Month: August 2008

WILLIAM SAROYAN GETS A BIRTHDAY PARTY
Donald Munro

The Beehive
August 29, 2008 Friday 12:22 PM EST

Aug. 29, 2008 ( delivered by Newstex) — The shiny new road sign on
display Thursday night in the lobby welcomed folks to " Country." I’m
not sure what the famously grouchy author would have thought of this.

You have to remember that he made it very clear that he didn’t
want anything named after him. And now there will be signs with his
name posted all over a special downtown district. Then again, his
birthday party was being held in the lobby of the William Saroyan
Theatre. If he’s in a position to care about such things, he’s
already come to terms with the name thing. The celebration marking
the 100th anniversary of his birth was a festive night: lots of
Armenian delicacies, a clown named Scruffy, a memorabilia auction
that included a bottle of Marilyn Monroe merlot, a stage flanked by
two old-fashioned bicycles just like the one that Saroyan used to
tool around on downtown. Lots of glammed-up members of the local
Armenian community sipped wine. Larry Balakian, chairman of the
and a devoted disciple to the preservation of the author’s memory,
was seemingly everywhere in his crisp summer suit, chatting with
sponsors and making sure the evening flowed smoothly. The highlight
of the concert was a performance by the led by Aram Gharabekian
(pictured). The 25-member ensemble alternated between a lush, vibrant
sound in such Armenian songs as Aram Khachaturian’s "Dance of the Rose
Maidens" to absolutely plucky with Strauss’ Pizzicato Polka." The ,
singing arrangements by artistic director David Hensley, offered
such Saroyan-themed fare as "What a Fellowship" from "The Human
Comedy." Local singer Rhonda Grove offered a version of "Come on-a
My House." And Fresno opera icon Edna Garabedian, dolled up in two
knockout concert gowns (including a cream-colored beauty whose bodice
suggested "Venus on the Half Shell"), offered several strong arias
by Xavier Montsalvatge. (It’s rare that you get a chance these days
to hear Garabedian sing.) The audience reception was enthusiastic —
even wildly so, which was no surprise given the distance that most
of the musicians had traveled and the sentiment behind the event.

Turnout was light, however, with entire rows of the theater
unfilled. "It’s disappointing," one woman said to me, looking around
at the auditorium during intermission. "There are enough Armenians
in Fresno to fill this place up." No birthday party is complete
without a cake, of course, and after the concert, the audience
filed out to eat some sugar in honor of the big guy. In the lobby,
a lifesize cardboard cutout of Saroyan from his younger days — and,
my, what a dashing figure he cut — was propped up with a raft of
balloons attached overhead. As the crowd filed out, one young woman
glanced at the display and said cheerily, "Happy birthday!" Newstex

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MOLDOVAN PARTY CONDEMNS RUSSIAN RECOGNITION OF SOUTH OSSETIA, ABKHAZIA

Infotag news agency
Aug 29 2008
Chisinau, Moldova

Chisinau, 29 August: The unilateral recognition of independence of
Georgia’s rebel regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Russia may
generate new tension in conflict zones such as [Moldova’s breakaway]
Dniester region, [Azerbaijan’s] Nagorny Karabakh, [Russia’s] Chechnya
and [Ukraine’s] Crimea, the Democratic Party believes.

In a statement for the media, the parliamentary Democratic Party said
that Moscow’s actions jeopardize the entire system of international
relations that has existed in Europe since the signing of the 1975
Final Helsinki Act. The Democratic Party believes that Kremlin’s
decision to recognize the independence of the two breakaway republics
endangers not only bilateral relations in the Black Sea region but also
Russia’s relations with Western and even CIS partners. The Democratic
Party calls on the Moldovan government to adopt a clear position on
the conflict in the Caucasus region. The party invites local political
parties to a round table to discuss the situation in the Caucasus
and its possible impact on the settlement of the Dniester conflict.

AZERI PROTESTERS DEMAND RUSSIA’S WITHDRAWAL FROM GEORGIA

ANS TV
Aug 29 2008
Azerbaijan

Members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization today staged a rally
outside the Russian embassy in Azerbaijan to condemn Russia’s actions
in Georgia.

Voicing slogans such as – Russia, get out of the Caucasus! – protesters
handed their statement to a Russian embassy official. The statement
demands the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia. The rally
passed off without incidents.

THE GEORGIA CRISIS IN THE NEW COLD-WAR ATMOSPHERE
by Mehdi Yari

Keyhan website
Aug 27 2008
Tehran, Iran

Following the collapse of the [Former] Soviet Union and end of the
Cold War and the subsequent decline in power of the Eastern block,
the formation of the Republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia and the
immense energy resources of the Caspian Sea have attracted the
attention of regional and supra-regional powers and paved the way
for their rivalries in the region. America, perceiving its power to
be unchallenged, proceeded to extent its influence in the region,
relying on the idea of a world with a single superpower. The southern
Caucasus is of special concern to America and in reality to the oil
and gas cartels that wield the power in America, for being a route
for the transfer of Caspian energy resources. America’s policy in
this region has been to curb the traditional influence of Russia and
deprive it of a role in exploiting the region’s oil and gas resources.

It is trying, by all possible means, to take in hand the control and
transfer of the region’s immense oil and gas resources. The Baku-Ceyhan
oil transfer route that crosses Georgia, was built at great expense
and at America’s insistence, and currently transfers some of the oil
from the Caspian to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. Russia has no role in
this project. From the time the republics of the southern Caucasus
won their independence, America has declared support for and the
strengthening of these republics to be an important foreign policy
principle. American foreign policy decision-makers try to act to curb
Russia’s power in the region and prevent any weakening of the newly
independent republics. Their measures include America’s presence in the
sensitive and strategic region of the southern Caucasus in the context
of NATO, and economic, political and military agreements signed.

But Russia has moved forward since the Putin presidency and refuses
to stop its strategy; it is thus opposed to the American presence in
its former spheres of influence, that is Central Asia, the Caucasus
and even Eastern Europe, and has reacted in these areas to issues
including the missile shield in Poland and construction of the radar
installation in the Czech Republic.

America and its main backer the Zionist regime have in turn trained and
equipped in recent years Georgian military and security forces and,
in encouraging that state to attack the autonomous South Ossetian
region, pursued several aims we may briefly list:

1 – Create a military and security cordon on Russia’s frontiers,
and curb its influence in the southern Caucasus region,

2 – Reduce Russia’s control over transfer routes for Caspian energy
resources in this region,

3 – Thwart Russia’s traditional strategy of winning access to warm
waters,

4 – Raise the security level and control over the oil transfer route
from Baku to Ceyhan,

5 – Provoke fear among other Caucasus former Soviet republics and
encourage them to leave the Commonwealth of Independent States,

6 – Justify the formation of the missile shield in Poland and radar
installation in the Czech Republic, and hasten their implementation,

7 – Distract world opinion from the failures in the Middle East and
Caucasus regions.

But Russia’s swift reaction and attack against Georgia, Georgia’s
defeat and America’s failure to back Georgia against Russia, have
overshadowed America’s goals. These can undermine the confidence of
other former Soviet republics and even Eastern European nations in
America and strengthen the perspective that America is no longer able
to shape world politics. America’s move in the Caucasus can also cause
a new turn in Russia’s conduct within international interactions. These
can include:

1 – Refusing to cooperate with America in world political affairs
given its right of veto in the UN Security Council,

2 – Change its positions on Iran’s nuclear dossier,

3 – Set up a missile base in Syria and provide that country with
equipment, in order to punish Israel for its significant role in
creating this conflict,

4 – Establish its political, economic and military presence in Latin
America including in Venezuela and Cuba,

5 – Change its policy of cooperation with NATO.

Generally one may say the recent crisis between Russia and Georgia,
in whose creation America and Israel played a pertinent role, has
created a new cold-war atmosphere that can in turn influence the
international system.

US SEEKS TO OFFSET RUSSIAN ENERGY DOMINANCE
by Kerry Sheridan

Agence France Presse
August 29, 2008 Friday 1:58 AM GMT

Washington will seek to boost alliances and offset Russian energy
dominance when Vice President Dick Cheney visits Georgia, Azerbaijan
and Ukraine next week, a White House official said Thursday.

In light of rising tensions with Russia over its conflict with
Georgia, Cheney’s trip is part diplomatic mission, part effort to
boost alternate pipeline routes that would reduce Europe’s dependence
on Russian oil and gas.

Cheney’s tour, which includes a security conference in Italy and
talks with Turkish leaders, also comes as Washington mulls scrapping
a US-Russia civilian nuclear cooperation pact, while France has warned
of possible EU sanctions over Moscow’s actions in Georgia.

The vice president aims to send "a clear and simple message that the
United States has a deep and abiding interest in the well being and
security of this part of the world," said his assistant for national
security affairs, John Hannah.

The visit, parts of which were planned before the outbreak of
hostilities between Georgia and Russia on August 8, marks the first
time Cheney will set foot in either Tbilisi or Baku, Hannah said.

However, the trip has "clearly taken on increasing importance," he
added, after Russia’s nod this week to the independence of breakaway
regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a move which drew international
scorn.

"Russia’s actions in recent weeks have clearly cast grave doubts on
its intentions, its purposes," Hannah said. "They merit and demand
a unified response from the free world."

President George W. Bush’s decision to dispatch Cheney for talks
to include discussions on advancing NATO membership for Ukraine and
Georgia, is the clearest sign yet of US concern that its strategic
interests in the region — especially in oil — could be at serious
risk.

The strategic Black Sea region is the common thread in these former
Soviet republics, and where major powers have played out power
struggles ever since oil was found around the Caspian Sea in the
early 20th century.

An administration official said Russia’s military action in Georgia
has given fresh urgency to the planned Nabucco pipeline, which would
bring natural gas from Turkey to Austria.

"The level of confidence and trust that people have in Russia’s overall
reliability has been put in serious question by what’s happened,"
the official said on condition of anonymity.

"The United States has had a priority for quite some time in trying
to lead an effort to encourage this diversification of energy
infrastructure and pipelines and supplies, particularly to Europe,
of gas," he said.

"These recent events … reinforce the sense that that basic strategy
is important and critical, and one that has to be pursued, if anything,
with greater energy by us and by our European partners."

The official also pointed to comments by British Foreign Secretary
David Miliband, who in Ukraine on Wednesday highlighted the need to
"re-balance the energy relationship between Russia and Europe."

"We need diverse, secure and resilient gas supplies. Europe needs to
act as one when dealing with third parties like Russia," Miliband said.

Another key oil pipeline is the BTC (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan) which passes
from Turkey through Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. An attack in
Turkey in early August claimed by the Kurdish rebel PKK underscored
the vulnerability of the BTC line.

"The transit route through Georgia previously thought to be relatively
secure and reliable is now seen as vulnerable and threatened by
regional hostilities," said Edward Chow, of the Center for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS).

US oil giants ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips also have major
stakes in Caspian sea oilfields, Chow noted.

With its broad opening on the Black Sea, Ukraine is a key strategic
US ally in the region, and Russia’s main concern, according to Stephen
Larrabee of the Rand Corporation.

"Georgia’s entry into NATO wouldn’t have major strategic consequences
for Russia. Ukraine, on the other hand, is a very different matter,"
Larrabee added.

If Ukraine joins NATO, Russia would not only be forced to remove its
ships based in Crimea; it also would see dashed its hopes of founding
a Slavic union with Ukraine and Belarus, he said.

What’s more, Russian and Ukrainian defense industries are closely
linked. Crimea, a peninsula attached to Ukraine in 1954 under Nikita
Kruschev, is two-thirds Russian speaking.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION PARTY CRITICAL OF DASHNAKS’ ANTI-TURKISH PROTEST PLANS

ArmInfo News Agency (in Russian)
Aug 29 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 29 August: "The authorities are obliged to provide conditions
to all political forces for holding rallies. I respect the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun’s [ARFD] right to hold
rallies, however, I assess negatively a possible anti-Turkish protest,"
a top member of the opposition Republic Party, Suren Surenyants,
told journalists at the Tesaket club today.

He said that on the one hand, the ARFD joins the governing coalition,
on the other hand, it is critical of the president’s initiative to
invite the Turkish president to a football match in Yerevan. "If the
Turkish president’s arrival in Yerevan is so important for the ARFD,
then let them withdraw from the governing coalition and criticize
the president," Surenyants said.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun intends to
stage a rally on 2 September on the independence day of the Nagornyy
Karabakh republic. ARFD representatives have also repeatedly stated
their intention to hold a protest in case the Turkish president arrives
in Yerevan. The Yerevan mayor’s office did not sanction the 2 September
rally of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun.

LA STRATEGIE DES ETATS-UNIS AU SUD DU CAUCASE

Le Figaro
Vendredi 29 Août 2008
France

Pour ce chercheur a l’Institut francais de geopolitique, (Paris-VIII),
une reflexion sur la crise en Georgie ne peut pas faire l’impasse sur
la politique americaine (et ses investissements financiers) dans cette
region du monde. Alors que la crise fait rage entre la Georgie et la
Russie et que les politiques de la Russie sont largement decryptees et
souvent pointees du doigt, il est necessaire, pour une comprehension
globale, de se pencher plus longuement sur la strategie americaine
au sud du Caucase.

Cette strategie depasse en general les trois petites republiques
d’Armenie, d’Azerbaïdjan et de Georgie, independantes de l’URSS fin
1991. Elle s’intègre a des logiques pour l’influence en Eurasie,
immense region du monde hautement strategique et concept geopolitique
largement usite outre-Atlantique. Pour les stratèges americains,
la plupart des tendances confondues, la securite du monde depend
largement de la stabilite, et donc du contrôle, de l’Eurasie, qui
abrite, en outre, environ 75 % des reserves energetiques mondiales.

La region au sud du Caucase est situee aux marges de plusieurs grands
ensembles qui s’y disputent l’influence. Traditionnel pre carre de
la Russie, c’est aussi une zone d’influence naturelle pour l’Iran
et la Turquie qui y ont joue un rôle historique majeur. Depuis la
chute de l’URSS, deux nouveaux acteurs s’ajoutent a cette liste :
l’Union europeenne et, en particulier, les Etats-Unis.

La politique americaine s’y est mise en place peu a peu, surtout
dans la seconde moitie des annees 1990. Ce sont les ressources
energetiques de la mer Caspienne, depuis revues a la baisse, qui ont
attire l’attention des leaders americains. Un rapprochement net s’est
alors opere entre Washington et l’Azerbaïdjan, qui contrôle une partie
de la production et de l’acheminement de ces ressources. L’oleoduc
BTC (Bakou-Tbilissi-Ceyhan), double ensuite du gazoduc BTE
(Bakou-Tbilissi-Erzurum), est le symbole de ce rapprochement. Ce
projet de grande envergure a permis la consolidation d’un axe de
cooperation Ouest-Est (incluant notamment les Etats-Unis, la Turquie,
la Georgie et l’Azerbaïdjan), tandis que la Russie, qui contrôlait
jusque-la l’acheminement des energies caspiennes et d’Asie centrale
vers l’ouest, l’Iran, mais aussi l’Armenie, en sont exclus.

Dans le meme temps, et non sans quelques difficultes, les Etats-Unis
s’impliquent dans la resolution du conflit du Haut-Karabakh, entre
l’Azerbaïdjan et l’Armenie, dont ils sont en charge avec la Russie
et la France, via le groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE. Alors que l’executif
americain exprimait avec retenue une certaine sympathie pour le
partenaire azeri, le Congrès, presse en ce sens par la communaute
armeno-americaine, votait l’allocation d’aides financières annuelles
importantes a l’Armenie, et un gel de ces memes aides a l’Azerbaïdjan
(gel effectif jusqu’en 2002). Cette aide financière americaine directe
est l’une des plus elevees du monde par habitant, et se monte a plus
d’un milliard de dollars depuis l’independance de l’Armenie. De meme,
la Georgie est aussi devenue un des recipiendaires de cette aide
financière, et est elle aussi un des rares pays d’Eurasie a avoir recu
plus d’un milliard de dollars des Etats-Unis depuis 1992. Depuis peu,
l’Armenie et la Georgie sont membres du programme americain Millennium,
dont le but est de fournir une assistance a un nombre restreint de
pays a bas revenu qui, selon des critères etablis par le gouvernement
americain, mettent en oeuvre des politiques de developpement viables,
investissent dans leur peuple, et encourage la liberte economique.

Un autre outil de politique etrangère remarque est la cooperation
militaire que les Etats-Unis ont mise en place avec les trois pays de
la region, soit de manière bilaterale, soit via l’Otan. Les trois pays
sont membres du Partenariat pour la paix de l’Organisation atlantique
(PpP) et ont chacun signe en 2005 un plan d’action individuel pour
le partenariat (Ipap) avec elle. L’Ipap est souvent considere comme
le degre le plus pousse de cooperation avant l’integration. Sur les
trois republiques, seule l’Armenie, proche de la Russie qui est son
alliee sur le plan militaire, a fait savoir qu’elle ne souhaitait pas
integrer pleinement l’Otan. La Georgie et, de manière plus discrète,
l’Azerbaïdjan ont clairement affiche leur souhait d’integrer
l’organisation.

Ces divers rapprochements entre les Etats-Unis et les republiques
au sud du Caucase sont percus par la Russie comme autant de reculs
de sa propre influence regionale. D’autant que le soutien, au moins
indirect, de Washington aux " revolutions de velours " qui ont mis
a la tete de la Georgie et de l’Ukraine des leaders pro-occidentaux,
ou encore la volonte americaine d’installer un bouclier antimissile
en Pologne et en Republique tchèque, ont ete percus par la Russie
comme des signes d’hostilite a son egard.

La region au sud du Caucase est donc bien un des enjeux, et sans
doute non des moindres, du " grand jeu " americano-russe. Le bras de
fer diplomatique entre Moscou et Washington et dont la Georgie et
les republiques autoproclamees d’Ossetie du Sud et d’Abkhazie sont
aujourd’hui l’enjeu principal doit etre interprete au travers de ce
prisme. Ainsi, pour une bonne comprehension de la situation, il faut
certes tenir compte de la volonte russe de garder la main dans son
" etranger proche ", mais ne pas occulter non plus les ambitions
americaines sur ces regions.

"La politique americaine s’y est mise en place peu a peu, surtout dans
la seconde moitie des annees 1990. Ce sont les ressources energetiques
de la mer Caspienne qui ont attire l’attention de Washington "

–Boundary_(ID_241ToEcFFzj2sbJvFJs1kw)–

SEYRAN OHANYAN HOSTED COMMANDER OF THE KANSAS STATE NATIONAL GUARD TOD BANTING

p;p=0&id=634&y=2008&m=08&d=29
27.0 8.08

On August 27, 2008 RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received the
delegation headed by Commander of the National Guards of Kansas State,
Adjutant-General Tod Banting. The meeting was attended by U.S. Chargé
d´Affaires Joseph Pennington.

Greeting the guests, RA Defense Minister S. Ohanyan noted that the
regular visits of the delegations of the Armenian Ministry of Defense
and the Kansas State National Guard speak about the importance of the
five year cooperation between Armenia and Kansas. This cooperation
embraces concrete spheres: peacekeeping, de-mining, military medicine
and military education, which are considered priority directions today.

For his part, Mr. Banting conveyed to Seyran Ohanyan the greetings
of the Governor of Kansas.

Turning to the doubling of the number of the Armenian peacekeepers in
Iraq, Tod Banting noted that it contributes to Armenia’s involvement
in international processes, the improvement of Armenia’s international
rating.

During the meeting Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan underlined that
he gives a special importance to the cooperation especially in the
field of peacekeeping, anticipating the continuous support of the
American side.

Minister added that a peacekeeping mission for Armenia carries
not only military-political but also military meanin g, because
representatives of armed forces of RA gaining great skills serving
in the international subunits.

At the end of the meeting RA Defense minister passes his greetings
to the Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

–Boundary_(ID_+At0VGel1hNYHK0WBo3uxA)- –

WILL TURKEY ABANDON NATO?
By Zeyno Baran

The Wall Street Journal
29.08.2008 12:50

Will Turkey side with the United States, its NATO ally, and let more
U.S. military ships into the Black Sea to assist Georgia? Or will it
choose Russia?

A Turkish refusal would seriously impair American efforts to support
the beleaguered Caucasus republic. Ever since Turkey joined NATO in
1952, it has hoped to never have to make a choice between the alliance
and its Russian neighbor to the North. Yet that is precisely the
decision before Ankara. If Turkey does not allow the ships through,
it will essentially be taking Russia`s side.

Whether in government or in the military, Turkish officials have
for several years been expressing concern about U.S. intentions to
"enter" the Black Sea. Even at the height of the Cold War, the Black
Sea remained peaceful due to the fact that Turkey and Russia had
clearly defined spheres of influence.

But littoral countries Romania and Bulgaria have since joined NATO,
and Ukraine and Georgia have drawn closer to the Euro-Atlantic
alliance. Ankara has expressed nervousness about a potential Russian
reaction.

The Turkish mantra goes something like this: "the U.S. wants to expand
NATO into the Black Sea — and as in Iraq, this will create a mess
in our neighborhood, leaving us to deal with the consequences once
America eventually pulls out. After all, if Russia is agitated,20it
won`t be the Americans that will have to deal with them."

Nonetheless, Ankara sided with fellow NATO members in telling Georgia
and Ukraine that they would be invited to join the alliance — albeit
without any time frame. But now that Russia has waged war in part over
this decision, the Turks will have to pick sides. Deputy chief of the
Russian general staff Anatoly Nogoivtsyn already warned Turkey that
Russia will hold Turkey responsible if the U.S. ships do not leave
the Black Sea. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to Ankara
on Monday to make clear that Russia means it.

Russia is Turkey`s largest trading partner, mostly because of Turkey`s
dependence on Russian gas. More important, the two countries share what
some call the post-imperial stress syndrome: that is, an inability
to see former provinces as fellow independent states, and ultimately
a wish to recreate old agreements on spheres of influence. When
Mr. Putin gave a speech in Munich last year challenging the U.S.-led
world order, Turks cheered. The Turkish military even posted it on
its Web site. President Abdullah Gul recently suggested that "a new
world order should emerge."

Turkey joined Russia at the height of its war on Georgia in suggesting
a five-party "Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform." In other
words, they want to keep the U.S. and the EU at arm`s length. Both
Russia and Turkey consider Georgia`s American-educated p resident,
Mikheil Saakashvili, to be crazy enough to unleash the next world
war. In that view Turkey is not so far from the positions of France
or Germany — but even these two countries did not suggest that the
Georgians sign up to a new regional arrangement co-chaired by Russia
while the Kremlin`s air force was bombing Georgian cities.

Two other neighbors — Azerbaijan and Armenia — are watching the
Turkish-Russian partnership with concern. Azeris remember how the Turks
— their ethnic and religious brethren — left them to be annexed by
the Soviets in the 1920s. Armenians already fear their giant neighbor,
who they consider to have committed genocide against them. Neither
wants to have to rely on Iran (once again) as a counterbalance to
Russia. Oh, and of course, Iran had its own sphere-of-influence
arrangements with the Soviets as well.

Though Turkey and Iran are historic competitors, Turkey has broken with
NATO countries recently by hosting President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad on a
working visit. As the rest of NATO was preoccupied with the Russian
aggression in Georgia, Turkey legitimized the Iranian leader amidst
chants in Istanbul of "death to Israel, death to America."

A few days later, Turkey played host to Sudan`s Omar al-Bashir, who is
accused of genocide by the rest of NATO — but not by Russia or Iran,
or by the Muslim-majority countries who usually claim to care so much
about Muslim lives.

W here is Turkey headed? Turkish officials say they are using their
trust-based relations with various sides to act as a mediator between
various parties in the region: the U.S. and Iran; Israel and Syria;
Pakistan and Afghanistan, etc. It may be so. But as more American
ships steam toward the Black Sea, a time for choosing has arrived.

PRESIDENT OF THE NKR CONVOKED A CONSULTATION…

Azat Artsakh Daily
28 Aug 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

On 27 August President of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic Bako
Sahakyan convoked a consultation on the current developments in the
region. Issues related to internal life of the Republic, such as army
building, state-church relations were discussed at the consultation
too. Head of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, chairman of the NKR National Assembly
Ashot Ghulyan, premier Ara Haroutyunyan, head of the Office of the
NKR President, secretary of the Security Council Marat Mousaelyan,
first deputy commander of the NKR Defense Army – head of the army’s
staff major-general Levon Mnatsakanyan partook in the consultation.