Author: Tambiyan Samvel

COMBINED CIS AIR DEFENSE EXERCISE IN THE PIPELINE

RIA Novosti, Russia
2005-04-05 13:21

BALASHIKHA, Moscow Region (RIA Novosti) – The exercise of the CIS
Combined Air Defense System is to involve 56 fixed-wing and one
rotary-wing aircraft, Colonel-General Boris Cheltsov, chief of staff
of the Russian Air Force (RusAF), told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

According to him, such exercises are conducted biannually. Honing
the interoperability skills is to involve intercept of intruders and
rescuing aircraft in distress.

“The exercise also it to involve the Russian Air Force’s Tu-160
and Tu-95 strategic bombers that will land at a Belarus airbase,”
the general said, adding that two A-50 airborne warning and control
system (AWACS) aircraft were to be used in the exercise.

“One of them is to operate in the Belarus airspace and the other in the
south of Russia. There were plans to use it in the Armenian airspace
but Georgia did not grant it flyover rights,” Cheltsov emphasized.

Lieutenant-General Aitech Bizhev, RusAF’s deputy commander-in-chief
for the CIS Combined AD System, said that the Russian A-50 AWACS
plane would cue Belarus fighters to their targets in Belarus. He
also mentioned that CIS aircraft would exercise joint maneuvering
and intercept fast threats at high altitude.

“Russian aircraft stationed at Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan, in
conjunction with the Tajik Air Force, are to participate, however, the
weather conditions there remain adverse,” Bizhev said. “In all, eight
CIS member states are to participate in the exercise, namely Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.”

0.9% GROWTH OF GROSS INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN TWO
MONTHS OF 2005

YEREVAN, APRIL 4, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-February, 2005, the RA
gross agricultural output made 23.3 bln drams (about 49.5 mln USD),
which exceeds by 0.9% the index of the same period of last year.
According to the RA National Statistical Service, 11.1 thousand tons
of meat and poultry was produced in the country (less by 7.1% than
the index of the same months of 2004), 38.4 thousand tons of milk
(greater by 11.1%) and 63.6 mln eggs (less by 2.9%).

`WE DID NOT RECEIVE THE MONEY’

A1+
31-03-2005

`We did not allocate the City Administration 3 million AMD for
arranging Philip Kirkorov’s concert. The City Administration had only
to render administrative assistance. If Deputy Mayor Arman Sahakyan
says that the sum was returned we would like to note that we did not
receive it’, Manukyan Ltd. secretary Termine Hayrumyan said when
announcing that Kirkorov’s concert willnot take place.

How Kirkorov reacted on knowing that his concerts have been cancelled?
The singer did not even know why he is not wanted in Yerevan,
Ms. Hayrumyan answered. `We informed Philip’s producers that his
arrival in Yerevan can be dangerous ‘, she added. Now Kirkorov will
finally make sure that Bulgaria was under the Armenian yoke for many
years.

WILL ERDOGAN BE FAR-SIGHTED ENOUGH TO OPEN BORDERS?

Azg/arm
30 March 05

David Phillips, coordinator of TARC, said in the interview to the
Liberty Radio Station, that Armenia would help the opening of the
border with Turkey if the Armenians announced that they have no
territorial claims from the Turks. He accused the Bush administration
of failing the long lasting efforts of the US directed to the
improvement of the relations between Ankara and Yerevan.

“I told the Turks when I had the opportunity that it is impossible
that Armenia will stop their activities directed to the international
recognition of the Armenian genocide,” Phillips said. He noticed
during his recent visit to Turkey that they are particularly attentive
to the Armenian Cause in that country. “They accept in Turkey that it
is necessary to turn back to the past. The talks on opening the border
with Armenia are widely spread among the Turks.I hope that Erdogan’s
government will prescience and braveness and take that step,” he said.

‘Change of power illegitimate, but ties not hit’

The Times of India, India
March 26 2005

AFP

YEREVAN, ARMENIA: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday described
the chaotic change of power in Kyrgyzstan as ‘illegitimate’, but
said emerging new leaders there were respected in Moscow and voiced
confidence the two countries would retain traditionally close ties.

“It is regrettable that in a post-Soviet country the conflict was
resolved in an illegitimate way and was accompanied by pogroms and
human victims,” Putin told a press meet in Yerevan where he met his
Armenian counterpart, Robert Kocharian.

But in his first public comments on Kyrgyzstan, the Russian leader said
the dramatic turn of events in the Central Asian state in recent days
had not come as a total surprise and laid the blame for the turmoil
at least in part on the ousted veteran leader, Askar Akayev.

“It was the result of the weakness of power and of accumulated
social-economic problems,” he said.

Azerbaijan News Service
March 24 2005

ARMENIAN MILITARY FORCES BREACH CEASE-FIRE AGAIN
2005-03-24 09:43

Armenian military forces shelled at positions of army of Azerbaijan
located in Mireshelli village of Agdam region from Shikhlar and
Qervend villages of the region at midnight. The village faced
intensive fire as well, as Qarabaq bureau of ANS informed.

Cochairmen ascertaining the date and place of Mammadyarov-Oskanyan meeting

Today, Azerbaijan
March 24 2005

24 March 2005 [14:32] – Today.Az

“The visit of the chairs of OSCE Minsk group to the region in the
nearest time is not expected”.

This was told to APA by Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov.

According to him, currently work is being held in the direction of
the meeting between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and
Armenia Elmar Mammadyarov and Vardan Oskanyan, co-chairs are engaged
in the organization of the next meeting in the frames of Prague format:
“This meeting must be realized very soon. But the place of the meeting
is not definite”. /APA/

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HEALTHY MOTHERS FOR HEALTHY CHILDREN

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
23 March 05

Last October the Clinic for Women was opened in Stepanakert sponsored
by the Armenian – Canadian union of doctors of Toronto. The clinic
specializing in obstetrics and gynecology operates on a charity
basis. We talked to the head of the clinic Lilia Arzumanian on the
work of the clinic. L.G. “Doctor Arzumanian, the clinic has been
operating for several months now. Did it prove to be a necessity to
the population of the republic?” Lilia Arzumanian “First of all,
I should say that with the type of service it provides the clinic
has a special place in the system of medical institutions as it deals
with the health of girls and women. What we lacked once has become a
reality. I mean the sexual education of girls in particular. Since
the opening day of the clinic about a thousand women consulted us
and were examined. Some of them came again later. They represent
different social classes: students, soldiers, housewives, etc. Our
youngest patient is 12 years old, while the oldest was born in
1919. In this period ten patients turned o us with the problem of
sterility. Five of them have been married for a long time now, two
are already pregnant. The rest are still being examined. The other
branch of services provided by the clinic is diagnosis and treatment of
sexually transmitted diseases. About 400 people infected with venereal
diseases were discovered. There were even cases of gonorrhea. Another
service provided in the clinic is ultrasound examination. Uterine
fibroid tumour (myoma) was found with ten women. We suspected cancer
with three women and sent them abroad. Women visit us not only from
the capital but also from all the regions of the republic. It means
that the work of the clinic is efficient.” L.G. “Are all the services
provided inside the clinic free?” “Generally, the clinic operates on
a charity basis. Everything including examination, ultrasound, advice
of the psychologist, is free of charge. If additional examination is
required outside the clinic, the patients have to cover the expenses
themselves. There are diseases for the treatment of which expensive
medicine is needed, such as, for example, sterility. Nevertheless,
in these cases we provided the patients with certain kinds of
medicine free of charge. Besides, we have distributed about 3000
contraceptives to our patients.” L.G. “Do you cooperate with the
diagnostic center? Does it provide free service to the patients
of the clinic? – L.A. “There is permanent cooperation with the
diagnostic center. However, everything is not in the way it had
been planned. At present we cannot afford to pay for all kinds of
examination in the diagnostic center because some of them are very
expensive. Patients have to pay for diagnostic services.” L.G.
“As far as I remember, the sponsors had promised to provide free
medicine besides free medical care.” L.A. “It is planned. At present
there is no sufficient financing. In the course of time our sponsors
will settle the problem. The sponsors are ten Armenian families from
Toronto. The director of the program is Avetik Poghossian. He is going
to visit Artsakh on May 1. Very soon we will obtain new equipment
for hormonal examination which is very important for us It is a
matter of time. I am sure that Karabakh will also have mammography
equipment after the opening of the new health care complex, which
is also a necessity.” L.G. “Do you have other sponsors?” L.A. “The
honorary president of the foundation of the clinic is the first lady
of the republic Inna Ghukassian who aids us greatly supplying us
with necessary articles. She is in constant communication with us and
visits us if necessary and at holidays. Besides Mrs. Ghukassian, the
speaker of the National Assembly also aids us; he gave a TV set to the
clinic.” L.G. “Is it necessary to make an appointment to see a doctor
in the clinic” L.A. “Examination is by appointment. Women with the
problem of sterility, however, are attended without appointment.” L.G.
“The clinic also deals with sexual education. What steps are taken in
this direction?” L.A. “We have prepared a serioes of lectu res to be
delivered at secondary schools. Our schoolgirls do not have enough
knowledge in sexual education.” L.G. “What would you wish to our
girls and women?” L.A. “I wish them to be healthy.”

LAURA GRIGORIAN. 23-03-2005

PanArmenian News
March 22 2005

KARABAKH, PRIDNESTROVIE, SOUTH OSSETIA AND ABKHAZIA LEADERS TO MEET
IN ABKHAZIA IN APRIL, SERGEY BAGAPSH STATED

22.03.2005 07:59

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The leaders of Nagorno Karabakh, Pridnestrovie,
South Ossetia and Abkhazia will meet in Abkhazia in April, Abkhazian
President Sergey Bagapsh stated. In his words, before that meeting
the Foreign Ministers of the unrecognized republics will arrange for a
respective declaration. As noted by Bagapsh, if there is aggression or
intervention against South Ossetia, the Abkhazian party reserves the
right to withdraw the negotiations and provide practical assistance
to Tskhinvali. Such statements will also be made by other participants
of the meeting, the Abkhazian President said.

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:

HIS HOLINESS MEETS WITH A DELEGATION

REPRESENTING THE LEBANESE OPPOSITION

His Holiness Aram I met with a delegation representing the Lebanese
Opposition on March 17. The delegation, headed by Simone Karam,
explained the different aspects of the current situation of Lebanon
to His Holiness, expressed their concerns and presented their offers.

His Holiness informed the delegation about his views regarding the
country’s current situation. He stressed on the importance of solving
problems through dialogue and mutual understanding.

##

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
history and the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer
to the web page of the Catholicosate, The
Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is
located in Antelias, Lebanon.