Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA WITHDRAWS FROM NATO DRILLS IN GEORGIA

Xinhua
May 6 2009
China

MOSCOW, May 5 (Xinhua) — Armenia will not participate in the NATO-led
military exercises in Georgia, Russian news agencies reported on
Tuesday, citing the Armenian Defense Ministry.

"Due to the current situation, Armenian troops will not take part in
NATO’s exercises in Georgia," the ministry was quoted by Itar-Tass
and RIA Novosti as saying in a statement.

A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that
Russia is satisfied with some countries’ decision to pull out of the
drills, Itar-Tass reported.

The planned exercises, scheduled for May 6 to June 1, have drawn strong
opposition from Moscow. About 1,300 soldiers from over a dozen NATO
member or ally states were originally scheduled to participate, but
Kazakhstan, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova and Serbia have already withdrawn.

Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, Ca 91504
Tel: 818-558-7474
Fax: 818-558-6333
Web:

WD Newsletter

Western Diocese e-Newsletter

The Office of the Western Diocese announces with the deepest regret
the passing away of Rev. Archpriest Fr. Vartan Dulgarian. On behalf
of the entire Western Diocese, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian, wish to convey his deepest condolences to the family
members of Fr. Vartan. In our prayers let us beseech the Lord to
welcome into His Kingdom of eternal peace and joy this tireless
servant of His, and to grant consolation and comfort to all those who
mourn Fr. Vartan’s passing.

Upon the instruction of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian,
Primate, Rev. Archpriest Fr. Sarkis Petoyan, Pastor of St. John
Armenian Church of San Francisco, will oversee and organize the
funeral services in the upcoming days.

On Wednesday, May 6, 2009, starting at 5:00 PM, His Eminence
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, assisted by Diocesan clergy will
preside over the "Home Service" for Fr. Vartan at St. Peter Armenian
Church in Glendale.

The Last Unction Rite for the deceased priest is scheduled to take
place immediately after the "Home Service," beginning at 6:00 PM,
during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by His Eminence
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate.

Upon the request of Mrs. Sonig Keshishian, daughter of Fr. Vartan, in
lieu of flowers donation can be made to the Stewardship Program of the
Western Diocese in memory of Rev. Archpriest Fr. Vartan Dulgarian.

Please make you checks payable to the Western Diocese and write in
memo section Stewardship Program (Fr. Vartan):

Western Diocese – Armenian Church
3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91504

The funeral service will be held at St. Paul Armenian Church in Fresno
on the following day, on May 7, 2009, at 10:00 AM. The funeral service
will be conducted by Rev. Archpriest Fr. Arshen Aivazian, Pastor of
St. Paul Armenian Church in Fresno.

In memory of our beloved Fr. Vartan a short autobiographical piece –
written recently by Fr. Vartan, who continued working hard until very
recently – is included below in celebration of his long and fruitful
life:

I was born at the Dardanelles on May 15, 1911.

My father died on the day that I was born.

I was a witness of the Genocide of the Armenians, and of the Massacres
at Smyrna. I survived miraculously.

During my childhood I lived in Athens, Greece, and there attended the
local national school.

In 1926 we moved to Alexandria, Egypt, where I graduated from the
Boghosian National High School. I then attended the Berberian College
of Cairo, from which I was graduated in 1928.

In 1932, through the generosity of the Greek Patriarch Meletios, I
went to Greece, and for four years I followed the
Literature-Philosophy course of study in Athens.

My teachers were the following: in the national school, Nicol
Aghbalian and Levon Shant; and in the Berberian School, Retheos
Berberian’s sons, Onnik and Shahan.

I served in teaching at the Boghosian, Haygazian, and Mekhitarian
Schools, and as Choirmaster in the St. Boghos Bedros and the Catholic
churches.

In 1933 I married Miss Zabel Tokatlian, and we were blessed with two
daughters, Mary and Sonia, three grandchildren, and two great
grandchildren. A few years ago my daughter Mary passed away in Freano.

I served as Principal and as Choirmaster in the national school and in
the church of the capital city Khartum of Sudan.

In the month of September of 1957 I was ordained a Priest in the
St. Paul Armenian Church of Fresno, by His Eminence Archbishop Vartan
Kasparian, and was renamed Father Vartan, yielding my baptismal name
of Piuzant.

I have written for the following newspapers and periodicals: Arev,
Husaper, Nor Or, Baikar, Abaka, Nairi, Marmara, Zhamanak, Nor Gyank,
Hay Gyank, Geghart, Hayasdani Hanrabedutiun, Hayreniki Tzayn, The
Armenian Observer, Etchmiadzin, and Sion.

PUBLISHED WORKS: Gyanke Kerezmanen Antin, Giragnorya Khoher, Khachin
Janabare, Mdaseverumner, Gyank yev Haverzhutiun, Tebi Nor Horizonner,
Shoghartzag Khoher yev Dibarner, Jarakaytogh Hokiner, Angakh Hayasdan,
Asdvadz Im Gyanks E, Artzag yev Chapadzo Manraveber, as well as three
volumes of English translations by Prof. Arra Avakian.

COMEDIES: Angadar Amusnutiunner, Hamajarage, Kogh Dzaraner,
Varzhabede, Adenabede, and Vavashod Amusine.

My two latest, large volumes, in Armenian and in English, will soon
appear in print, from the "Yerevan" Press.

Thirty years ago I was awarded the "St. Sahag and St. Mesrob Medal of
Honor" by the Venerable Vazken I Catholicos of All Armenians as an
appreciation for my literary works. At that time His Holiness granted
me the Honor of Archpriest and presented me with a Pectoral Cross.

The Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, providing
spiritual guidance and leadership to the Armenian Apostolic community,
is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization comprised of more
than 50 churches in 16 western states. It was established in 1898 as
the Diocese of the Armenian Church encompassing the entire United
States and Canada. In 1927 the Western Diocese was formed to
exclusivly serve the western United States.

3325 North Glenoaks Blvd. Burbank, CA 91504
Tel: (818) 558-7474 Fax: (818) 558-6333
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

MAJORITY OF ISRAELI JEWS FAVOR A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAN’S NUCLEAR FACILITIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.05.2009 20:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A new Israeli opinion survey says the majority of
Israeli Jews favor a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The poll published Monday by Haaretz newspaper indicates that 66 %
of Israeli Jews surveyed backed such an attack on Iran, while 15 %
opposed it and 19 %gave no opinion.

75% of those who supported a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities said
they would continue to back the attack even if the United States
opposed it, but 15 % said they would change their minds based on
Washington’s position, VOA News reported.

HEAD OF WORKING GROUP OF STATE COMMITTEE ON POWS, HOSTAGES AND MISSING PEOPLE OF ARMENIA: I ALSO HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT CONDITIONS OF CUSTODY OF ARMENIAN POWS IN AZERI JAILS BUT I MAKE NO ALLEGATIONS

ArmInfo
2009-05-01 14:51:00

ArmInfo. The statement of the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of
Azerbaijan about the "tortures" of Azeri POW in Armenia is a barefaced
lie, the head of the working group of the State Committee on POWs,
Hostages and Missing People Armen Kapriyelyan has told ArmInfo.

"This is one more provocation, a new attempt of the Azeris to cast
mud on the Armenian authorities and our committee. How can the
spokeman of the Azeri DM know if Gasanov is tortured or not. The
only thing he can know for sure is the facts given in the reports of
ICRC delegates regularly visiting Gasanov. ICRC has always said that
we comply with the requirements of the international humanitarian
and human rights laws and has expressed satisfaction with Gasanov’s
health condition. I also have information about the conditions of the
custody of Armenian POWs in Azeri jails but I make no allegations. We
are aware of the atrocities committed by the Azeris against our POWs
and we have shared our concerns with repesentatives of international
humanitarian organizations.

Everybody is aware of our approach to the sensitive problem of custody
and treatment of POWs. So, the spokesman of the Azeri DM better not
measure others by his own yardstick. And the medical treatment of the
Armenian POWs is not their good will but just implementation of the
requirements of Article 30 of Geneva Convention on Treatment of POWs,"
says Kapriyelyan.

Earlier, APA news agency quoted the spokesman of the Azeri DM as
saying that Azeri POW Rafig Gasanov is being tortured and that they
allegedly have relevant information.

To remind, Gasanov has surrendered on his own will and has refused
to go back to Azerbaijan.

ANALYSIS: TURKISH-ARMENIAN THAW AND ENERGY
By John C.K. Daly

UPI Energy
April 27, 2009 Monday 6:22 PM EST

During the past year, at a time of record-high energy prices,
many European officials have decried what they see as Russia’s
state-owned Gazprom natural gas company being used as a tool to
promote the Kremlin’s policies by indulging in hardball quot;pipeline
politics.quot; Gazprom’s favored tool is variable prices being used
to send political signals to recalcitrant former Soviet republics
such as Ukraine and Georgia, with the pressure ramping up in direct
proportion to a government’s inclination to look westward.

Of all the former Soviet republics, Armenia receives the most
preferential pricing; effective April 1, Armenia pays a mere $154 per
thousand cubic meters for Russian gas. In contrast, three months ago
Gazprom Deputy Chairman Alexander Medvedev noted, in reference to
Gazprom’s intention to ramp up Ukraine’s cost from $179 per tcm to
$250 per tcm, quot;The rest of Europe pays more than $400 for each
thousand cubic meters of gas it gets from Russia.quot;

However, great political changes are moving in the southern Caucasus
under one of the region’s last quot;frozen conflicts,quot; which may
well spell the end for Armenia’s cozy arrangement for subsidized
Russian gas. The longstanding triangular dispute between Turkey,
Azerbaijan and Armenia over the 1988-1994 Azeri-Armenian conflict,
during which Turkey in 1993 closed its border with Armenia in a
show of solidarity with Baku, has recently seen Ankara and Yerevan
tentatively moving toward normalizing relations.

On April 24, the Turkish and Armenian foreign ministries announced,
quot;The two parties have achieved tangible progress and mutual
understanding in this process, and they have agreed on a comprehensive
framework for the normalization of their bilateral relations.quot;
After the implosion of the Soviet Union, Turkey was the first
country to recognize Armenia’s independence, but the positive
relations were short-lived, and they were subsequently subsumed
into the Azeri-Armenian conflict. After the Armenian-Turkish road
map was announced, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, quot;The
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations must proceed in parallel
with the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied lands of
Azerbaijan.quot;

Should the framework result in full normalization of relations, it will
represent yet another turn in the kaleidoscope of Caucasian politics,
and Baku, worried about potential abandonment by its erstwhile ally
Turkey, is making its displeasure widely known. If the discussions
result in normalization, then it will prove a major step toward
resolving a 20-year-old dispute, the longest remaining quot;frozen
conflictquot; on former Soviet territory, which predates the collapse
of the Soviet Union by three years.

A shooting war between Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out in February
1988 as both nations claimed the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, then
administered by Baku. By May 1994, when Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a
cease-fire agreement ending active hostilities, the conflict had caused
thousands of casualties, created hundreds of thousands of refugees on
both sides and left Armenian armed forces occupying swaths of Azeri
territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven neighboring districts.

The conflict was used by Russia as a bargaining chip to retain
influence in the Caucasus, liberated from Soviet control by the 1991
collapse of the Soviet Union. As both Georgia and rising petro-state
Azerbaijan drifted out from under Moscow’s control, Armenia by default
became Russia’s major Caucasian ally. A thaw between Turkey and Armenia
would recast this strategic reality, but, as with most issues in the
Caucasus, they remain complex as Azerbaijan remains deeply unhappy
with the recent Turkish-Armenian rapprochement.

Last but hardly least, a normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations,
if Azerbaijan could be mollified, could have a dramatic impact on any
potential future export routes for the rising volumes of Caspian oil
and natural gas, as routes transiting Armenia would be far shorter
and less expensive than those developed up to now.

The crown jewel of Western investment in the Caspian is the $3.6
billion, 1,092-mile, 1 million-barrel-per-day Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline, which became operational in May 1996. BTC transits
high-quality Azeri crude from Azerbaijan’s Caspian offshore
Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli fields to Turkey’s deepwater Mediterranean
terminus at Ceyhan.

Given the state of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the
time of BTC’s construction, Armenia was excluded from hosting the
pipeline, but Azerbaijan in turn was forced to pay a price for its
unwillingness to negotiate, as BTC was forced to take a lengthy
detour around Armenia, adding substantially to the project’s cost
and construction delays.

The pipeline’s contorted geography dovetailed nicely with Washington’s
support for multiple pipelines, so long as they avoided both Russia
and Iran. BTC proved a financial windfall for both producing nation
Azerbaijan and transit nations Georgia and Turkey. In the first half
of 2007, BTC revenues boosted Azerbaijan’s gross domestic product
growth to an astounding 35 percent, while Georgia received annual
transit fees averaging $62.5 million. Given that BTC covered 155
miles of Georgian territory but 669 miles across Turkey, Ankara’s
share of transit revenues was projected at approximately $200 million
per year. Yerevan could only sigh and watch from the sidelines.

Not that Western pipeline schemes have ended; following the recent
Gazprom-Turkmenistan dispute, interest is reviving in a Trans-Caspian
Pipeline from Turkmenistan passing through Azerbaijan. While TCP was
initially proposed as running through Georgia, a thaw in Turkish and
Armenian relations could divert it southward, cutting many miles and
millions of dollars off construction costs.

Such a change would not be without political risk, however. The BTC
could afford to divert around Armenia since it was not, in any military
sense, a significant threat to the project or the states involved,
but in the case of the TCP, it is most unlikely that either Russia
or Iran would stand idly by while the TCP was built.

Azeri displeasure with quot;blowbackquot; from the discussions
is already evident. Gazprom is on the verge of new deals with
Azerbaijan that promise to bring Azerbaijani gas back into Russian
pipelines, specifically its envisioned South Stream pipeline, which, if
constructed, would transit under the Black Sea from Russia to Bulgaria
and then split into two pipelines — one through the Mediterranean
to Italy, the other through Serbia and Hungary to Austria.

Not wishing to be left out in the cold, Azerbaijani and Armenian
Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan have agreed to meet in
Prague, Czech Republic, on May 7 to continue the direct negotiations
to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Russia’s reaction to the Turkish-Armenian thaw? For those reading
ulterior political motives into Gazprom policies, ArmRosGazprom
spokeswoman Shushan Sardaryan announced last week that gas supplies
to Armenia would be halted from April 23 to 26 for quot;maintenance
work.quot;

Baku is not above sending an energy signal to Ankara, either, as
Azerbaijan decided to the raise the price of the natural gas supplied
to Turkey as of April 15. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
responded that for Baku to raise natural gas prices when oil prices
were falling was quot;bizarre.quot;

Throw in Armenia’s insistence that Turkey recognize the events in
eastern Anatolia in 1915 as genocide, and the adjective seemingly best
suited for prospects for a final pacification of the southern Caucasus,
despite its energy potential, would seem to be quot;murky.quot; As
geopolitical alliances thaw and shift, the only apparent certainty
is that Caspian energy producers will signal their displeasure to
neighboring client and transit nations with more quot;bizarrequot;
behavior.

TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ADDRESSES TURKISH NATION

Anadolu Agency
April 30 2009
Turkey

ANKARA (A.A) – 30.04.2009 – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said on Thursday that it was not possible for the Republic
of Turkey to be included in an initiative which might harm Azerbaijan
and Azerbaijani government.

In a televised address to the nation, Erdogan said that efforts for
the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia aimed to
settle peace, confidence and stability in the region.

In regard to U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Turkey, Erdogan
said that Turkey once again attracted great attention of the world
due to the visit.

U.S. President Obama made a good impression on Turkish nation and
the world due to his messages in favor of peace and compromise during
his visit to Turkey, he said.

Erdogan said that remarks (of Obama) regarding the 1915 incidents
were unacceptable and historians should deal with this matter.

Erdogan said regarding the Cyprus issue that he believed that Turkish
Cypriot party’s efforts for restoring peace in the island would also
carry on in the following period and negotiations launched by Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Mehmet Ali Talat would
be concluded successfully.

Premier Erdogan recalled that he also paid a visit to the British
capital of London for a G-20 summit.

A sound international cooperation was of great importance to fight
against global economic crisis and G-20 countries gathered to make
a plan to weather economic crisis, he said.

Turkey made great contributions to the G-20 summit with its views
and proposals, he said.

In regard to the Turkish economy, Erdogan said Turkey was one of the
countries which were least affected by the global economic crisis.

Turkish government urgently took several important steps to minimize
negative impacts of global economic crisis on Turkish people and
Turkish economy was firmly standing on its feet, he added. (EO-AO)

GERMANY TO DEVELOP MILITARY COOPERATION WITH TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.04.2009 18:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Germany and Turkey intent to intensify cooperation in
armament sphere. A framework agreement was signed between countries’
representatives during International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF)
in Istanbul.

According to AFP agency, the agreement stipulates for regular meetings
and implementations of joint projects in armament sphere

German opposition representatives took a swipe at policy pursued by
ruling coalition. "Government demonstrated its neglect towards its own
principles by signing an agreement with Turkey," German legislator
Norman Paech stated. According to him, while German Minister of
Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier preached on the necessity to
cut armament expenditures, coalition announced about its intention
to cooperate with Turkey in the very same field.

International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) is Turkey’s defense industry
fair organized by Turkish Armed Forces Foundation. The Foundation
organizes IDEF on odd years and before each fair it chooses the
organizer firm by calling a tender. This year, Germany will feature
production of 15 defense technology and armaments manufacturers.

MEDICINAL POISONING

A1+
11:58 am | April 29, 2009 | society

Tigran and Suren Melkonyans, inhabitants of Shirak’s Ghazanch village,
were taken to hospital with drug poisoning on April 28.

Doctors say their state is of average seriousness.

Fire

A fire broke out at Bakunts Square of Gorsi City on April 28.

The passenger compartment of an UAZ 746 UL 52 belonging to the
"Energoshin" OJSC got burnt as a result. Corpse found in bed

A fire broke out in house 11 of Yerevan’s Miasnikyan Avenue on April
29. The fire was doused with local efforts. The body of a middle-aged
man was found in bed.

EMERGENCY HOSPITAL DID NOT ADMIT KIVIRYAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.04.2009 11:46 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Staff of Yerevan emergency hospital refused to
admit Armenia Today news agency coordinator Argishti Kiviryan after
the assault. The duty doctor said he can’t accept the man because
"the chief physician of the hospital is asleep."

After abortive requests to wake the chief physician up, the relatives
took Kiviryan to Erebinu medical center where he was examined.

Informing the RA Ministry of Health of the outrageous behavior of the
emergency hospital staff, the relatives were told that the "hospital
is private."

Life of Armenian Today news agency coordinator Argishti Kiviryan was
attempted last night.

Kiviryan was assaulted at 5 am near his house. Unknown beat him
severely and took shots at him.

The medical examination showed that there no bullet wounds but he
has serious bodily injuries. His health state is rated as grave. At
the moment he is in the resuscitation department.

Details are not made public. Kiviryan’s associates link the incident
to his professional activity.

ACCORDING TO ANC REPRESENTATIVE, ARFD SHOULD STILL GAIN RIGHT OF BEING REAL OPPOSITION

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 28, 2009
YEREVAN

ARFD should still gain the right of being a real opposition. Armenian
National Congress representative Levon Zurabian expressed such an
opinion at the April 28 press conference adding that a statement
on coming out of the ruling coalition is not enough for becoming
an opposition.

"We have not noticed yet ARFD’s coming out of the power. However I
assess their step as the first sign of this regime’s being not viable,"
he said. And if ARFD indeed chooses the way of becoming opposition of
principle, L. Zurabian did not exclude that ANC can cooperate with it.

Touching upon the joint Armenian-Turkish statement, "road map,"
L. Zurabian said that according to information received from a reliable
diplomatic source, the issue of establishing a commission of historians
is also fixed in that document. L. Zurabian said that ANC has applied
to the respective bodies to find out the details of the "road map,"
but has received no response so far. And that silence, according to
him, gives an occasion for serious doubts.