Preparations for religious gathering in Holy Cross church completeSeptember 18, 2010 - 13:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Van Governor Munir Karaloglu said preparations are complete for the religious gathering in Holy Cross church in Akhtamar island. "We have our technical preparations complete. In terms of security, our city's police will be sufficient. We will have a helicopter to observe the island from the air. The church on the island is very small, so a lot of people will follow the service from live television on the island. Our press tent will serve journalists who come to the city to cover the event," Karaloglu told Today's Zaman. "Our goal is to serve people. We want our visitors to be happy. When you look at the old city of Van, you see that a mosque, a church and a synagogue existed not far from each other. This religious service is an opportunity to show our hospitality and our tolerance," he said. Turkish authorities say there were been problems with erecting a 100-kilogram cross on top of the church, so it will be temporarily placed cross on a wooden base. Representative of AAC Constantinople Patriarchate, Father Tatoul Anushian said the cross would be permanently placed on the church after the service. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. Pashinyan: Armenia’s desired goal is “on the horizon” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is moving forward “without interruption”. Opposition leader, supporters spend night at Sardarapat memorial Police made nearly 300 arrests the day before as Galstanyan and his supporters continued to demonstrate in Yerevan. |