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POPE LAYS FLOWERS TO MEMORIAL OF VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN TURKEY IN 1915

SEPTEMBER 26. This morning Pope John Paul II laid a beautiful rose to the Memorial of the Victims of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915. The Pope was accompanied by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian, and Yerevan Mayor Robert Nazarian. Following the ceremony, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and of the Armenian Apostolic Church kept a moment of silence in memory of the Genocide victims as well as offered a prayer. Thereafter, the renowned singer Charles Aznavour performed songs. John Paul II presented the Museum of Genocide with the image of his predecessor Pope Benedictus XV, who was the first to condemn the Armenian Genocide. Besides, the Pope presented the Museum with a copy of Benedictus XV's letter, wherein, on September 10, 1915, he was requesting the Sultan of Ottoman Turkey to prohibit the forced resettlement of the Armenians from their lands in Ottoman Turkey. Vatican officially condemned the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey last year, during the Armenian Patriarch's visit there.

POPE JOHN PAUL II MET WITH PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN AND HIS FAMILY

SEPTEMBER 26. The Pope John Paul II met with Armenia's President Robert Kocharyan and his family today within the framework of his official visit to Armenia. Employees of the president's staff and top clergymen were present at the meeting. The meeting lasted for half an hour. After the meeting the Pontiff and the Armenian President exchanged presents. Kocharyan granted His Holiness a bronze statue "The Lord's Supper" by Edvard Shakhikyan and a picture "The Meeting with the Past, the Present and th Future" by Akhtanak Shaumyan. In his turn the Pope granted Kocharyan a mosaic icon. Hundreds of people crowded in front of the presidential residence to welcome the Pope.

POPE JOHN PAUL II PLANTED A TREE IN PARK OF TSITSERNAKABRD MEMORIAL COMPLEX IN YEREVAN

SEPTEMBER 26. The Pope John Paul II hollowed and planted a fir-tree sapling according to a tradition at the Tsitsernakaberd memorial Complex in Yerevan, perpetuating the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. To recap, at Tsitsernakaberd His Holiness took part in a liturgy remembering those killed in the Genocide. Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, Armenia's Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan, Yerevan's Mayor Robert Nazaryan, Armenia's Ambassador in France and Vatican Edvard Nalbandyan and famous French singer, Charles Aznavour were present at the liturgy. Aznavour sang Ave Maria. A memorial plate was unveiled after the liturgy dedicated to the Pope Benedict XV, who is known by his letter to Turkish Sultan Mahmud V Sept 10 1915, where he expressed his indignation about the Turks' actions against Armenians and demanded to stop the massacre.

CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS GAREGIN II AND POPE JOHN PAUL II DISCUSSED PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC AND ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES

SEPTEMBER 26. Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin Ii and Pope John Paul II discussed prospects of development of relations between the Armenian Apostolic and the Roman Catholic Churches at the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin last night. Attending the meeting was also the world-known French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour. In the course of the meeting the Supreme Patriarch pointed out that in the light of the Pontiff's visit to Armenia relations between the two churches are acquiring a special importance, the Holy Echmiadzin press-service told ARMINFO. According to the same source, the Pope's visit is one of the most important stages of festivities dedicated to the 1700th Anniversary of the Christianity Proclamation as a State Religion in Armenia. In his turn John Paul II pointed out that it was very important for him to be on a visit in the country, the people of which had adopted Christianity as a state religion earlier than Rome. He said that he had an Armenian friend still in the school. And before arriving in Armenia, he studied the Armenian literature and the history of the Armenian people, especially concerning the 1915.

JUDGE OF FIRST INSTANCE OF YEREVAN'S COMMUNITIES ACHAPNYAK AND DAVIDASHEN WAS RELEASED FROM CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY

SEPTEMBER 26. The judge of the first instance of the Yerevan communities Achapnyak and Davidashen Levon Grigoryan, who in June of the current year had shot the 18-years old boy, was released from criminal responsibility. As ARMINFO was informed in the press office of the Prosecutor General's Office, the criminal case on the fact has been stopped on the basis of absence of the fact of crime. As it is known, on June 7 of this year the judge Levon Grigoryan with a shot by a gun killed young man. At the same day he acknowledged his fault in the district department of militia. In spite of this, no accusation has been brought against Grigoryan. According to official version, Grigoryan had to use table weapon, trying to prevent the hooliganism. The court of the first instance of the Yerevan communities Achapnyak and Davidashen informed that Levon Grigoryan continue to go to work and implement his duties.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT'S BODY-GUARDS SUSPECTED IN PARTICIPATION IN MURDER AT "ARAGAST" CAFE DISMISSED FROM THEIR DUTY

SEPTEMBER 26. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan temporarily dismissed the security servicemen, who accompanied him to the cafe "Aragast," from their duty. The above instruction followed the information appeared in the press concerning participation of the president's body-guards in the murder of a 43 year old Georgian citizen Poghos Poghossyan, the Armenian President's press-service told ARMINFO. During the today's meeting Robert Kocharyan gave instructions to minister of interior and procurator general to activate the process of the preliminary investigation and to bring the real guilty persons to light. Poghos Poghossyan's corpse was found with signs of violent death in the lavatory of the Yerevan cafe "Aragast" on the night from September 24 till 25, which is the president's famous place of rest. According to the Armenian mass media, Poghossyan was beaten to death by the president's guard. The reason was the slightly drank Poghossyan's obscene words addressed to Robert Kocharyan. A criminal case has been made on the fact of murder, the Procurator's office of the Yerevan Center and Nork-Marash communities told ARMINFO correspondent.

MURDER OF POGHOS POGHOSSYAN ENDANGERED AUTHORITY OF ARMENIA

SEPTEMBER 26. The murder of the 43-years old Poghos Poghossyan in the elitar cafe of Yerevan endangered the state authority of Armenia. The chairman of the fraction of Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutiun Aghvan Vardanyan today stated during the sitting of the parliament. As it was earlier informed Poghossyan was found with signs of violent death in the lavatory of the Yerevan cafe "Aragast" on the night from September 24 till 25. According to a number of mass media, he was beaten to death by the guard of the Armenian president, who was resting in the aforementioned cafe with the famous French singer Charles Aznavour. Vardanyan said that he does not believe the preliminary version that the death of the Ninotsmind citizen (Georgia) was caused by a heart attack. He expressed confidence that it was a murder and stated that the Dashnaktsutiun Party will carefully observe the investigation process. "The guilty persons must be punished," Vardanyan said. He also suggested that an additional independent expertise should be carried out. It should be noted that Armenian president temporarily dismissed the above security servicemen from their duty.

CHARLES AZNAVOUR VISITED YEREVAN BRANDY PLANT

SEPTEMBER 26. The famous French singer Charles Aznavour who is in Yerevan to participate in festivities dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of proclamation of the Christianity as a state religion in Armenia and the 10th anniversary of republic's independence visited the Yerevan Brandy Plant (YBP). As the press-office of YBP told ARMINFO, Aznavour manifested a real interest to all aspects of enterprise's activities. He appreciated its commercial achievements which lead to the development of the viticulture and to the creation of new jobs. "Armenia needs the successful example of YBP in business," he said. The general director and president of YBP Pierre Larrech called Aznavour's visit historical and thanked the guest for the high appreciation of the plant's activities. "Your words are a strong stimulus for enterprise's development and perfection," he said. The central way of the brandy spirits raping shop is renamed Aznavour's Alley in honor of the great singer's visit. A bottle of Armenian brandy dated by the year of Aznavour's birth - 1924 - is handed to him.