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ARMENIA'S MP TO DISCUSS BILL ON CHANGES IN LAW OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

SEPTEMBER 11. The extraordinary session of Armenia's parliament will take tonight. During this session the bill on making changes in the law on telecommunications will be discussed. The initiator of the extraordinary session was the deputy Arshak Sadoyan. The bill concerns stopping of the per minute payment introduction for the local telephone calls . As it is known, ArmenTel company declared about the introduction of the per minute payment for the local telephone calls from 1 Sept. This fact has provoked a huge protest of country's population.

SEPTEMBER 11.The delegation of NATO headed by the chairman of the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA) Alan Williams, Secretary General Antonio de Carvalo and the chairman of ATA representation in Greece Theodorosis Georgio, the executive director of the Armenian ATA Tevan Poghosyan told ARMINFO. According to him, the visit of the delegation of NATO is connected with the entry of the Armenian Atlantic Association in ATA. Poghosyan said that the 47th Assembly of ATA will be held in Slovenia at the beginning of Oct. During it the question of Armenia's full membership in this organization.

ARMENIAN PAINTER HENRIK MAMYAN'S THREE MADONNAS "LIVE" IN HIS STUDIO

SEPTEMBER 11. The rumors, which have become a semi-official statement, that Henrik Mamyan's work of the Virgin is to be placed on the icon of the Saint Grigor the Illuminator Church, were not confirmed. Henrik Mamyan is one of 94 painters, who participated in a contest for creating a sketch of the Virgin for the new church's icon. It should be noted that no sketch was chosen to decorate the icon of the largest Armenian church. Mamyan's works were not observed by the commission. The painter said that the Juries explained it by the fact that the sketches were done in natural sizes i.e. 3 m. on 1.5 m., whereas the contest's requirement was 40 centimeters on 70 ones. According to the lobby interviews, Mamyan's works were highly appreciated by the Catholicos. The rumors that one of the painter's works won the Grant Prize were on the verge of becoming an official statement. "Indeed, I am very glad because of such appreciation, but I have no idea where these rumors have come from," Mamyan said. Henrik Mamyan started working on the above sketch a year ago. The initial version was in accordance with the Armenian Canonical Church i.e. Madonna was painted sitting on the throne. Maria painted in this picture looks like a simple country girl, stumpy and industrious. In the second sketch Madonna was also painted sitting, but not on the throne. This Madonna is a tender and loving mother. Madonna in the third sketch is standing. According to the painter's intention, it will make an impression that Madonna is coming out to the people from the icon's depth. At present 3 sketches are in the painter's studio, where his works on the "Vardananq" triptych of his teacher Grigor Khanjyan are nearing completion.

SEPTEMBER 11. There will not be the permanent icon of the Virgin at the moment of consecration of the largest Armenian temple, the Saint Grigor the Illuminator Church, on September 23. The reproduction of the "Madonna with Baby," the work of the founder of the Armenian historical genre-painting Vardgess Surenyants, will temporarily crown Armenia's main temple. The original has been in the residence of the Armenian Catholicos for about 100 years, the head of the Holy See Echmiadzin press-service Gnel Nalbandyan told ARMINFO. He said that the copy will be a little bigger than the original. To recap, a contest for creating an icon of the Virgin for the Saint Grigor the Illuminator Church was announced at the beginning of the year. 90 Armenian painters of all generations took part in the contest. However, no icon won a Grant Prize, which affected the public opinion about the Armenian painters possibilities in the sphere of canonical painting. Only 3 works from those entering the semi-final received the blessings of the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. However, the Official Echmiadzin is of a different opinion of it. Nalbandyan pointed out that all the works were so good that the Juries still cannot choose the winner.

SEPTEMBER 11. The Armenian pavilion of Venetian Bienallee is to be presented at the NPAK Gallery by the end of September. The spectators of Yerevan will get full information about works of Armenian painters at the International Festival of Avant-Gardism, the curator of the Armenian pavilion, Director of the NPAK Gallery Edvard Palasanyan told ARMINFO. The Venetian Bienallee is one of the most prestigious in the world of festivals of modern art. Twice a year avant-gardists from all over the world came out with their national flags in the Venice. Armenian flag is on the Venetian Bienallee from 1995. Before this Armenian painters had represented the USSR, France, the USA and other countries for more than half a century. This year Armenian pavilion was "sheltered" on the St. Lazar Island by the Armenian monastic order Mkhitaryan, which has been operating in Venice for over 300 years. About 10 Armenian painters visited Venice within half a year, replacing each other every month and fully renewing the pavilion. "The Island of St. Lazar is situated separate from the center of Venice, and it was rather difficult to reach it. In spite of this, we are satisfied with attendance of the Armenian Pavilion," Edvard Palasanyan said.

ARMENIAN FORMER MINISTER OF STATE REVENUES, ARMENIAN PREMIER'S ADVISOR GAGIK POGHOSSYAN DIED TODAY.

SEPTEMBER 11. The former minister of the State Revenues, Advisor of the Armenian Premier Gagik Poghossyan died in Yerevan today, approximately at 9:30 by the local time. According to the preliminary information, the death was caused by an explosion in the residential house, where Gagik Poghossyan lived. He was seriously wounded and died on the way to Hospital. The supposition that the former minister was killed still remains a riddle. In response to ARMINFO correspondent's question what was the reason of the explosion the press-service of the Armenian Ministry of Interior could not said anything exact. The investigatory groups are currently working in the place.

SEPTEMBER 11. The adviser of the prime minister of Armenia, the ex minister of state incomes Gagik Poghosian, in all probabilities, became a victim of an assassination attempt. Law-enforcement bodies, who continue the arrangements in the place of the incident, are in this opinion. As an ARMINFO correspondent succeeded to learn, today in the morning at 9:20 Gagik Poghosian, shutting the door of his flat, went down the second floor, where the explosion took place. On the way to hospital the adviser of the prime minister died. As his neighbors think, Poghosian might become a victim of the conflict between the dwellers of the house and some businessmen, who intended to reequip the cellar, which formerly belonged to the service of special communication, under a sauna. The neighbors affirm that Gagik Poghosian was able to take measures against the fulfillment of the "project", which cost him his life. In their turn, the law-enforcement bodies are still abstaining from any comments on this occasion.

ARMENIA'S MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS REFUTES RUMORS ON APPEARANCE OF A GROUP OF MANIACS IN YEREVAN, WHO TRADE IN THEFT OF CHILDREN FROM SCHOOLS OF YEREVAN

SEPTEMBER 11. The Ministry of internal affairs of Armenia refuted the rumors on the appearance of a group of maniacs in Yerevan, who trade in thefts of children from the schools of Yerevan. According to the rumors, to mark the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity in Armenia, as if a group of maniacs has decided to kidnap and sacrifice 1700 children. The matter reached to that the parents of some districts of Armenian capital refuse to send their children to schools. As ARMINFO was informed in the press office of Armenia's Ministry of internal affairs, nothing takes place in Yerevan like that and the rumors on disappearance of children are groundless. Yerevan's schools continue the work in the usual regime and there are no grounds for panic, the MIA informed.