Newsletter issue number 002 (February 2006)

Azad-Hye, Dubai, 12 February 2006: On 11 February 2006 the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has awarded the ?Independence Order? to outgoing Armenian Ambassador Dr. Arshak Poladian, in appreciation of his efforts made during his tenure to strengthen and expand the ties between Armenia and the UAE.

Poladian, previously advisor to Armenia?s Foreign Minister, has first arrived in Abu Dhabi in 2000 and started his initial contacts from a hotel room, near the present location of the Embassy on Khalifa Street. Few months later, in September 2000, the Embassy was officially inaugurated with the presence of Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. The new building of the Embassy was inaugurated in September 2005 and is expected to be ready in two years time.

See photos:

1) Poladian receives the “Independence Order” from Foreign Ministry's Under Secretary Abdulla Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, on behalf of the President of the UAE.

2) Farewell party to Ambassador Poladian (third from right) and his colleagues.

Azad-Hye, Dubai, 7 February 2005: The second part of the computer-based popular Armenian language course ?Arevig? was released recently. Similar to the first part, this CD also is funded by the Lisbon based Calouste Goulbenkian Foundation?s Armenian Communities Department and comes under the patronage of the Catholicosate of Cilicia. It is realized within the 1600th anniversary celebrations of the creation of the Armenian Alphabet by Mesrob Mashdots.

Asdghig Tchamkerten member of the Central Committee of the above Department points out in the introduction that appeared on the inner cover of the CD: ?We are introducing the second part of a three folded project of learning the Western Armenian. Arevig 1 has addressed the alphabet recognition needs of pre-elementary and early elementary level children up to the third grade. Now the second release of this serial Arevig 2 will cover further level of study?.

“Nazareth” Choir of the Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy (ACPA) gave a concert on 15 February 2006 at the renowned Calcutta School of Music as part of the 185th Anniversary celebrations of the college. The choir song works of a number of Armenian and European composers. The choir also performed the well known Bengali song “Dhitang dhitang soleh”.

Prior to the concert Father Oshagan Gulgulian gave a concise history of the ACPA and Indo-Armenian centuries old friendship, emphasizing the important role Armenians had played for the development and prosperity of Calcutta. He spoke also about the Armenian songs and music.

Azad-Hye, Dubai, 15 February 2006: On the occasion of the 1600th anniversary of the creation of the Armenian Alphabet, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt, in collaboration with the Armenian Embassy in Cairo, has organized an exhibition of original and facsimile copies of medieval Armenian manuscripts and miniatures from the Matenadaran Institute of Manuscripts in Yerevan.

The exhibition opened on 7 February 2006 in one of the biggest halls of the famous Library.

Photos:

1) Vardan Grigorian (Vice Director of the Matenadaran Institute of Manuscripts) lecturing a subject titled: “Armenian scientist Arshak Alboyajian and his contribution to the investigation of Armenian – Egyptian historical relations”.

2) The Armenian dignitaries in the reception hall of the Alexandria Prelacy.