On October 30, the Armenian Youth Educational and Cultural Center of Akhaltskha held an event dedicated to the 60th anniversary of President of the Vahram Gaifetchyan Union of Creators, educator, intellectual Alexander Igitkhanyan.

During the event, the Center’s choir led by Heghine Manasyan performed several Armenian folk songs and received many poems in honor of Alexander Igitkhanyan.

Asya Vantsyan, who is one of the talented members of the Center, read her poem dedicated to Alexander.

Alexander Igitkhanyan expressed his deep gratitude to the Armenian Youth Educational and Cultural Center of Akhaltskha for organizing the event and donated the album of great painter Vahram Gaifetchyan, as well as booklets and his Union’s flyers to the Center’s library. Igitkhanyan also promised to visit the Center at least once a month and give lectures at the Center’s art club.

Spiritual father of Akhaltskha, Father Hakob expressed gratitude to the Center for organizing the beautiful event and added that the two structures must always help each other develop.

In the end, on behalf of the Center, Eduard Ayvazyan expressed gratitude to Alexander for his career and mentioned that the Vahram Gaifetchyan Union of Creators, which was established two-and-a-half years ago, complemented the Center and took a different and important path that helped establish very close relations between the two organizations.

The event ended with a reception.

A personal exhibition dedicated to the 60th anniversary of head of the Vahram Gaifejian Union of Creators of Akhaltskha Alexander Igitkhanyan was opened at the Union. The exhibition showcased Alexander Igitkhanyan’s paintings and works in other genres.

The event was held in the attendance of Deputy Gamgebeli of Akhaltskha Ashot Manasyan, representatives of the Armenian Youth Educational and Cultural Center of Akhaltskha and their students, as well as the city’s intellectuals and people interested in the Union’s activities.

On the occasion, several intellectuals expressed their words of gratitude, after which Alexander Igitkhanyan presented the chronology of his paintings and the stories behind them.

On the 21st of September, 2013 at Tbilisi Art Hall, the 22nd Anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Armenia and the 10th Anniversary of dance ensemble "Jeyran” of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia were solemnly celebrated. The anniversary event was organized by EducationalCultural Youth Center "Hayartun" of the Diocese ofthe Armenian ApostolicOrthodoxChurch in Georgia, with the support of RA Ministry of Culture and in cooperation with RA Embassy to Georgia. The AmbassadorExtraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Georgia Hovhannes Manoukian, the Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, Advisor to the President of Georgia,the editor of "Vrastan" ("Georgia") Van Baiburtian, diplomats, the clergy, the leaders of Armenianorganizations in Tbilisi andpublic representatives attended the anniversary event.

The hero of the day - dance ensemble "Jeyran” (the choreographer and artistic director - Svetlana Yeritsyan), opened the celebration, dedicated to the independence of Armenia, with a dance entitled "Kapuyt yeraz” ("Blue Dream”), symbolically representing freedom as the materialization of a centuries-old dream of the Armenian people.

Levon Chidilyan, responsible for the cultural department at the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia and coordinator of the "Hayartun” Center, opened the event, he announced high appreciation of the Primate of the Diocese of ... »»»

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (A.W.)—The Sur Municipality of Diyarbakir held the official inauguration of the Monument of Common Conscience on Sept. 12, with mayor Abdullah Demirbaş apologizing in the name of Kurds for the Armenian and Assyrian "massacre and deportations.”

"We Kurds, in the name of our ancestors, apologize for the massacres and deportations of the Armenians and Assyrians in 1915,” Demirbaş declared in his opening speech. "We will continue our struggle to secure atonement and compensation for them.”

The mayor called upon the Turkish authorities to issue an apology and do whatever needed to atone for the genocide. "We invite them to take steps in this direction,” he said.

The inscription on the monument at the Anzele Park, near a recently restored historic fountain, reads, in six languages including Armenian: We share the pain so that it is not repeated.

"This memorial is dedicated to all peoples and religious groups who were subjected to massacres in these lands,” Demirbaş said. "The Monument of Common Conscience was erected to remember and demand accountability for all the massacres that took place since 1915.”

Demirbaş noted that the monument remembers all the Armenians, Assyrians, Jews, Yezidis, Alevis who were subjected to massacres, as well as all the Sunni who "stood against the system.”

Representatives of the Armenian, Assyrian, Alevi, and Sunni communities also spoke at the opening event. Diyarbakir Armenian writer Mgrditch ... »»»

Azerbaijani side’s provocation will not remain unanswered, spokesperson for Armenian Defense Ministry said.

His comments came in response to news.am correspondent’s request to comment on tense situation at the line of contact.

As regards Azerbaijani press reports on number of killed Azerbaijani servicemen, Artsrun Hovhannisyan noted he could not present any information.

"I cannot name any precise figures concerning the losses of Azerbaijani side. However, I can state Azerbaijani side’s provocation will not remain unanswered,” he said.

According to unofficial data, Azerbaijani side suffered 6-7 losses in different directions within two days.

On 5 August 2013 a group of young Georgian Armenians from Tbilisi, under the leadership of deacon Gevorg Antonyan, the Head of the Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia and the Spiritual supervisor of the "Hayartun” Centre, and Levon Isakhanyan, Adviser to the Head of the Diocese and the Head of the Legal Department of the Diocese, joined by young Armenians from Armenian-inhabited villages of Marneuli district, visited Shaumyan village where they conducted gathering of statistic data about local Armenian community and information gathering about problems faced by the community. In the meantime donations were collected for restoration of Shaumyan’s Surb Astvatsatsin Church.

The information gathering campaign ascertained that main problems faced by the local community are the following: inadequate supply of potable water, gas supply, and lack of information about various State programs.

In order to facilitate solution of the identified problems Armenian Diocese in Georgia has sent letters to relevant ministries.

Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs Irakli Garibashvili met with Armenia’s Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan. The sides discussed existing cooperation between the law enforcers and future plans.

Delegation of the Armenian police is in Georgia on a two-day return visit, Gruziya Online reported.

The delegation will visit police department in Tbilisi and emergency control center to study peculiarities of the work of Georgian colleagues. They will also pay a visit to Batumi, a seaside city in Georgia’s west.

On August 8, 2013 all churches of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia held services for the repose of the souls of victims of the August 2008 conflict. Under the leadership of spiritual Pastor Father Samvel Torosyan, a service was held at Surb Etchmiadzin Church in Tbilisi where condolences were offered to relatives of all victims of the conflict. Armenian believers living in Georgia share the grief and mourn along with their brothers and sisters. With the mercy of the Lord together we pray for an end to war and bloodshed and look to a future of peace in the Caucasus.