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  • ASBAREZ Online [07-07-2004]

    ASBAREZ ONLINE
    TOP STORIES
    07/07/2004
    TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
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    1. 28th Annual Navasartian Games End With Festivities
    2. No Truth to Withdrawal from Karabagh Territory Says Oskanian
    3. Chief Prosecutor Cracks Down on Tax Evasion
    4. NEWS BRIEFS

    1. 28th Annual Navasartian Games End With Festivities

    20,000 attend 29th Annual Homenetmen Navasartian Closing Ceremonies

    By Jenny Kiljian

    LOS ANGELES--The 29th Annual Homenetmen Navasartian Games came to a
    triumphant
    close on July 4, with a special ceremony at the Grant High School football
    field, marking the culmination of all activities, as well as the Honorary
    Presidency of Mr. and Mrs. Charly and Julie Ghailian.
    Thousands began to enter the field shortly before 6 o'clock in the
    evening, to
    secure seats in order to cheer for their chapters during the parade. They were
    entertained by the Aline dance troupe, who performed the renowned Vagharshabad
    Armenian dance. The Homenetmen marching band, under the direction of Harout
    Kilijian, delighted the crowd with its renditions of Armenian national
    melodies.
    The closing ceremonies officially began with the arrival of Honorary
    Presidents Charles and Julie Ghailian, Prelate Archbishop Moushegh
    Mardirossian, Homenetmen Central Executive chairman Karnig Megerdichian, ARF
    Bureau member Viken Hovsepian, ARF Central Committee representative Hovig
    Saliba, Armenia's Consul General to the US Gagik Kirakosian, and 2004
    Exemplary
    Homenetmen members Kapriel and Asdghig Panossian.
    Homenetmen Television (HTV) personalities Nora Tchaparian and Patil
    Aposhian-Kassabian served as announcers during the closing ceremonies.
    Immediately at 6 PM, as they directed the audience to turn attention to the
    sky, skydivers carrying the American and Armenian flags landed on the field,
    marking the beginning of the yearly parade.
    Taking permission from the Honorary Presidents, Regional Scoutmaster Hrair
    Boyadjian invited the Homenetmen flag guards to enter the stadium, carrying
    with them 28 Armenian flags, while the Homenetmen marching band roused the
    patriotism of the crowd by playing the national anthems of Armenia and the
    United States, and the Homenetmen anthem.
    Master of Ceremonies Stepan Boyajian asked the audience to stand for a moment
    of silence in remembrance of recently deceased Homenetmen members, noting
    especially Haig Hovsepian, in whose honor the year's Overall Event trophies
    were given.
    Boyajian also welcomed several special guests, including Glendale City Mayor
    Bob Yousefian; Glendale City Councilmembers Rafi Manoukian and Frank Quintero;
    State Senator Jack Scott; Boghos Patatian, Field Representative to State
    Assemblymember Steve Samuelian; Maria Armoudian, Legislative Analyst for State
    Senator Richard Alarcon; Glendale Unified School District Board of Education
    President Greg Krikorian, and Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member
    Jon Lauritzen.
    In his address, Homenetmen Regional chairman Viggen Davidian congratulated
    all
    the teams who had participated in this year's tournament, and also to all the
    chapter executives, coaches, and parents who volunteered their time and
    supported their athletes and scouts throughout the year. Davidian charged the
    more than 7,000 members of the Homenetmen Western Region with the task of not
    only keeping the Homenetmen athletic and scouting alive, but also with passing
    the torch of Armenian culture and heritage to the next generation of Armenian
    youth.
    Homenetmen Central Executive chairman Karnig Megerdichian came from
    Lebanon to
    enjoy the Navasartian festivities with his Armenian-American counterparts.
    According to Megerdichian, the Western Regional Navasartian Games are a source
    of pride not only for the chapters who participate each year, but also for the
    entire Homenetmen family--91 chapters in 10 regions throughout the world.
    Megerdichian praised the Homenetmen Western Region for its 29 years of hard
    work and commitment to the Navasartian Games, also thanking the athletes and
    parents who have kept the fire of the Armenian heritage alive through their
    participation in Homenetmen.
    Prelate Moushegh Mardirossian addressed the crowd, reminding the spectators
    and Homenetmen members alike of their strong connection to the homeland,
    Armenia. Homenetmen, he said, has not only instilled its motto "Elevate
    Yourself and Others With You" in the hearts and minds of young Armenians, but
    has also allowed the Diaspora to maintain ties to the homeland.
    The 2004 Exemplary Homenetmen Members, Mr. and Mrs. Kapriel and Asdghig
    Panossian of the San Francisco chapter, were then invited to the stage to
    receive the award for their unparalleled devotion to the organization. The
    Panossians thanked Homenetmen for this recognition, and reminded the audience
    of the important role Homenetmen plays in keeping the Armenian language and
    spirit alive throughout the world.
    Then began the much awaited parade, heralded by the Armenian patriotic songs
    of the Homenetmen marching band. The region's 19 chapters each took their turn
    around the field, waving to the cheering spectators. Once the chapters had
    arrived on the football field, the Western Regional chairman Viggen Davidian,
    Western Regional Athletic Committee Representative Vicken Apelian, Honorary
    Presidents Mr. and Mrs. Charly Ghailian, and Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
    took the stage to award this year's Overall Event trophies.
    After the trophies were presented, the crowd of thousands left the stadium
    and
    headed to the festival area, to be entertained by well-loved singers Joseph
    Krikorian and Harout Pamboukjian. They patronized the booths, ate delicious
    Armenian food, and danced until midnight, when the Navasartian Games and
    festival came to its official close.


    2. No Truth to Withdrawal from Karabagh Territory Says Oskanian

    YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--Armenia's foreign minister Vartan Oskanian
    dismissed reports by the Azeri press that he had agreed to the Armenian side's
    withdrawal from all territories, except Karabagh.
    Baku Today wrote that Turkey's Zaman newspaper reported on Wednesday, that
    Oskanian's Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul told a meeting of Turkey's ruling
    Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Friday that an important step had been
    taken in resolving the 16-year-long Mountainous Karabagh conflict.
    Gul alleged that Oskanian said, "We can withdraw from all territories except
    Karabagh," during their meeting on the sidelines of NATO summit in Istanbul
    just last week.
    When asked about the statement, Oskanian told a Noyan Tapan reporter that no
    such thing happened, and that Gul's assertion does "not correspond to the
    facts."


    3. Chief Prosecutor Cracks Down on Tax Evasion

    YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian called for a drastic
    toughening of punishment for widespread tax evasion in Armenia, saying
    existing
    sanctions are "absurdly soft."
    "Based on Armenia's criminal code, there is a maximum two year prison
    sentence
    for tax evasion," he told reporters. "I would say that this is an absurd
    punishment, a very soft one."
    Hovsepian said his agency will petition the Armenian government to push
    parliament to set the maximum jail term for such offenses at 10 years. The
    existing criminal legislation creates a "serious problem" for the prosecutors
    investigating fiscal fraud, he added.
    The current cabinet's tax revenues equaled less than 15 percent of the
    country's Gross Domestic Product last year.
    Even the most lucrative of Armenian businesses routinely post suspicious
    financial losses in what many analysts see as an easy way to evade the 20
    percent taxation on profits. Armenia's enterprises have claimed as much as 200
    billion drams ($376 million) in aggregate losses in 2003, despite a
    record-high
    rate of economic growth.
    Hovsepian revealed that an unidentified person was recently prosecuted for
    and
    convicted by a court of tax fraud totaling 7 billion drams. He complained that
    the man got off with a short sentence and was freed in the courtroom
    because of
    the time he had spent in pre-trial detention.
    Many businesspeople, he said, prefer spending several months in jail to
    paying
    up.


    4. NEWS BRIEFS

    Russian Foreign Minister Reports about His Armenian Origin

    MOSCOW (ARMENPRESS)During a joint press conference held with Armenian Foreign
    Minister Vartan Oskanian, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who had
    served as Kremlin's longtime representative to the United Nations, revealed
    his
    ethnic Armenian roots. Prompted by a reporter's remark about Lavrov's
    "Armenian-looking" face, the Russian Foreign Minister stated, "I have Armenian
    blood. My father is an Armenian from Tbilisi."

    Metropolitan Opera Soloist Isabel Bayrakdarian to Visit Armenia

    YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)In mid-July Metropolitan Opera singer, Canadian Armenian
    world famous soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian will visit Armenia. She is
    expected to
    also visit Stepanakert, where she will perform on July 24 at the city's
    cultural house. According to Pan-Armenian Educational and Cultural Union
    Armenian office head Lilit Galstian, the singer will perform the songs of
    Komitas, and will be accompanied on the piano by Meruj Krajian.
    After receiving the Metropolitan opera prize in 1997, Bayrakdarian moved
    on to
    place first in the 2000 Operalia contest of Placido Domingo. During the same
    year, she received a special golden medal from Queen Elizabeth II.
    Bayrakdarian's voice was recently used for the feature films Ararat and
    Lord of
    the Rings.

    Egoyan's Ararat Wins Top Prize at Yerevan Film Festival

    YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)Atom Egoyan's two-year-old movie "Ararat" won the top
    prize at the Golden Apricot International Film Festival. The festival included
    57 movies by directors from 20 countries. Toronto-based Egoyan is a
    Canadian of
    Armenian heritage. In 2003, the film won five Genie Awards in Toronto,
    including one for best picture.

    Armenia, Cyprus Sign Health Cooperation Agreement

    NICOSIA (ARMENPRESS)On Monday, Armenia and Cyprus signed a cooperation
    agreement in the field of health and medicine. Cyprus Minister of Health
    Constantia Akkelidou, told reporters after the signing ceremony that numerous
    exchange visits and other forms of cooperation between the two countries will
    result from the agreement.
    "Cyprus has fulfilled an old pledge it gave to Armenia by sending medicine
    and
    medical equipments to the country," Akkelidou said. Armenian Ambassador to
    Cyprus Vahram Kazhoyan who represented his country said the two countries have
    a long history of cooperation in the field of medical sciences and healthcare.
    "I am glad that we were finally able to sign the agreement which puts all this
    cooperation in a legal framework," he said. The ambassador added that as a
    gesture of good will, Cyprus will ship a container of medicine to Armenia in
    the near future.

    Imitation Armenian Brandy Operation Uncovered in Russia

    MOSCOW (ARMINFO)Russian and Armenian investigators recently uncovered an
    imitation Armenian brandy operation based in the village of Khripan,
    Russia. It
    was revealed that the workshop had been producing thousands of bottles of
    brandy bearing counterfeit stamps of the Yerevan Brandy Company. Fraudulent
    bottles of brands such as Ararat, Akhtamar and Nairi were being sold through
    wholesale firms. Operation heads are now facing criminal charges.

    Khatami Underscores Regional Stability and Peace

    TEHRAN (ARMENPRESS)At a joint press conference on Wednesday, Iranian
    president
    Mohammad Khatami and his Georgian counterpart Mikhail Saakashvili, announced
    the further expansion of bilateral relations. In his remarks, Khatami noted
    that although steps towards closer relations have been taken by both
    countries,
    they have generally been insufficient. He emphasized the need to expand
    cooperation in the area of trade and commerce. For his part, the Georgian
    president referred to Iran as an important and influential country in the
    world, and said that Tehran is one of Tbilisi's major economic partners.
    Saakashvili's two-day official visit will end on July 8.

    Kocharian Delivers 'Constitution Day' Address

    YEREVAN (ARMINFO)On July 5 the Armenian public celebrated the 9th Anniversary
    of the Armenian Constitution. In his message, President Robert Kocharian noted
    that the "adoption of the Constitution encompasses a historic significance for
    any nation and state. The Constitution has become a strong impetus for
    fundamental reforms in the Armenian legislation, as well as for reinforcement
    of the people's power and establishment of the supremacy of law. Celebrating
    the Constitution Day we, as citizens, celebrate the Day of our rights and
    liberties."

    Pakistani President to Visit Azerbaijan

    BAKU (ARMENPRESS)Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will arrive in Baku on
    an official visit on Thursday. According to news reports, Pakistani and Azeri
    experts have been working to draft five documents that are expected to be
    signed during the visit. The documents outline future cooperation in the
    fields
    of commerce, agriculture and finance.

    Group of Armenian Journalists Visit Armenian-Azeri Contact Line

    YEREVAN (ARMINFO)On Tuesday, a group of over 70 Armenian journalists visited
    the Armenian-Azeri armed forces contact line. The group visited the
    north-eastern grouping of the Armenian army near the villages of Berkaber
    (Armenia) and Mizamlu (Azerbaijan). It was there that two Armenian servicemen
    were killed by Azeri snipers early last month. Azeri media reported that 7
    Azeri servicemen were also killed. According to Armenian Defense Ministry
    reports, the skirmish began after Azeri soldiers attempted to capture a
    reservoir that supplies water to four Armenian villages.


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