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 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". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |