October

1 NCI convenes a working seminar on “Politics and Morality.”

NCI roundtable on “Armenian Rights and Interests in Jerusalem: New Challenges” is covered by Respublika Armeniya weekly.

2 NCI morality seminar is covered by Armenian public radio, Radio Liberty, A1+, Noyan Tapan, Arka and Arminfo news agencies, Hayastani Hanrapetutiun, Aravot, Orran, Azg and Hayots Ashkarh dailies.

4-6 The second in a series of republic-wide youth leadership workshops is organized in Tsakhkadzor under the auspices of the National Citizens’ Initiative; NCI founder Raffi K. Hovannisian delivers keynote address.

6 NCI coordinator Hrach Hakobian attends at the American University of Armenia commencement exercises for the class of 2002, confers with Douglas Shumavon, dean of the School of Political Science and International Affairs.

6-9 NCI councilmembers Haik Sargsian and Tatoul Manasserian attend in Moscow an international conference on “The Worlds Armenians at Century’s Threshold: Contemporary Problems of International Relations” organized by the Union of Armenians in Russia.

8 Youth leadership workshop is covered by Hayastani Hanrapetutiun and Orran dailies.

9 NCI morality seminar is covered by Avangard weekly.

11 Renowned writer Hrachia Matevosian’s opinion of NCI founder Raffi Hovannisian as future presidential candidate, is cited in Haikakan Zhamanak, Orran and Hayots Ashkharh dailies.

NCI councilmember Haik Sargsian examines “Peculiarities of the Process of Changing the Management System” at an ACNIS Seminar on “The Possibilities of Improving the State Management System.”

11-13 NCI founder Raffi K. Hovannisian attends in Zug, Switzerland, a special conference of the Nuclear Disarmament Forum (NDF), and holds separate meetings with former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet Foreign Minister Alexander Bessmertnykh, Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, Russia’s former Chief of Military Intelligence General Fyodor Ladigin, Russian MP General Anatoliy Kulikov, Sheikh Salem al-Sabah of Kuwait, NDF founder Andrey Bykov, and NDF chairman and world chess champion Anatoliy Karpov.

Raffi Hovannisian’s visit and participation in Nuclear Disarmament Forum (NDF) is covered by Noyan Tapan news agency, and Orran daily.

14 NCI coordinator Hrach Hakobian receives Antoine Arakelian, senior expert and researcher of the St. Petersburg Strategic Center for Humanities and Political Studies.

15 NCI convenes a working seminar on “Elections: Factor, Tools, and Procedure.”

NCI election seminar is covered by Noyan Tapan, A1+ and Arminfo news agencies, Orran, Hayots Ashkarh, Hayastani Hanrapetutiun, Azg, Haikakan Zhamanak dailies and Avangard weekly.

15-20 Raffi K. Hovannisian visits Beijing at the invitation of the Chinese government on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Chinese-Armenian diplomatic relations.

16 On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Chinese-Armenian diplomatic relations Raffi Hovannisian is received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Acting Minister Zhou Wenzhong with a substantive exchange and ceremony marking the historic communiqué on diplomatic relations conceived by Hovannisian and Chinas Deputy Premier and then Foreign Minister Qian Qichen.

Hovannisian delivers keynote address on “Armenia, the Caucasus, and the Commonwealth of Independent States” to the leaders, academicians, specialists, and guests of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS).

16-19 NCI coordinator Hrach Hakobian attends ceremonies dedicated to Italian language days, confers with Italian Ambassador Paolo Andrea Trabalza.

23 Raffi K. Hovannisian’s visit to Beijing is covered by Armenian public television Hailur program, Noyan Tapan news agency, and Orran daily.

24 Raffi K. Hovannisian attends official reception on the occasion of the UN’s ten years in Armenia.

27 Raffi K. Hovannisian addresses gathering on the third anniversary of the October 27 terrorist attack in Parliament.

28 Noyan Tapan Highlights releases an article entitled “Raffi Hovannisian Takes Message to China.”

29 NCI founder Raffi K. Hovannisian and coordinator Hrach Hakobian receive Indian Ambassador Deepak Vohra, confer on Indian-Armenian cooperation issues.

30 Raffi K. Hovannisian’s interview to Yerkir weekly, headlined “Presidential Candidate by the People,” is briefly covered by Yerkir and Asbarez online.

Hovannisian gives interview to Radio Liberty on possible presidential candidacies.

NCI convenes a working seminar on “Armenia’s Judicial System: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” covered by Arminfo, A1+, Noyan Tapan news agencies.

31 NCI seminar is covered by Hayastani Hanrapetutiun, Azg, Orran, Hayots Ashkarh dailies.