Claudio Ernesto Mario Manzati has sent us the following report from Beirut.
Three years ago, when Billy Karam submitted the application for the Lebanese Association of Philately (LAP) to join FEPA, he could not have imagined such public success, media coverage and active participation by the most important public and political authorities in Lebanon.
Perhaps it was the date chosen, 22 November, Lebanon’s Independence Day in 1943; or perhaps it was the location, the Sofitel le Gabriel, coincidentally located on Rue de l’Indépendance, in the city centre; or perhaps it was the 500 metres of available space (the entire second floor), which accommodated the collections and 20 dealer tables, along with the Lebanese Post Office, which had issued a miniature sheet commemorating the event.
Among the authorities present were the Governor of Beirut, Mr Marwan Abboud; the Minister of Telecommunications, Mr Charles Hajj; the Minister of Tourism, Ms Laura Khazen Lahoud; the Minister of Information, Mr Paul Morcos; and former Prime Minister, Mr Tammam Salam, son of one of the founders of the state in 1943.
On Saturday, 22 November, at the Grand Opening, officiated by Fadi Nicolas Barcha, the first speaker that addressed the audience was Billy Karam, LAP President, who welcomed the guests. He was followed by Benoit Gervais, CEO of the Yvert & Tellier Catalogue; Claudio Ernesto Mario Manzati, FEPA Director, who read the message from Bill Hedley, FEPA President; and Charles Hajj, Minister of Telecommunications.
The exhibition, comprising 27 collections in 45 frames, continued on Sunday, 23 June, again with a large turnout and great satisfaction among dealers across Lebanon. Thanks in part to the great vitality of President Billy Karam, the organisational skills demonstrated by the LAP team will enable Lebanon to aspire to its next event right away, taking a further leap forward by organising a competitive exhibition under the auspices of FEPA. I was honoured to have had the opportunity and pleasure to participate in this wonderful event and to enjoy Lebanese hospitality.
…
https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1st_beirut-800a.jpg800800Costas Chazapishttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngCostas Chazapis2025-11-27 18:28:222025-12-01 12:21:12The echo of the first Lebanese Philatelic Exhibition
The Federation of Turkish Philatelic Societies‘ current Board of Directors was unanimously re-elected for the 2025–2027 term during the election held on 22 November 2025.
Serving on the new Board are Ziya Ağaoğulları, President; Arman Arıkan, General Secretary; Murat Hazinedaroğlu, Vice President; Edip Ağaoğulları, Vice President; Cengiz Ülkerdoğan, Treasurer; Mehmet Akan, Coordinator; and Atadan Tunacı, Muzaffer Arda, Nihat Çimrin, Yamaç Erhan, Murat Çelebi, Can Dengey, and Serdar Yazgan, Members.
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https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/tfdf-2025-2027a.jpg800800Costas Chazapishttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngCostas Chazapis2025-11-26 20:59:372025-11-27 18:20:22Federation of Turkish Philatelic Societies 2025–2027 New Board
Călin Marinescu, Romania’s most prolific philatelic researcher, has published over 400 articles and 16 volumes since 1984, establishing himself as a central figure in the study of Romanian postal history. A dedicated seeker of truth, he grounds his work in meticulous archival research, offering carefully verified information that has supported, clarified, and inspired many other scholars.
His most recent achievement is the bilingual two-volume study 40 Years of Romanian Postal History 1830–1869 (Bucharest, 2024), a monumental work totalling 948 A4 pages and representing a landmark contribution to understanding the development of postal services in the nineteenth-century Romanian territories. Drawing on original postal documents, official archives, maps, forms, and contemporary references, Marinescu reconstructs routes, markings, organisational structures, and postal regulations from both the pre-stamp and early stamp periods.
The study not only clarifies several key historical aspects but also offers an ordered and accessible overview of Romania’s postal evolution. It also examines the postal relations maintained by the Romanian principalities with neighbouring countries during the studied timeframe, placing local practices within their immediate regional context. As a rigorously documented and comprehensive work, it serves as a reliable and indispensable reference for collectors and postal historians interested in nineteenth-century Romania.
…
https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/marinescu-800.jpg800800Costas Chazapishttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngCostas Chazapis2025-11-25 17:28:042025-11-25 17:30:0240 Years of the Romanian Postal History 1830–1869
The echo of the first Lebanese Philatelic Exhibition
Claudio Ernesto Mario Manzati has sent us the following report from Beirut.
Three years ago, when Billy Karam submitted the application for the Lebanese Association of Philately (LAP) to join FEPA, he could not have imagined such public success, media coverage and active participation by the most important public and political authorities in Lebanon.
Perhaps it was the date chosen, 22 November, Lebanon’s Independence Day in 1943; or perhaps it was the location, the Sofitel le Gabriel, coincidentally located on Rue de l’Indépendance, in the city centre; or perhaps it was the 500 metres of available space (the entire second floor), which accommodated the collections and 20 dealer tables, along with the Lebanese Post Office, which had issued a miniature sheet commemorating the event.
Among the authorities present were the Governor of Beirut, Mr Marwan Abboud; the Minister of Telecommunications, Mr Charles Hajj; the Minister of Tourism, Ms Laura Khazen Lahoud; the Minister of Information, Mr Paul Morcos; and former Prime Minister, Mr Tammam Salam, son of one of the founders of the state in 1943.
On Saturday, 22 November, at the Grand Opening, officiated by Fadi Nicolas Barcha, the first speaker that addressed the audience was Billy Karam, LAP President, who welcomed the guests. He was followed by Benoit Gervais, CEO of the Yvert & Tellier Catalogue; Claudio Ernesto Mario Manzati, FEPA Director, who read the message from Bill Hedley, FEPA President; and Charles Hajj, Minister of Telecommunications.
The exhibition, comprising 27 collections in 45 frames, continued on Sunday, 23 June, again with a large turnout and great satisfaction among dealers across Lebanon. Thanks in part to the great vitality of President Billy Karam, the organisational skills demonstrated by the LAP team will enable Lebanon to aspire to its next event right away, taking a further leap forward by organising a competitive exhibition under the auspices of FEPA. I was honoured to have had the opportunity and pleasure to participate in this wonderful event and to enjoy Lebanese hospitality.
…
Federation of Turkish Philatelic Societies 2025–2027 New Board
The Federation of Turkish Philatelic Societies‘ current Board of Directors was unanimously re-elected for the 2025–2027 term during the election held on 22 November 2025.
Serving on the new Board are Ziya Ağaoğulları, President; Arman Arıkan, General Secretary; Murat Hazinedaroğlu, Vice President; Edip Ağaoğulları, Vice President; Cengiz Ülkerdoğan, Treasurer; Mehmet Akan, Coordinator; and Atadan Tunacı, Muzaffer Arda, Nihat Çimrin, Yamaç Erhan, Murat Çelebi, Can Dengey, and Serdar Yazgan, Members.
…
40 Years of the Romanian Postal History 1830–1869
Călin Marinescu, Romania’s most prolific philatelic researcher, has published over 400 articles and 16 volumes since 1984, establishing himself as a central figure in the study of Romanian postal history. A dedicated seeker of truth, he grounds his work in meticulous archival research, offering carefully verified information that has supported, clarified, and inspired many other scholars.
His most recent achievement is the bilingual two-volume study 40 Years of Romanian Postal History 1830–1869 (Bucharest, 2024), a monumental work totalling 948 A4 pages and representing a landmark contribution to understanding the development of postal services in the nineteenth-century Romanian territories. Drawing on original postal documents, official archives, maps, forms, and contemporary references, Marinescu reconstructs routes, markings, organisational structures, and postal regulations from both the pre-stamp and early stamp periods.
The study not only clarifies several key historical aspects but also offers an ordered and accessible overview of Romania’s postal evolution. It also examines the postal relations maintained by the Romanian principalities with neighbouring countries during the studied timeframe, placing local practices within their immediate regional context. As a rigorously documented and comprehensive work, it serves as a reliable and indispensable reference for collectors and postal historians interested in nineteenth-century Romania.
…