Author: Babajanian Karo

VALLEY RELIGION NEWS: BLESSING OF THE GRAPES CEREMONIES PLANNED AND OTHER NEWS

The Fresno Bee, CA
Aug 8 2014

By Ron Orozco

The area’s Armenian faith community will again celebrate a
centuries-old tradition — the blessing of the grapes.

The tradition dates to ancient Armenia at the beginning of harvest
in mid-August when priests asked God to protect the vineyards from
natural disasters and to bless the grapes and the harvest. After the
ceremony, parishioners exchanged best wishes.

In Fresno, two Armenian churches each present the blessing ceremony
with a congregational picnic. Their events are held on separate
weekends.

The St. Paul Armenian Church Picnic and Grape Blessing is Sunday, Aug.

10, at California Armenian Home, 6720 E. Kings Canyon Road.

The event begins with the celebration of divine liturgy at 10:30 a.m,
followed by the blessing of the grapes at noon and picnic at 12:30 p.m.

The celebration also will be the first service for the Rev. Yessai
Bedros, who was named Wednesday as new parish priest at St. Paul
Armenian Church.

Bedros, 29, who was born in Kamishli, Syria, replaces the Rev. Arshen
Aivazian, 69, who retired in May after serving 14 years at the church.

Bedros previously served at the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church
in Burbank. Since May, Bedros was assigned several times to serve as
a guest celebrant at St. Paul Armenian Church.

The congregational picnic offers a menu of shish kebab, chicken kebab,
lulu burger, salad, pilaf and beverage. Music will be provided by
the Richard Hagopian Band.

Details: (559) 226-6343.

The Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church Grape Blessing, Picnic &
Festival will be Aug. 17, also at California Armenian Home.

Divine liturgy starts at 10 a.m., followed by the blessing of the
grapes at 11:45 a.m. and the picnic/festival at noon.

Details: (559) 486-1141.

HAUT KARABAGH-COMMUNICATIONS
La route nationale reliant Mardouni à Stepanakert longue de 40
kilomètres sera terminée en 2015

La construction de la nouvelle route reliant Mardouni (Haut Karabagh)
à la capitale Stepanakert, longue de 40 kilomètres est presque
terminée. Seules 7 km de route qui seront praticables seront
goudronnées l’an prochain. Selon Pavel Nadjarian le vice-ministre des
Equipements de la République du Haut Karabagh, la construction de
cette route Mardouni-Nnki-Stepanakert avait débuté il y a trois ans. >
dit P. Nadjarian. Le financement de cette voie nationale est financée
par le budget du gouvernement de la République du Haut Karabagh.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 9 août 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

43,3% DE LA POPULATION ARMENIENNE SERAIENT POTENTIELLEMENT DES EMIGRANTS

ARMENIE

Hayots Achkhar rend compte d’un sondage mene par le centre > dans 100 villes et villages armeniens. Au moment du
sondage une personne sur 6 se declarait sur le point de quitter le
pays dans les mois a venir. La region de Kotayk est en tete pour
le nombre d’emigrants potentiels : 61,5% de la population. Dans les
regions d’Aragatsotn et de Chirak 50% se disent prets a quitter le
pays dès qu’une occasion se presentera.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 1er août 2014

vendredi 8 août 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

LES AZERIS PRESENTENT LE VILLAGEOIS ARMENIEN DE TCHINARI COMME UN MILITAIRE MEMBRE D’UN COMMANDO

ODIEUSE MISE EN SCÈNE

La presse azerie vient de publier les images de Karen Petrossian,
un habitant du village frontalier de Tchinari (region du Tavouche)
tombe aux mains des Azeris.

> affirme que ses forces ont tue 4 membres d’un commando
armenien et fait prisonnier Karen Petrossian qui a ete affuble d’une
tenue militaire pour les besoins de la photo. Le ministère armenien
de la Defense a dementie cette information, et demande “où sont les
cadavres ?”. Il ne s’agirait selon lui que d’une nouvelle operation
de desinformation et de propagande des Azeris qui chercheraient a
remonter le morale de leurs troupes après avoir perdu au moins 15
de leurs soldats sur le terrain militaire face aux Armeniens la
semaine dernière.

Bakou affirme egalement avoir saisi sur le commando armenien une
quantite importante d’armes. Les villageois de Tchinari affirment de
leur côte que le prisonnier armenien n’est pas un militaire, mais
un jeune en etat d’ebriete qui se serait egare. Les medias azeris
ajoutent que Karen Petrossian a demande pardon aux azeris et a leur
president Aliev et qu’il desire regagner l’Armenie.

Krikor Amirzayan

vendredi 8 août 2014, Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

U.S., RUSSIAN AND FRENCH AMBASSADORS HOPE MEETINGS IN SOCHI WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE SETTLEMENT OF THE NK CONFLICT

Thursday 7 August 2014 14:57
Photo: Press service of the Armenian President

Yerevan /Mediamax/. OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Country Ambassadors
issued a joint press release in Yerevan today.

“Today, U.S. Ambassador John Heffern, Russian Ambassador Ivan
Volynkin, and French Charge d’Affaires Isabelle Guisnel called on
Vigen A. Sargsyan, Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic
of Armenia.

The ambassadors expressed condolences to the families of soldiers who
lost their lives during recent events along the line of contact of
Nagorno Karabakh and the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the
Chief of Staff provided an update on the current situation.

The Ambassadors from the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries urged restraint
and de-escalation of tensions from all sides, called for strict respect
of the ceasefire agreement, and expressed their hope the upcoming
meetings in Sochi will contribute to the peaceful settlement of the
conflict”, document says.

FINANCE MINISTRY: OIL MAY BE SUPPLIED TO EUROPE THROUGH ARMENIA-IRAN RAILWAY

09:34, 08.08.2014Region: ArmeniaIranTheme: Economics

YEREVAN. – The main factor for viability of Armenia’s Southern Railway
(Iran – Armenia) should be the transit of Iranian oil to Europe. This
is stated in the conclusion of the Armenian Finance Ministry to the
concept of the railway.

As noted in the design estimate documentation of the railway, 80% of
its traffic from the south to the north will make 30% of the transit
of Iranian oil to Europe.

However, a preliminary agreement on supplies with Iran has not yet
been achieved. In addition, it is unclear whether there will be this
volume stable for many years. For example, in 2011 Europe imported
only 18% of Iranian oil.

Earlier representatives of the railway structure at Transport Ministry
Ashot Shahnazaryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that construction of
the railway will take six years with a maintenance of 50 years. The
works are expected to start in the first quarter of 2015. Construction
costs will amount to about $3.5 billion.

Supposedly the Armenian part of the Iran-Armenia railway will be
316-kilometer long and will run from the Iranian border (Meghri) to
the town of Gagarin near Lake Sevan, where it will connect with the
existing railway. Investors in the project have not been fully defined

Armenia News – NEWS.am

ARMENIAN DM: AZERIS TRIED TO SWITCH FROM SNIPER WAR TO GUERILLA WARFARE BUT FAILED

by Tatevik Shahunyan

ARMINFO
Friday, August 8, 11:55

The Azeris tried to switch from sniper war to guerilla warfare but
failed, Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said during a
meeting with students of the Vazgen Sargsyan Military Institute.

He said that the brilliance of the Armenian army showed the enemy
that it can do nothing against it.

July 28-Aug 4 the Azeris undertook 6 sabotage attacks. As a result,
they lost 30 soldiers. With as many wounded. The Armenians lost 6 men.

7 were wounded.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT – WHY THE CONFLICT WILL NOT BE ESCALATED

Georgia Today, Georgia
Aug 7 2014

By Nika Meshveliani

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict escalated for the seventh time over
last few years, resulting in casualties on both sides, despite the
ceasefire treaty that was signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia in 1994.

According to official sources, 15 militaries are dead as a result of
clashes that took place from July 31 to August 2; however, unofficial
sources claim that the fatalities are higher.

One may think that this is not a normal escalation of the conflict,
but rather the beginning of a crisis, especially if one considers the
current developments around the region, with Israel-Gaza, Syria and
especially the events which are taking place inside Ukraine. However,
the turning of this situation into a crisis is highly unlikely due to
the devastating effect it will have on regional security and stability,
which neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan wants. So, who will benefit the
most from the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh?

The side benefiting from the conflict the most is Russia, as it will
increase its military presence in the Caucasus; at the same time,
the conflict will destabilize the region, which will help to increase
Russia’s influence over the region.

However this scenario is unlikely to happen because there is too much
at stake, especially for Azerbaijan. It is true that militarily and
economically in terms of its capabilities Azerbaijan is further ahead
than Armenia; Russia however is the guarantor of Armenia’s security.

They signed a Defence Pact with Russia in 2010, according to which
Russia extended its basing rights till 2044 and as Razmik Zohrabian,
the deputy chairman of President Serzh Sarkisian’s Republican Party
said when the Pact was signed: “If war again breaks out between
Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Armenia will naturally directly intervene,
and if Armenia has the right to use the Russian base for its security,
it means that Russia has to join the war on Armenia’s side”. Russia
keeps the balance of power between the two sides.

On the other hand, Azerbaijan also has an Agreement on Strategic
Partnership and Mutual Support signed with Turkey, which means that
both countries will support each other “using all possibilities”
in the case of a military attack or “aggression” against either of
the countries. So, as long as Turkey and Russia play their part as
balancing actors, escalation of the conflict into a war is highly
improbable.

Energy security is another factor why the situation will not get worse
than it is. Apart from the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline and
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) natural gas pipeline, there is also the
operational Shah Deniz stage 2 project, which started last year. Shah
Deniz is a $28 billion capital investment project in the Caspian Sea in
order to produce gas, build new pipelines and transport gas to Turkey
from Azerbaijan through Georgia. It is expected to increase energy
security of not only these countries but also the energy security
of the European Union, since they will be less dependent on Russia,
who used in the past – and uses at the moment – the natural energy it
produces as a political weapon (e.g. 2005-2006 Ukraine gas crises;
produced by Russia with the aim to keep Ukraine from going towards
the West).

Although during the Russia-Georgia war in 2008, pipelines were
unaffected, the same guarantees cannot be made in the case of
Azerbaijan-Armenia, as the pipeline runs 15 kilometres away from
the Karabakh region’s borders; therefore, considering such a high
investments in Azerbaijan and in the region to secure energy flow,
escalation of the conflict may endanger current arrangement for energy
security and will have huge negative effect on Azerbaijan’s economy.

These are one of the most important factors why both sides will
eventually respect the status quo.

Negotiations for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
continue under the auspices of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group.

Presidents are also supposed to meet on Friday, August 8, in Sochi
to hold trilateral talks with Vladimir Putin as a mediator. This is
in a way ironic because as mentioned above a peaceful resolution of
the conflict would be reflected negatively on them.

Firstly, it would create a more peaceful, stable and secure atmosphere
in the region and as a consequence, Russia’s influence and leverage
in the South Caucasus will be diminished.

Secondly, it would set a precedent for Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South
Ossetia) regions for a peaceful resolution of the conflicts.

Thirdly, a secure and stable atmosphere in the region will improve
economic cooperation, more foreign investments will be made and all
this will help transiting the energy towards the European Union,
with the region becoming less depended on Russia; therefore Russia
will lose its leverage that it has at the moment towards the West as
well in terms of energy security.

Taking all of this into account the conflict should not escalate any
further at the moment; however, the recent Ukrainian crisis proves
that Russia is not a stable partner and taking into account president
Putin’s nostalgia for the Soviet Union nothing can be said for sure.

7.08.2014

QUI PRODST? – WHO BENEFITS?

Georgia Today, Georgia
Aug 7 2014

By Zaza Jgharkava

Sachkhere’s Football Club “Chikhura” has been offering not only
football surprises but also political surprises recently. For the
second match already, “Chikhura” and its fans from the hometown of
former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili continue to surprise.

First, while playing against Turkey’s “Bursaspor” the Sachkhere fans
raised flags with Nazi symbols. Then the number 10 of Sachkhere’s team
demonstrated a non-sporting gesture to the Turkish fans. In the next
match against Baku’s “Nefti”, Sachkhere fans reminded Azerbaijanis of
the Georgian territories given during Bolshevik times which resulted
in a fistfight with the police after the game.

Disturbances are expected in the return match as well. According to
the information spread by GHN agency, tickets and t-shirts with the
inscription “July 26 – Culture Day of Borchalo Turks” were given to
Azerbaijanis living in Georgia. To put it briefly, the t-shirt says
that Borchalo belongs to Azerbaijan. It is truly hard to imagine
that regular Georgian fans will resist such provocation without
any reaction. Hopefully, Georgian law-enforcers will not allow such
stirring of emotions and hysteria on the tribunes and that everything
will go calmly and peacefully.

This scenario can clearly inflame a conflict between Georgia and
Azerbaijan, which fits neatly within the current situation in the
South Caucasus. Armenia and Azerbaijan have almost resumed military
actions in Nagorno Karabakh.

According to political scientist Kakha Gogolashvili, incidents during
football matches clearly show political motifs: “Let’s start with
the fact that by awakening the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Russia and
Armenia will start putting political pressure on Georgia. There are
many ways to do that. Russia wants to cut the corridor to Armenia in
order to control the entire South Caucasus. In particular, it hopes
to move across the territory of Georgia to Armenia.

In the same vein, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that
Russia wants to grab more of the territory of Georgia and to drag
Georgia in this conflict as if Georgia allows it to make the corridor,
then Georgia will find itself at conflict with Azerbaijan. Of
course, Georgia will not allow Russia to bring its troops into the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict via Georgia’s territory; but in any case,
we expect more aggression from Russia. “This is quite a dangerous
and risky situation that we found ourself in”, Gogolashvili said to
Samokalako Presa.

Human rights defender Nika Mzhavanadze, who is close to the ruling
party, says that the United National Movement was involved in the
Baku incident. “Several days before Mikheil Saakashvili accused the
government of supporting the anti-Aliyev opposition and that active
supporters of Aliyev’s position were coming to Georgia, holding
meetings and that Tbilisi had turned into an anti-Aliyev movement
center and that the government was responsible for what had happened
in Baku and, after Ukraine, this person was trying to create problems
to Georgia with Azerbaijan, which was deliberate action. Saakashvili
wants to come to power and does not care if our country distorts
relations with everyone. These statements prove that,” Mzhavanadze
told newspaper Alia.

The parliamentary minority finds accusations of Saakashvili
with regards the impromptu actions of the Sachkhere football club
ridiculous. Minority MP Sergo Ratiani says that deteriorated relations
with the neighboring country are due to the former Prime Minister
Bidzina Ivanishvili. “Bidzina Ivanishvili and the current government
created many problems in relations with neighbors when Ivanishvili
made a statement regarding Karsi-Akhalkalaki, a statement about Socar;
why is Saakashvili responsible? Saakashvili who showed facts and
indicated that it is worth reflecting on it,” the MP told Alia.

Parallel to this football adventure, the topic of Davit Gareji
monastery complex has been revived in the Georgian and Russian media.

Russian resources who favor inflaming misunderstandings between Tbilisi
and Baku are particularly active, especially in this situation even
when Georgia’s neutrality would be vital for Baku. The topic of the
Davit Gareji monastery complex is not new.

Back in 1988, the National Movement, or leaders of the movement, were
actively using it. The so-called “elite intelligentsia” of that time
largely contributed to the inflaming of emotions and hysteria (a large
part of that intelligentsia is now gathered around Nino Burjandze):
“Davit Gareji belongs to Georgia and why should its part be on the
territory of Azerbaijan”. Authors of these statements had no idea
then or now that Azerbaijan is almost at war with Armenia and the
noise with a partner country is an unfriendly gesture.

Whether this opinion is right or not, in Azerbaijan people think that
the Davit Gareji complex is part of Georgia’s as well as Azerbaijan’s
cultural heritage, as Asuretian fathers contributed to converting
not only Georgia but also Azerbaijan, more specifically Christian
Albanians living in Azerbaijan back then. Together with Turkish tribes,
Azerbaijanis consider Albanians as their ancestors.

Cultural speculations in the press and football speculations on the
grounds clearly indicate that people who speculate with these topics
are sending direct challenges to Georgia and Azerbaijan, i.e. are
trying to provoke political problems. The soundest and most natural
question to come up with in that situation was left by old Latins
for complicated situations: Qui prodst? – or who benefits?

7.08.2014

4 MICHIGAN PROFESSORS JOIN MIDEAST SCHOLARS IN CALL FOR ISRAELI ACADEMIC BOYCOTT

The Detroit News, MI
Aug 7 2014

Detroit News staff and wire reports

Several Michigan professors are joining a group of more than 100
prominent Middle East scholars and librarians from across the country
and abroad calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.

The regional professionals backing the move in support of Palestinians,
according to a statement released Wednesday, are: Barbara Aswad, a
professor emeritus of anthropology at Wayne State University and past
president of the Middle East Studies Association of North America;
May Seikaly, associate professor of modern Middle East history at
Wayne State; Anton Shammas, professor of Middle Eastern studies and
comparative literature at the University of Michigan; and Kathryn
Babayan, associate professor, director of the UM Center of Armenian
Studies.

Citing Israel’s month-long seige of Gaza and “the occupation and
dispossession in East Jerusalem, the Naqab (Negev), and the West Bank;
the construction of walls and fences around the Palestinian population,
the curtailment of Palestinian freedom of movement and education,
and the house demolitions,” the group pledged “not to collaborate
on projects and events involving Israeli academic institutions,
not to teach at or to attend conferences and other events at such
institutions, and not to publish in academic journals based in Israel,”
according to a statement Wednesday.

The academics, who also include scholars from Harvard, Princeton,
Columbia and Stanford, said their request follows recent academic
boycott resolutions by groups including the American Studies
Association, the Critical Ethnic Studies Association and African
Literature Association.

Meanwhile, others are seeking action against Israel after ongoing
fighting that has killed nearly 1,900 Palestinians, wounded more than
9,000 and left some 250,000 people homeless, according to Palestinian
medical officials and the United Nations. Israel has lost 64 soldiers
and three civilians.

A group of protesters in Ann Arbor has been calling for city leaders
to boycott Israeli products because of the month-long bombing in Gaza.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights and advocacy
organization, this week said its chapters nationwide have collected
more than 26,000 letters signed by community members urging elected
officials to demand an end to the attacks.

As the clock ticked down on a three-day truce between Israel and
Hamas, which runs Gaza, Hamas on Thursday rejected Israeli demands
it disarm and threatened to resume its rocket attacks if its demands
for lifting a crippling blockade on Gaza were not met.