Author: Talalian Arpi

His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Prelate of Western Prelacy
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
818-248-7737tel
818-2487745 fax
[email protected]

H.E. ARCH. MOUSHEGH MARDIROSSIAN MET WITH
HOMENETMEN CENTRAL EXECUTIVE MEMBERS

The chairman of the Central Executive Council of Homenetmen,
Mr. Karnig Megerdichian visited the Western Prelacy of the Armenian
Apostolic Church of America on Friday, June 25, 2004, and was received
by His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, the
Prelate. Mr. Megerdichian was accompanied by two other members of the
Central Ex. Council, Mr. Meher Tavitian and Mr. Manuel Marselian.

Mr. Megerdichian had arrived to Los Angeles from Beirut for the 29th
Navasartian Games. The three representatives conveyed the greetings of
the Homentemen family and briefed His Eminence about the Navasartian
Games and the ceremonies.. They also informed the Prelate about the
widespread activities and the plans of Homenetmen that cover our
homeland and the Diaspora. His Eminence the Prelate expressed joy
about the great task exercised by the Central and Regional committees
both in sporting and scouting and gave his blessing and support to the
future plans.

Norwegian premier’s meeting with Armenian leader not “anti-Azeri” – envoy

ANS TV, Baku
25 Jun 04

[Presenter] Norwegian ambassador Steinar Gil does not regard the
Strasbourg meeting between [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan and
his country’s prime minister as surprising. The ambassador explained
this by Norway’s chairmanship in the Council of Europe.

[Correspondent over video of the Council of Europe building] We
reported in yesterday’s edition of the “Xabarci” news programme that
Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik attended the opening of
an exhibition called “Fridtjof Nansen and Armenia” at the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE] in Strasbourg
on 24 June. We managed to clarify the position of the Norwegian
ambassador to Azerbaijan, Steinar Gil, on Norway’s attention to
Armenians. Mr Gil said there was nothing surprising in the prime
minister’s visit to the event and his meeting with Kocharyan. He added
that PACE Secretary-General Walter Schwimmer had also joined the
meeting.

[Gil on the phone in Russian with Azeri voice-over] Many people meet
Kocharyan. Why are you paying so much attention to this issue?
Naturally, our prime minister meets numerous leaders, particularly at
the current stage when Norway is the chairman of the Council of
Europe.

[Correspondent] Ambassador Gil also attempted to defend Fridtjof
Nansen, a Norwegian Nobel prize winner, who is known for his active
assistance to Armenians and for promoting the so-called genocide. The
ambassador said that he is helping not only the Armenians, but also
the Turks, Greeks, Russians and Ukrainians who had suffered from World
War I. The interesting point is that Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell
Magne Bondevik was specially invited to the Nansen event. In view of
the fact that Norway has not recognized the Armenian genocide, the
premier’s visit gave the Armenians a great opportunity in this regard.
Ambassador Gil ruled out that issues damaging to Azerbaijan were
discussed at the meeting between Kocharyan and the prime minister.

[Gil] This was a normal meeting. How did you know that it was
anti-Azerbaijani?

[Correspondent] This is the position of the Norwegian ambassador to
Azerbaijan. The Armenian media writes that representatives of the
Scandinavian country were greatly affected by the exhibition dedicated
to Armenian refugees.

Zaur Hasanov, ANS.

UEFA.com
June 24 2004

Stoichita steps into Farul role

Former Armenia coach Mihai Stoichita has joined Romanian First
Division side FC Farul Constanta on a two-year deal.

Intertoto aim
Farul finished ninth last season and the club’s main shareholder,
Gheorghe Bosinceanu, hopes that the appointment of Stoichita will
lead to a top-five position in the league next season and
qualification for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Armenian champion
The 50-year-old Stoichita was in charge of the Armenian national team
and club side FC Pyunik last season – whom he guided to the Armenian
league title – but felt that the time was right for a move. He
replaces Ion Marin, who has left Constanta by mutual consent.

Good record
Stoichita has an impressive CV as he has won the Romanian Cup with FC
Steaua Bucuresti, the Moldovan league with FC Sheriff and has coached
in Turkey with MKE Ankaragücü.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO LEAVE FOR STRASBOURG ON JUNE 22-24

ArmenPress
June 21 2004

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian
will leave for Strasbourg on June 22 for a three-day working visit.
The president will be accompanied by foreign minister, the permanent
representative of Armenia at the Council of Europe, other high
officials and reporters.

According to presidential press services, the president will address
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) session. He
will then answer the questions of the parliamentarians. Also a press
conference will be held.

The president will also hold a number of meetings, including with PACE
chairman Peter Shrieder, Council of Europe secretary General Walter
Schwimmer, Human Rights European Court chairman Lucius Wildhabber,
Norwegian prime minister Kiel Magne Bodevik. The president will also
attend an exhibition dedicated to Nansen. The Armenian delegation
will return to Yerevan on June 24.

Azeri embassy in Georgia not to issue visas to Armenian officers

ANS TV, Baku
19 Jun 04

[Presenter] The Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia has not yet issued
visas to Armenian officers who are trying to come to Baku. It must
be remembered that a NATO conference will take place in Baku in
three days.

[Correspondent] The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry does not see any
problem with the Armenian officers’ visit to our country. Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov today issued a statement which says –
quote, the issue is about NATO exercises which are important in terms
of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy interests and the future development of
the geopolitical situation in the region. Over 1,000 representatives
of NATO member states and other countries will take part in the
large-scale exercises. Some people’s attempts to discredit this big
event using Armenia’s representatives seem artificial and not serious,
end quote.

The statement says that the situation is not simple. It says that
Azerbaijan’s developing relations with NATO should not be hostage to
the country’s relations with Armenia. Intensifying discussions on the
issue will only blow the problem up and cause an unhealthy interest
in it. As a result, certain groups will try to use the situation in
their political interests. Araz Azimov said that protests against the
Azerbaijani side’s intention to permit the Armenian representatives
to visit our country will lead to the postponement of the conference
and to coolness in relations with NATO.

Azimov said that if the Armenian officers arrive in Azerbaijan, they
will be able to see Azerbaijan’s real achievements, understand what
kind of crisis Armenia has created for itself and see what people
have gained and lost.

The Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia has no intention of issuing visas
to the Armenian officers who want to take part in the NATO conference
in Baku on 22 June. The Armenians have already applied to the embassy
for visas, the Azerbaijani ambassador to Georgia, Ramiz Hasanov,
has told ANS.

[Hasanov over phone] How can we give them visas? There are no
diplomatic relations between the two countries. I mean in what form can
we issue visas to them? How can I put visas in their passports? There
is no way we can issue visas to them.

[Correspondent] The conference will take part in three days.

Rasad Isgandarov, ANS.

Garikian University Scholarship Fund
Contact: Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy
[email protected]
Tel: 818-248-7737
Fax: 818-248-7745

C/O Western Prelacy
6252 Honolulu Avenue, #100
La Crescenta, CA 91214

COMMUNIQUE — GARIKIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP FUND 2004-2005 ACADEMIC
YEAR

The Executive Board of the Garikian University Scholarship Fund at
its latest meeting reviewed the By Laws of the Garikian University
Scholarship Fund and changed the requirements of the Scholarship for
the 2004-2005 fiscal year. Based on this, the following decisions
are brought to the attention of Armenian University students, both
former and new applicants, of the GARIKIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND.

All candidates:

1. – Should attend one of the accredited Universities of the State
of California.

2. – Should have successfully completed their first academic year at
the respective universities.

3. – Should pursue their higher education in one of the following
fur (4) majors or subjects specified by the revised By-Laws of the
GARIKIAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND.

a. – Armenian Studies – Armenian Literature
b. – Political Science.
c. – Journalism
d. – Education-Teaching and Counseling

We call on our University students to apply for application forms from
the Western Prelacy and return them completed no later than August 31,
2004 to the following address:

Secretariat, Executive Board

OPHTHALMOLOGISTS AT OLD PEOPLE’S HOME

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 6 2004

The charity foundation “Armenian Ophthalmologic Project” continues
the program “Light to Armenian Eyes” in Artsakh. Recently the
specialists visited the center of socially insecure pensioners.
During the examination they found out that more than half of the
50 old people living in the center suffer from eye diseases. They
will receive corresponding medical treatment. Four people will be
operated on at the movable eye clinic. This kind of undertakings of
the ophthalmologists will continue. 

LAURA GRIGORIAN

Eastern promise for outsourcing software

IST Results, Belgium
June 8 2004

With numerous European companies caught in a dilemma of growing
technology demands and shrinking IT budgets, outsourcing software
development to Russia and the Newly Independent States (NIS) is an
increasing attractive option.

ADONIS, an IST programme-funded project, is meeting the challenges of
this dilemma by assisting European organisations and businesses to
outsource software development in collaboration with programmers in
Russia and the NIS of the former Soviet Union, primarily Ukraine and
Armenia. This is a win-win endeavour – European companies can offer
their products and services at competitive prices, while opportunity
is created in the participating NIS. Both benefit from rich research
and development collaboration.

The 10-member consortium collaborated to set up and test a pan-European
network of services for outsourcing software tasks. Project partners
have since formed a Brussels-based company, NewAdonis SPRL. Outsourcing
to NIS and Russia holds “very high potential”, according to project
manager and company Director Dr Ruben Vardapetian.

“The results of 16 pilot projects are still being analysed, but the
three countries, including Belarus, have a huge intellectual capital
largely unexploited by Europe and unused by their own countries,”
he explains.

Global software outsourcing is a lucrative, multibillion-euro
business, with the lion’s share going to India. But Russia is among
the rising stars with an annual turnover of €400 million. NIS and
Russia offer rapidly growing economies and large, highly educated
populations willing to work for lower wages than their European
counterparts. Outsourcing is not an entirely new phenomenon in the
region. Vardapetian notes that Armenia was producing both hardware
and software for the Soviet military since the 1950s.

What is new, however, is the growing recognition of companies in
Europe and across the Atlantic of its benefits. Outsourcing is becoming
synonymous with outsmarting, offering companies the ability to reduce
costs, focus on core business activities, compensate for lack of IT
staff and access specialised expertise at a highly competitive price.

Contact: Dr Ruben Vardapetian NewAdonis SPRL Chaussée de Wavre 352
1040 Brussels Belgium Tel: +32 -2-2306916 Email: [email protected]

;tpl=article&BrowsingType=Features&ID=65347

AND NOW, HEALTH BOSSES PLAN TO SEEK DONATIONS!
by Debashis Konar

The Times of India
June 6, 2004

Finally, the state health system may just have the right survival kit

The state government’s health department is now all set to go on an
overdrive to collect donations to develop the health system in the
state. To make the process of collection of donations smooth, the
newly set up West Bengal State Health and Welfare Samiti (WBSHWS)
has decided to go for a change in its constitutional bylaws.

The WBSHWS has been formed clubbing all the disease control
programmes in the state for better monitoring of all the disease
control programmes. But it was unable to accept donations for not
having the status of an entity eligible to provide income tax rebate
to the donors. During WBSHWS’s first annual general meeting held
last Wednesday, the state health minister, Dr Surya Kanta Mishra,
ratified the requisite norms so that the Samiti can collect funds and
function in a better way. Dr Mishra said that the main objective of
the Samiti was to go for various disease control measure in a more
effective manner. “The funds from foreign donors couldn’t be properly
utilised due to certain norms. Now ratification of the norms will
enable the state health department to receive grants easily.”

A senior health department officer said that earlier the Samiti could
not accept grants of the Armenian Church and the Japanese Consulate.
The Armenian Church had offered to donate a sum of Rs 50 lakhs and the
Japanese Consulate had offered Rs 40 lakhs. According to him, the state
health department is planning to approach various international donors
for funds for various health projects. The ratification paves the way
for the Samiti to accept grant from individuals, various organisations,
and even from the foreign agencies and foreign governments. The health
department is already planning to accept grants from GTZ, a German
organisation, for improving the health infrastructure in the state. The
state health department had earlier taken a World Bank loan of Rs 700
crores for developing the hospitals in the state, which is going to
slow down in September. “So the state health minister is seeking for
alternate sources of funding to run various disease control projects,”
said the health department official.

[email protected]

Summary of “Armed Forces” military programme on Armenian Public TV on 5 June

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
5 Jun 04

1.0003 The opening ceremony of the Armenian Defence Ministry’s National
Strategic Research Institute named after Commander Drastamat Kanayan
took place in Yerevan on 31 May. Video showed the ceremony attended
by Drastamat Kanayan’s grandchild Philip Kanayan, Armenian Defence
Minister Serzh Sarkisyan and other high-ranking Armenian officers
and military attaches of foreign embassies in Armenia. Col Haik
Kotandzhyan, head of the institute, was shown speaking about the
institute’s future work.

2. 0614 Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan visited Tavush
and Lori Regions. Video showed military units of the region and a
power station, construction sites, the Dilizhan health resort and
Yerablur pantheon.

3. 1202 Armenia celebrates International Children Day. Video showed
the celebrations attended by children.

4. 1445 Video showed air defence units, marching soldiers, military
aircraft, training and exercises.

5. 2009 The Armenian Defence Ministry’s medical department has received
reanimobiles and medical equipment. Video showed head of the department
Grigor Adayan speaking about the new equipment.

6. 2410 The state of combat readiness of various units and
implementation of military programmes was the focus of attention of
inspections. Video showed the chief inspector of the Armenian Defence
Ministry, Col-Gen Gurgen Daribaltayan, reporting the results of the
inspection, the units, exercises and military hardware.

7. 2746 Video showed a military unit where sergeant Sergey Kekechyan
and other recruits serve.