Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

AZERBAIJAN DISRUPTS OSCE MONITORING OPERATION – ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY SPOKESMAN

Interfax News Agency
July 11 2008
Russia

Azerbaijan has disrupted the OSCE’s planned monitoring of the contact
line between the Armenian and Azeri armed forces, an Armenian Defense
Ministry spokesman told Interfax.

"Azerbaijan has disrupted a monitoring operation near the village
of Chinari in the Berd district of the Tavush region of Armenia. The
Azeri Foreign Ministry did not extend appropriate security guarantees,
which prompted Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, the personal representative
of the OSCE chairman-in-office, to cancel the monitoring," he said.

A similar monitoring operation was disrupted last month, the Armenian
Defense Ministry spokesman said. Azerbaijan regularly shells Chinari,
and two Armenian farmers have been killed this way over the past month,
he said.

A number of Armenian media outlets reported that Kasprzyk planned
to meet with Armenian Defense Minister Seiran Oganian on Thursday to
discuss the situation.
From: Baghdasarian

ELDAR SABIROGHLY: "WE CAN NOT REJECT PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY TRAININGS, JUST BECAUSE ARMENIANS WILL ALSO TAKE PART"

Today.Az
July 11 2008
Azerbaijan

The military trainings in Georgia, to be attended by Azerbaijani and
Armenian servicemen, are held on the basis of bilateral cooperation
between Georgia and the United States, said spokesman for the
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Eldar Sabuiroghlu, noting that the
trainings are organized by these two states.

He noted that Gergian side considered it necessary to declare the
trainings open and invite other countries for them.

"For gaining experience Azerbaijan considered it necessary to take
part in these trainings. After us Armenia also voiced intention to
partake. We can not reject the trainings only because Armenians will
also take part.

Alongside with us, the trainings will also be attended by Ukrainian
servicemen. Everyone knows the state of relatios between Ukraine and
Armenia. However, Ukrainian side will ot reject the participation
only because Armenians partake in them", said Sabiroghlu.

At the same time, the spokesman for the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
announced that Azerbaijan will be represented by 8 officers.
From: Baghdasarian

RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY TO HOST ANC-WR 2008 ANNUAL BANQUET

armradio.am
11.07.2008 10:42

The Armenian National Committee – Western Region (ANC-WR) announces
that the 2008 ANC-WR Annual Banquet shall take place on Sunday, October
12, 2008 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Located in Simi
Valley, California, the Library will offer community supporters and
activists a glimpse into the legacy of President Reagan, who recognized
the Armenian Genocide in 1981 through a Presidential Proclamation. The
2008 ANC-WR annual banquet would be the first major Armenian American
event held at the Library.

"This marquee location offers a unique blend of atmosphere for
our supporters," stated ANC-WR Board Member and Banquet Committee
Chairperson Aida Dimejian. "President Reagan was the last sitting
President to stand by his principles and describe the Armenian
Genocide accurately in 1981 – while the Presidential Library itself
is an impressive and appropriate venue to celebrate the ANC-WR’s
grassroots commitment to the community," she added.

Presidential libraries contain archives and museums, bringing together
in one collection documents and artifacts of Presidents and their
administrations for presentation to the public. As such, the Ronald
Reagan Presidential Library is a repository of presidential records
during President Reagan’s administration. With over 50 million pages
of presidential documents, 1.6 million photographs, 500,000 fee t of
motion picture film, personal papers from President Reagan’s years
as governor of California and more, the Library boasts a substantial
collection of presidential historical materials from President Reagan’s
eight years in office and beyond.

Banquet attendees will also find a museum dedicated to President
Reagan’s life, featuring exhibits on his background and work in
politics and film.

Perhaps the Library’s most outstanding feature is the "Flying White
House", otherwise known as Air-Force One which served seven Presidents,
including Reagan, from 1973-2001. President Reagan once stated that
he hoped to one day share Air Force One with the American people. The
Air Force One Pavilion, which opened on October 24, 2005, offers
visitors a unique opportunity to experience this national treasure.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is administered by the National
Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and operates under the
authority of the Presidential Records Act. There are currently twelve
Presidential Libraries in the United States which are dedicated to
Presidents Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight
Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford,
Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton.

"After last year’s highly successful sold-out affair, this year’s
annual banquet promises to elevate the community’s activism and
enthusiasm even further," commented ANC-WR Executive Director Andrew

Kzirian. "We are greatly looking forward to what will surely be the
premier community grassroots event of the year," he added.
From: Baghdasarian

ALL THE REST ARE SIMPLE SPECULATIONS

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on July 11, 2008
Armenia

"I would like to know the viewpoints of L. Ter-Petrosyan and
the Armenian Pan-National Movement with regard to Den Fried and
M. Bryza’s statements on territorial integrity. It would really be
very interesting to know what they think about it.

Or, as they say, considering President Sargsyan’s statement
problematic, they ‘forget’ that as a member of the ‘Armenian-Turkish
Reconciliation Committee’, Alexander Arzoumanyan, one of the top
figures of the Ter-Petrosyan-led movement, questioned the 1948
Genocide Convention.

Does it concern the Armenian Genocide?

The thing is that the international recognition of the Genocide was
not included in Armenia’s foreign policy agenda during the tenure of L.

Ter-Petrosyan.

And now, the Foreign Minister has reconfirmed S. Sargsyan’s statement
made in Moscow, saying that the issue continues to remain in the agenda
of Armenia’s foreign policy. All the rest are simple speculations,"
KIRO MANOYAN says.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENPRESS

PRIME MINISTER INSTRUCTS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY
OF SERVICES THEY ARE TO GIVE TO POPULATION

YEREVAN, JULY 10, ARMENPRESS: Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
instructed today all-level government officials to drastically improve
the quality of services they are to give to population. He said this
is President Serzh Sargsyan’s clear position which was
spelled clearly out in his election program.
According to the prime minister, to materialize this the government
will have to enforce a complex of measures. He said the number of
complaints received by public service offices shows that the
latter’s response is not always adequate and proper.
To resolve this issue he instructed all ministers of his
government, heads of other executive agencies, governors, the Yerevan
municipality to adopt within 10 days corresponding legal acts
regarding reception of citizens and responding to their applications,
proposals and complaints.
They were told to organize at least one reception of citizens a
month to hear their complaints. The public at large should be notified
about the procedure, the prime minister said.
The prime minister expressed hope that realization of these
instructions will add to improvement of contacts between the executive
bodies and ordinary citizens, help improve the quality of the
latter’s services, and raise also the level of public trust
in the government.
From: Baghdasarian

Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
July 10 2008

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT IN BAKU: DID HE GET WHAT HE WANTED?

By Alman Mir – Ismail

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Newly elected President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev paid
his first official visit to Azerbaijan where he met with his
Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and leaders of the various
religious denominations in the country. He also visited the Heydar
Aliyev Foundation, which preserves the legacy of the late President
Heydar Aliyev. During the visit, five documents were signed between
the two governments, including a declaration on friendship and
strategic partnership, an agreement between the foreign ministries to
cooperate in the sphere of archives, a memorandum between the
ministries of internal affairs on the protection of transit cargo, an
agreement between customs committees, and a memorandum between
agencies on the management of state properties (APA, July 3).

Both Medvedev and Aliyev hailed the results of the visit. `Russia and
Azerbaijan have strong economic ties, which help us in the resolution
of other issues. We are close to achieving our target of a trade
turnover of $2 billion. In the past four months, trade between our two
countries has increased by half. It shows that there is very good
potential,’ said Medvedev (RIA-Novosti, July 3). President Aliyev
echoed these words and also praised the growing economic cooperation
between the two nations. He specifically stressed the growing
cooperation in humanitarian affairs. Azerbaijan recently agreed to
host a Baku branch of Moscow State University, a new initiative by the
Russian Federation to foster its public diplomacy in post-Soviet
areas. Aliyev focused on the efforts of the Azerbaijani government to
protect and develop the Russian language and Russian minority in the
country.

Other issues on the two presidents’ agenda were the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict; regional security cooperation, especially within the
framework of the Caspian Sea and the resolution of its legal status;
and issues of religious tolerance and trade. Medvedev praised the
efforts by President Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Serzh
Sarkisian to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict and added that
`Russia will do its best to help this process’ (Novosti-Azerbaijan,
July 3). Last month, Medvedev hosted both Presidents in St. Petersburg
for the first time to discuss the conflict. Some pundits in the
country speculated that this was done at the insistence of Sarkisian,
with whom President Aliyev refused to meet at the Bucharest NATO
summit in order not to strengthen his legitimacy after the reportedly
fraudulent elections.

Although both Medvedev and Aliyev said that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict was the main topic of discussion, it was clear from
commentaries before and after the visit that the conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan is only a bargaining chip in the larger game
around Azerbaijan’s growing gas exporting capabilities and the Russian
state company Gazprom’s desire to prevent Azerbaijan from being the
alternative gas provider to European markets. In Baku in early June
Gazprom President Alexei Miller offered to buy all Azerbaijani gas at
the market price. Although no official offer has been made yet, local
analysts rushed to comment on this proposal, stating that Russia
wanted to monopolize Azerbaijan’s gas exports.

Medvedev did not shy away from openly declaring Russia’s interest in
energy trade with Azerbaijan. `Russia and Azerbaijan will develop
cooperation in the energy sphere. Energy, transport and industry are
the focus of both presidents. And cooperation in the trade of energy
products will increase in the near future,’ said Medvedev
(Novosti-Azerbaijan, July 3).

Russian officials have even tried to entice Azerbaijan by offering
vague promises about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Russian ambassador
to Azerbaijan Vasiliy Istratov said prior to the visit, `Russia will
play a more constructive role in the resolution of the conflict’
(, July 1).

Official Baku, however, does not seem to be too excited about the
Gazprom offer for reasons that are very clear: why sell gas to Russia
at market rates, if it is possible to do the same for the European
countries and use the energy card as leverage in bilateral relations
with the EU? Khazar Ibrahim, the spokesperson for the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, said, `Any sort of pressure from outside on
Azerbaijan on the issue of energy supplies is impossible’ (,
June 28).

Thus, it is likely that Medvedev’s visit, although a very positive
step in bilateral relations, will not result in too much of a change
in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy. A balanced foreign policy will be
continued.
From: Baghdasarian

Armenian Public TV
July 10 2008

Armenian authorities provide statistics for post-election trials

[Presenter-read report over video of offices] The Prosecutor’s Office
has reported that as of 7 July, 16 accused are in custody pending
trial as part of the 1-2 March case [post-election unrest in Yerevan];
a different restrictive measure has been selected for other nine
accused.

The Special Investigation Service has sent to courts 80 criminal cases
regarding 91 people, of these 49 cases that involved 55 people have
been heard in courts; hearings of the remaining criminal cases are
under way. Five out of the 55 people were acquitted, 21 were sentenced
to prison terms of one to five years, four people were fined, 25
people received suspended sentences with probationary periods.
From: Baghdasarian

"THE PRESIDENT SHOULD ACCEPT THE INVITATION"

AZG Armenian Daily
10/07/2008

Armenia-Turkey

In July 7 edition of Turkish "Hurriet" Fatih Chekirgen wrote an
article that runs in part, "I have written for years – ‘Open that
border. Leave Armenia in peace. Even if you open the doors and all of
them come in, they will all be lost in Istanbul. What are you afraid
of? Why do you keep the border close? And here is the invitation –
Armenian President Serge Sargsian invited Turkish President Abdullah
Gul to Armenia-Turkey football match.

I think that Abdullah Gul will accept the invitation and in that case,
independent of the result, the peace will win. And it will be the
victory of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Kars, Yerevan and Baku
will win, and the fear will lose".
From: Baghdasarian

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN DRAFTING THE REPORT OF THE
THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ORIENTAL ORTHODOX AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES

The sub-committee for drafting the report of the theological dialogue
between the Catholic and Oriental Orthodox Churches was held on June 24-26
in Rome. Four Oriental Orthodox and four Catholic theologians participated
in the meeting of the sub-committee.

The Armenian Church was represented in the meeting by Archbishop Yeznig
Bedrosian (Ecumenical Officer, Catholicosate of All Armenians,
Etchmiyadzine) and Bishop Nareg Alemezian (Ecumenical Officer, Catholicosate
of Cilicia, Antelias).

Considering the remarks made by the dialogue committee in January 2008 and
the issues discussed in 2003-2007, the sub-committee re-drafted parts of the
report, which will be presented to the committee’s 2009 meeting.

Upon the recommendation of His Holiness Aram I, Bishop Nareg also held
important meetings with the directors of various departments in the Vatican.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Baghdasarian

OFFICIAL BAKU SAYS NO CHANGES IN ITS POSITION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
July 1, 2008 Tuesday

Official Baku let OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs know that its position
on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unchanged. It means occupied
territories must be returned and resolution of the conflict must be
based on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, spokesman to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Khazar Ibrahim told a briefing on Monday.

Ministry representative said Azerbaijani side expects that mediators
would urge Armenia to take more constructive stand on the conflict.

As to involvement of both Nagorno-Karabakh communities into the talks,
Ibrahim stressed it would be possible only after Armenian armed forces
leave Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijani people return to their homes.
From: Baghdasarian