Author: Badalian Vardan

BORDER WITH ARMENIA TO REMAIN CLOSED

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 15 2014

15 August 2014 – 5:26pm

The Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ismail Alper Joshgun told
journalists that the Turkish-Armenian border will remain closed even
after the formation of the new government in Turkey.

Some foreign and local media have reported that in the anticipation
of the 100th anniversary of Armenian genocide in 2015, Turkey will
open its borders with Armenia. Diplomatic relations between the two
countries were severed in 1993.

THE ISIS RAMPAGE COULD WIPE OUT ARAMAIC, ‘THE LANGUAGE OF JESUS’

Business Insider Australia
Aug 15 2014

Peter Terlato

The ancient language of Aramaic – first spoken over 3000 years ago –
faces extinction at the hands of the Islamic State, following the
capture of Iraqi towns which represent the last major concentration
of Aramaic speakers in the world.

As ISIL (Islamic State in the Levant) continues its invasion into the
ancient heart of Christian Iraq, fears are mounting that this could
mean the end of the ‘Language of Jesus’.

Earlier this month, 200,000 Christians fled their homes on the Nineveh
plains fearing capture, torture and conversion.

A local archbishop, Joseph Thomas, has described the situation as a
“cultural and linguistic emergency”.

Here’s what Foreign Policy had to say in regards to the impending
disaster:

Nearly three millennia of continuous records exist for Aramaic; only
Chinese, Hebrew, and Greek have an equally long written legacy. For
many religions, Aramaic has had sacred or near-sacred status. It is
the presumed mother tongue of Jesus, who is reported in the Gospel of
Matthew to have said on the cross: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” (“My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”) It came to be used in the
Jewish Talmud, in the Eastern Christian churches (where it is known
as Syriac), and as the ritual and everyday language of the Mandaeans,
an ethno-religious minority in Iran and Iraq.

Though marginalized, this Aramaic-speaking world survived for over
a millennium, until the 20th century shattered what remained of it.

During World War I, as Ottoman power dissolved, Turkish nationalists
not only massacred Armenians and Greeks, but also perpetrated what
is known today as the Assyrian Genocide, slaughtering and expelling
the Christian Aramaic-speaking population of eastern Turkey. Most
survivors fled to Iran and Iraq.

Thus, until early August, the best hope for Aramaic’s survival was in
northern Iraq, in the diverse North-Eastern subgroup, with its greater
number of speakers and its roots in larger communities. The Christian
population of Iraq has been in free fall — from 1.5 million in 2003
to an estimated 350,000 to 450,000 today — but the Nineveh plains
had been spared the worst. In January, Baghdad even announced its
intention to make the region a separate province, a gesture towards
Assyrian aspirations for autonomy.

After a century of expulsions and persecutions, can spoken
Aramaic survive without its homeland on the Nineveh plains? Between
assimilation and dispersion, the challenges of maintaining the language
in diaspora will be immense, even if speakers remain in Erbil.

Globally, languages and cultures are disappearing at an unprecedented
rate — on average, the last fluent, native speaker of a language
dies every three months — but what’s happening with Aramaic is far
more unusual and terrifying: the deliberate extinction of a language
and culture, unfolding in real time.”

It was in Aramaic that the original “writing on the wall,” at the Feast
of King Belshazzar in the Book of Daniel, foretold the fall of Babylon.

Will these latest atrocities by the Islamic State foreshadow the end
of this once almost universal language?

KARABAKH: RUSSIA PARTICIPATES IN NEGOTIATIONS AS A NEUTRAL PARTY

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 14 2014

14 August 2014 – 4:10pm

By “Vestnik Kavkaza”

Experts had hoped that against the background of violent clashes in
the conflict zone of Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia would take the lead in
finding a solution to the conflict at the Sochi meeting of Armenian
and Azerbaijani leaders Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev with Russian
President Vladimir Putin. As a result of the meeting, the parties
assured that they are willing to continue the negotiation process to
resolve the conflict. According to Vladimir Putin, both sides have
the goodwill for it.

The director of the SCO Business Club, Denis Tyurin, believes that
the main outcome of the Sochi summit is the fact that it prevented
an escalation of the conflict. “The outcome of the negotiations did
not become known to the public, nor the topics that were discussed,
neither questions nor conclusions have been published. Currently we
see some easing of the situation, the parties have calmed down, we
see a willingness to negotiate, a readiness to find common ground,
build bridges, possibly bypass walls and look for exits through
negotiations.”

Tyurin believes that the efforts undertaken by Russia in this
regard are not associated with traditional partner-based relations
between Armenia and Russia: “Russia is acting as a neutral party,
as an objective, outside observer, ready to consider and accept the
logic of each of the parties in order to find the most suitable, the
most accommodating solution for each of the parties. The long-term
objective of all parties, of all governments, is to increase the
well-being of the population, to increase living standards, to make
the life of people better. It is in this framework that we need to talk
about the future ways of resolving the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

According to Tyurin, the fact that Azerbaijan is in a better economic
position and has larger financial resources has a positive effect on
its willingness to invest and stimulate economic activities in the
region. “I guess it makes sense to take the next step – to open up
opportunities for economic cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Certainly there are many possibilities for that in the framework of
the single Eurasian economic space and it would be very impractical
not to use them.”

The director of the Institute of EurAsEC, Vladimir Lepekhin, is
convinced that “the main players behind the scenes who are trying to
fan the flames in the Caucasus and throughout the region have been
trying to “pump” Armenia, sponsored the opposition, raised the issue
of Nagorno-Karabakh in a way which contradicted the authorities’ line.”

According to Lepekhin, the Western countries have long been playing
against Azerbaijan: “We know that, until 2011, Azerbaijan had
the highest rates of economic growth associated with the export of
hydrocarbons. This was due to the fact that mainly foreign companies
worked in all the fields. Then, suddenly, operators of these companies
have started to reduce the production of hydrocarbons. They avoided
saying why, even though [President Ilham] Aliyev has repeatedly asked
them why it was reducing. Then the leadership of Azerbaijan started to
implement the policy of industrialization. Foreign companies came at
that time as well, invested money. Now comes a moment when Azerbaijan
is pressured.”

According to the expert, on this basis, the solution of the Karabakh
problem remains not “in the hands of some international organizations,
let alone the United States, but only in the hands of the presidents of
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia.” Lepekhin also emphasized the possible
role of the President of Kazakhstan in the conflict: “We have long
been suggesting the 2+2 format in addressing not only the Karabakh
problem, but relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in general and
the stabilization of the region as a whole. According to this format,
Kazakhstan will be the guarantor of Azerbaijan’s participation in the
negotiations and Russia will be the guarantor of the participation of
Armenia. Four countries within the 2+2 format will be able to finally
solve this problem.”

APA, Azerbaijan
Aug 16 2014

Australian Azerbaijanis send open letter to pro-Armenian MP of New
South Wales State

[ 16 August 2014 11:46 ]

Baku. Rufet Ahmadzadeh – APA. Australian Azerbaijanis have sent an
open letter to MP of New South Wales State Amanda Fazio who blamed
Azerbaijan for the last tensions in Karabakh and called for sanctions
against our country.

The Azerbaijan-Australia-Turk Friendship Society reported to APA that
the society’s chairman Imadaddin Gasimov’s letter expressed
disappointment over Amanda Fazio’s untrue statement.

Mr Gasimov mentioned in the letter that Mrs Fazio’s claims are in
contrast with the position of international organizations as well:
“Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is recognized by the UN, the
Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the OSCE and many other
international organizations. Australia is one of the countries which
recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Your position and ideas
are far beyond from the reality. Azerbaijani territories are under
Armenia’s occupation, and Azerbaijan is currently trying to restore
its territorial integrity by peaceful means. The ceasefire regime has
been continuing in Karabakh since 1994, and Azerbaijan has relied on
the OSCE Minsk Group’s mediation about resolution of the conflict.
Inspired by the latest happenings in Ukraine, Armenian aggressors are
lately trying to shatter the ceasefire and lay fictitious claims
against Azerbaijan. We regret that you are one of those who traveled
to Karabakh without an official permission from Baku. And we’d like to
remind you that it’s disrespect to the international law”.

Note that, the parliament of Australia’s New South Wales State had
recognized the independence of the illegal Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
in 2012.

Armenia’s needy farmers living near Azerbaijan border to receive greenhouses

15:48, 16.08.2014

YEREVAN. – The socially disadvantaged farmers of Armenia’s Tavush
Region will receive polyethylene greenhouses.

Eric Baghdasaryan, who is an expert from the Fund For Armenian Relief
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program (FAR BCPP), told the above-said
to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

As per Baghdasaryan, high quality polyethylene greenhouses are already
obtained from Israel, and the first seven greenhouses should be
distributed this month among the farmers of Berd city.

Along with the greenhouses, a drip irrigation system will be installed
to enable farmers to save water.

In his words, FAR has decided to partially subsidize the greenhouses,
and the expenses will amount to about $3,650 per farm.

“According to our calculations, the farmers will be able to pay the
full amount in several years,” Baghdasaryan added.

The priority will be given to large families with a positive social demeanor.

Tavush Region was chosen for this program for several reasons, one of
which is the scarcity of cultivation land. Another factor is the
region’s warm climate and long agrarian period. As a result, the
farmers in this region can manage with the polyethylene greenhouses
without heating.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

PHILATELIE ARMENIENNE
Les architectes Nokoghaïs Mar et Toros Toramanian honorés par la Poste
arménienne

Le 13 août, HayPost, la Poste arménienne a procédé à l’émission d’une
série deux timbre-poste dédiés à l’Histoire de l’architecture
arménienne. Le premier, d’une valeur de 280 drams est à l’occasion du
150ème anniversaire de la naissance de l’architecte Nikoghaïos Mar
(1864-1934). Il représente le portrait l’architecte-archéologue face à
la cathédrale d’Ani.

Toros Toramanian

Le second timbre, également d’une valeur de 280 drams, est dédié à
l’architecte Toros Toramanian (1864-1934). Le timbre représente son
buste face aux ruines de l’église de Zvartnots. La série est émise en
40 000 exemplaires.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 16 août 2014,
Krikor Amirzayan (c)armenews.com

Father Vahram. “The letter by the Azerbaijani spiritual leader
reiterates the main theses of Azerbaijani propaganda.”

August 16 2014

Aravot.am asked the Head of Information Systems of the Mother See of
Holy Etchmiadzin, Father Vahram Melikyan whether the news that a
letter has been received from the Azerbaijani spiritual leader in
response to the letter by Catholicos meets the reality. “Yes, we
confirm that a few days ago, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
received the letter addressed to His Holiness by Azerbaijan’s
spiritual leader, also Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board, Sheikh
ul-Islam Allahshükür Pashazade, in response to the letter by
All-Armenian Catholicos. It is sad that the spiritual leader’s letter
totally reiterates the main theses of Azerbaijani propaganda about the
Karabakh problem. On the other hand, it is clear that in such an
authoritarian society where an anti-Armenian hostility is incited at
the state level, he could not express any other viewpoint and voice
the truth,” responded the spokesperson of Catholicos of All Armenians.

Gohar HAKOBYAN
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Serious Geopolitical Prospect for Javakhk

Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments – 16 August 2014, 16:59

Georgia is building a military base in Akhalkalak, in the place of the
Russian military base which was withdrawn in 2007 by Saakashvili’s
effort. At that time the greater part of the population of Javakhk was
disappointed with Georgia’s decision because the military base
provided direct and indirect employment for part of the Armenians of
Javakhk. And now, 7 years later, Georgia starts building a big
military base.

Georgia’s initiative overlaps with an interesting period when the
West-Russia confrontation has escalated, and the South Caucasus
aspires to becoming one of its key points. Georgia has signed the
Association Agreement with the EU, which indicates a new stage for
security cooperation in the West. In this respect, it is important
whether NATO may have any presence in the new military base in the
course of time.

This is an important issue indeed, and it is not accidental that 7
years after the withdrawal of the Russian base Georgia builds a
Georgian military base in the place of the Russian base in this exact
geopolitical stage. One of the issues on the agenda of the NATO summit
in Wales in September will be the new level of relations between NATO
and Eastern Europe, including Georgia. There is little possibility
that Georgia’s membership will come true but a serious discussion on a
new level of cooperation with this country in the general geopolitical
context is possible.

NATO may empower itself with new tools of cooperation with non-member
countries for Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. And it may mean that the
North Atlantic Alliance will receive a possibility or prospect for
being present in Georgia though the latter is not a member. In this
respect the Georgian military base in Akhalkalak has a strategic
importance because it is close to the Russian base in Armenia, is
located in a place where Russian provocations against Georgia are
probable, close to the conflict area of Artsakh which is one of the
probable places of destabilization of the region.

NATO’s presence in Georgia may act as a factor of restoring the broken
balance in the region. The balance has been broken by the shortsighted
policy of the Armenian government, surrender of the country’s
sovereignty to Russia, abdication of foreign policy and sovereign
interests by Armenia.

>From this point of view, the presence of NATO in the region stems from
the state interest of Armenia. On the one hand, the dominance of the
Russian-Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance over the issue of division of the
Caucasus through a military scheme will be reduced. On the other hand,
such presence may act as a factor of balance in protecting the
Armenian-Georgian relations from the Russian provocation which Moscow
will certainly try to do or at least consider doing against Georgia
which has associated with the EU.

At the same time, the presence of the Georgian military base, if it
becomes a lodgment for NATO’s presence, stems from the interests of
Javakhk, acting as a factor of security against the
Turkish-Azerbaijani expansion a strong wave of which is observed in
Georgia and Javakhk is certainly one of the targets.

The presence of NATO in this region may change essentially the
geopolitical importance and regional role of Javakhk. Javakhk may
assume a regional role in international projects of Turkey’s
containment.

It would be interesting to observe the reactions of Russia, Javakhk
and Armenia to the Georgian military base, who will torpedo this
process full of prospects for regional balance for the sake of the
security of Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk, and what the foci will be.

– See more at:

Azerbaijan’s propaganda produced no results, expert says

17:10 16/08/2014 >> POLITICS

Azerbaijan’s propaganda presenting Armenia as a side that was a winner
on the battlefield but on the whole lost the war does not produce any
results, political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told reporters
on Saturday.

According to the expert, at the negotiating table Azerbaijan continues
to build its relations with Armenia as with a side that lost the
conflict.

However, the analyst said, the situation has not changed and Armenia
remains in a dominant position on the border.

Now it is time for our military success to directly influence the
negotiation process, Melik-Shahnazaryan concluded.

Source: Panorama.am

Feast of Assumption of St. Mary to be celebrated tomorrow

August 16, 2014 11:40

Tomorrow, on August 17, the Armenian Church will celebrate the Feast
of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Holy Mother of God. In the calendar
of the Armenian Church, this feast is the fourth of five major feasts
that are commemorated, and is the oldest one dedicated to St. Mary.

On the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Ceremony of the
Blessing of the Grapes is conducted, and the harvest for the entire
year is blessed on that day.

In the Holy Bible, there is little information concerning the details
of St. Mary’s life. As a result, the story of her Assumption has been
preserved and passed on to us through the Holy and Sacred Tradition of
the Apostolic Church.

Following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Holy Virgin remains in
Jerusalem, and lives under the care of St. John the Evangelist. For
nearly 12 years, St. Mary lives by praying, fasting, and often
visiting the empty tomb of her beloved Son. During one such visit to
the tomb, the Archangel Gabriel appears and gives her the news of her
imminent assumption to heaven.

St. Mary relays the news to her relatives and all Christians, asking
them to bury her in the valley of Gethsemane. St. Mary also asks the
Apostle John to celebrate a Divine Liturgy, so she may receive Holy
Communion one final time. After receiving Holy Communion, St. Mary
returns to her room. As the Apostles prepare to mourn her death, St.
John asks the Mother of God to leave an image of her face on a board
of wood. St. Mary takes the board, crosses herself and brings it close
to her face. Moistening the board with her tears, she asks God that by
means of the board, people would be cured from disease. As the
Apostles surround St. Mary, an indescribable light appears. The Son of
God and the angels of heaven appear in the room. Seeing Christ, St.
Mary dies.

St. Bartholomew the Apostle was absent and did not participate in the
burial service of St. Mary. Upon his return to Jerusalem, he wishes to
see St. Mary for the last time. Per his request, the Apostles open the
tomb, yet they do not find the remains of St. Mary. According to His
promise, Jesus Christ had delivered His mother to His heavenly
kingdom. The Apostles give the board of St. Mary to St. Bartholomew
for consolation.

According to Moses of Khoren, St. Bartholomew brings the board to
Armenia. It is kept in the Province of Andzav, in a location called
Darbnots. Years later, a church is built there in honor of St. Mary,
and a convent is opened.

The Armenian Church has a deep and abiding respect towards St. Mary.
Special emphasis is placed on her being a mother, her honesty, her
unique spirit of humility, her virtuous behavior and her unselfish
dedication. For Armenian women, the Holy Virgin is the embodiment of
virtue, pious motherhood, and the protector of family sacredness.

Artsakhpress.am
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