a party or a civil movement. And
here we see an enviable organization and consistency until the prime
minister meets them, they thank him publicly, which is televised,
and leave until April 1. Amazing, enviable organization! Apparently,
the vision of an organized state is in reliable hands, and is gradually
becoming real. But in order not to let the process get out of control,
and not to let anyone know that they can already become organized,
it is necessary to regulate mass events by license. Otherwise, such
a queue of protestors may occur in front of the government that time
will not be enough to discuss their problems, and it will be necessary
to shelve the presidential election of 2008 until it becomes clear
who is who and what is what.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I’S REPRESENTATIVE HOLDS ECUMENICAL MEETINGS IN NEW YORK

The Ecumenical Officer of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, Bishop Nareg
Alemezian, held a number of important ecumenical meetings in New York on
July 23.

Bishop Alemezian and Bishop Anoushavan Tanyelian (Ecumenical Officer of the
Prelacies of the United States) visited the headquarters of the Global
Church Service humanitarian organization, where they had a meeting with its
senior officials. Bishop Nareg then delivered a lecture on "The presence of
Christianity in the Middle East". He talked about the Catholicosate of
Cilicia’s role in inter-faith and inter-church relations. Representatives
from the United Nations, World Council of Churches, American Council of
Churches, Global Church Service and other local ecumenical organizations
attended the lecture.

A meeting was held the same afternoon with Rev. Fr. Leonid Kitchgovski
(Ecumenical Officer of the American Orthodox Church). Various ecumenical
issues were discussed. Archbishop Oshagan Cholyan (Primate of the Eastern
Prelacy of the United States) also attended the meeting.

Archbishop Choloyan, and Bishops Alemezian and Tanyelian later visited the
General Secretary of the "Religions for Peace" inter-faith organization, Dr.
William Vendel. They underlined the importance of peace and the protection
of human rights. His Holiness Aram I is one of the honorary presidents of
this international organization.

Responding to the questions addressed to him during the three meetings,
Bishop Alemezian provided detailed explanations of the reconciliation
recently achieved between the Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches as a
result of His Holiness Aram I’s efforts.

TURKISH LAW ENFORCEMENT DISCLOSES ARCHBISHOP MUTAFYAN MURDER PLOT

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.07.2007 15:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A criminal organization of retired officers plotting
the murder of Greek Orthodox Church, Patriarch Bartholomew I and
Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic
Church Mesrob Mutafyan, was disclosed in Istanbul.

Aksham newspaper reports that weapons and explosive assemblies
belonging to the Union of National Forces were found by law enforcers
not far from Istanbul in June 2007.

The information on the planned murders was kept in the computer
belonging to organization leader Bekir Ozturk.

Jewish entrepreneur Isaak Alaton, whose partner was killed not long
ago, was also included in the list of victims.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I SENDS A PONTIFICAL MESSAGE
TO THE PILGRIMS IN SAINT TADEH

The Monastery of the St. Tadeh (Thaddeus) Apostle has played a unique role
throughout history in the Christianization of the Armenian nation. The feast
of the Apostle and the Saint Santoukhd Virgin bring spiritual renewal every
year to the Armenian Diocese of Tabriz, Iran, which recently organized the
53rd annual pilgrimage to the Monastery. The pilgrimage was headed by the
Primates of the three Dioceses of Iran- Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian
(Primate of the Diocese of Tehran), Bishop Papken Charian (Primate of the
Diocese of Isfahan) and Bishop Neshan Topouzian (Primate of the Diocese of
Tabriz)

On this special occasion the Pontiff sent his Pontifical Blessings in a
written message to the thousands of pilgrims gathered in the Monastery. In
his message His Holiness seeks to once more renew faith of Armenians towards
their church and nation.

"Your pilgrimage to Saint Tate should become an occasion for spiritual
renewal for you all. Let us not forget that through Christianity the lives
of Armenians thrived with spiritual values and Christian values became
intertwined with Armenian traditions in our lives. Therefore, we expect that
this pilgrimage will also be an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen your
national belonging," writes the Catholicos in the message, which was read
out to the pilgrims on the day of the pilgrimage.

Holy Mass was performed by Primate Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian. A
procession of Holy relics followed. The pilgrims set up tents around the
Monastery on the evening before the event, spiritually preparing themselves
for the pilgrimage.

##
View photo here:
tos/Photos17.htm

TWO STATES IN ONE
By Akhra Smyr (CRS No. 403 25-Jul-07)

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK .
July 25 2007

An Abkhaz journalist on the elusive statehood of Nagorny Karabakh.

Although Nagorny Karabakh – or Artsakh as the Armenians like to
call it – seems to be a fully self-sufficient state and has all the
attributes of one, the reality of its situation is rather different.

Nagorny Karabakh is today basically a province of Armenia but its
uniqueness lies in the fact that its statehood makes Armenia a state
of two parts. The point is not that Karabakh has its own state bodies
and organs – you could elect a president in every province of Armenia
and nothing would change. The point is that for Armenians all over
the world Karabakh is more than a place where people live, much more
than a military victory and much more than a single idea.

It was here after all that Armenians achieved a victory for the
first time since the 1915 Genocide – and not so much a military as an
ideological victory made possible by a consolidation of forces and
resources by Armenians from all over the world. So for Armenians,
Karabakh became the foundation of a new, positive sense of identity.

For the first time in a millennium, Armenians felt that they were a
victorious nation.

This special status of Karabakh could not but affect developments
in Armenia itself. Karabakh Armenian leader Robert Kocharian moved
into the presidential chair in Armenia. The Karabakh elite has had
a huge influence on the development of life in Armenia and even the
telecommunications company Karabakh Telecom, the local monopoly,
has squeezed the Armenian firm ArmenTelecom out of the market.

It is a two-way street. The current elite in Armenia also influences
what happens in Karabakh and it can be hard to work out which is the
tail and which is the dog. That is what makes Armenia two states
in one in the context of the international non-recognition of the
statehood of Karabakh.

The Goris-Stepanakert road looks very modern. In contrast to the
roads of much of the former USSR, it is well kept and not pot-holed.

This road was built after the war with the money of the Armenian
Diaspora. Some rich Karabakhis are also building. Levon Hairapetian,
who comes from the village of Vank, has built a series of factories,
a shopping centre and a hotel in his home village – not something
that can be said of many Caucasian villages.

In contrast to this, Shusha, a town that once had a majority
Azerbaijani population and is now home to three thousand Armenians,
is a depressing sight. There is practically no life here, just the
splendid architectural heritage that survived the war.

War did not just destroy human lives. War burned houses, destroyed
confidence in tomorrow and built a powerful wall of mutual hostility.

You feel this keenly in Shusha. The contrast between the restored
church, the hotel refurbished by the Dashnaks, an Armenian nationalist
party, and the magnificent scenery on the one hand, and on the other
the faces of the Armenian refugees from Baku living among the ruins
is overwhelming. In Shusha, you want to believe that you are in a
scene from a surrealist film and not in a current-day reality.

Overall Karabakh does not look like this. If you overlook the fairly
infrequent traces of war you can feel as if you are in a pastoral
idyll. Karabakh is a place which its inhabitants believe in, a place
with a future.

Karabakhis are generally no different from other people on Earth.

Like others, they go to work, create works of art, dress their children
in nice clothes to go out for a stroll in the evening. Their desire
to live a normal life has erased practically all traces of death and
destruction. They want to believe in a future without war, whose
lingering traces distract them from fine thoughts and make them
remember with pain the tribulations of their recent history.

Akhra Smyr is a correspondent with Chegemskaya Pravda newspaper
in Abkhazia.

This report is one of three first-person accounts of journalists from
and visiting Nagorny Karabakh during the presidential elections as
part of IWPR’s Cross Caucasus Journalism Network project. Different
in style from our usual reports, they give an impression of the polls
and life in this remote but important territory in the South Caucasus.

BUNDESTAG MEMBERS TO VISIT ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.07.2007 14:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Bundestag parliamentary friendship group for
relations with the states of the Caucasus will pay a visit to the
region October 22-24, Bundestag press office told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. The parliamentarians are expected to arrive in Azerbaijan
first, then they will visit Georgia and Armenia.

OVER 10,000 VISITED ANCA CALL-IN-DAY WEBPAGE IN SUPPORT TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

YERKIR
25.07.2007 16:36

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – With over 220 Members of the U.S. House cosponsoring
the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106), thousands of Armenian
Americans and human rights advocates joined together yesterday in
the second Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) "Call for
Justice" campaign urging a swift vote on this human rights legislation,
the ANCA reported.

For the second time in the last 30 days, over 10,000 visited the
ANCA Call-in-Day webpage on July 23rd and more than 2,500 submitted
caller-feedback forms reporting their conversations with Congressional
offices.

"We want to thank everyone who took part in our first Call-In Day –
which helped us reach the 218 mark – and to express our appreciation
to all those who, today, once again raised their voices to see
this measure brought to a vote on the floor of the U.S. House of
Representatives," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.

Commenting on the first Call-In Day, Rep. Adam Schiff, the resolution’s
lead author, said: "The ANCA’s national congressional call-in day,
"Call for Justice," is a great demonstration of the power of grassroots
advocacy. These calls are a useful tool in the fight to get the
Armenian Genocide resolution passed. I thank the ANCA and all their
supporters for making these important calls."

ORINATS YERKIR PROPOSES BENCHMARKS FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Lragir, Armenia
July 24 2007

Member of Parliament Hovanes Margaryan, Orinats Yerkir Party, stated
July 24 at the Pastark Club the party agrees that the opposition must
put up a united team for the presidential election of 2008. Hovanes
Margaryan says the opposition should try its best to overcome divide.

However, he says there must be clear benchmarks for the candidate
which stem from the demands of the society.

"The past way, the political experience, age, perception by the
public, education, reputation in the country and abroad." Here
are the benchmarks the opposition should use to put up a common
candidate. The member of the Orinats Yerkir Party says the leader
of the Orinats Yerkir Party matches these benchmarks whom Hovanes
Margaryan considers as an organized, established politician who is
highly popular with the citizens. Hovanes Margaryan says, however,
there is no need to hurry regarding the definitive decision on the
presidential election. In answer to the question if it is possible
that before the presidential election, like before the parliamentary
election, more leading members defect the Orinats Yerkir Party,
Hovanes Margaryan said he rules it out.

As to the others who aspire to being the common candidate, Hovanes
Margaryan says often the circumstance of aspirations works rather
than the chance of these candidates to be the common candidate.