Author: Chavushian

RA ECONOMY MINISTER: ARMENIA’S TRANSFER TO DIGITAL SYSTEM OF TV AND RADIO BROADCASTING IS NECESSARY FOR COUNTRY’S INFORMATION SECURITY

ArmInfo
2008-09-09 14:43:00

ArmInfo. Armenia’s transfer to the digital system of TV and Radio
broadcasting is necessary for the country’s information security,
RA Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan said during introduction
of draft alterations to the Law "On TV and Radio" in the Armenian
Parliament. He said that Armenia joined the Agreement on international
telecommunications of Geneva conference, according to which the year
2015 has been established as a deadline for transfer to the digital
system for the countries of the European (first) frequency range,
moreover, this process will be fully over by 2010-1012 in the most
European countries. ‘Armenia must not fall behind of the international
tendencies, especially if our country does not transfer to the
digital broadcasting system, an issuer may be raised to deprive it
of the frequencies it presently possess that, naturally, may create
a number of problems regarding Armenia’s information security’, –
N. Yeritsyan emphasized.

To recall, the draft alterations to RA Law ‘On TV and Radio’ was
introduced by N. Yeritsyan at the Armenian government’s session on
August 28, 2008. The draft law envisages a transient period in the
broadcasting system till 2010, under which co- existence of the
analogous and digital systems has been scheduled, after which the
new licenses will be given only for a digital broadcasting.

KAAN SOYAK: NO TALK ABOUT OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER YET

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.09.2008 19:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Readiness to normalize relations with Armenia can
be described as a move toward the EU membership, chairman of the
Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council Kaan Soyak, said in a
conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"One of EU conditions is normal relations with neighbors. Although we
don’t think that Europe is ready to accept a 70-million Muslim country,
we continue reforms," he said, adding that normalization of relations
is as well important for Armenia, which participates in the ENP.

As to opening of the Armenian Turkish border, Mr Soyak said, "When
the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict broke out, some Armenian and
Turkish organizations requested Ankara to lift the blockade for a
humanitarian corridor. "There is no talk about it yet. But I believe
that it will happen sooner than we expect," he concluded.

The closed Armenian-Turkish border could be opened for humanitarian
aid purpose depending on the gestures from Armenian side and the
direction of the relations, Hurriyet daily reported earlier, citing
diplomatic sources.

Voice of America
Sept 5 2008

Turkey and Armenia Relations Thaw a Bit

By Dorian Jones
Istanbul
05 September 2008

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has accepted an invitation from
President Serge Sargsyan of Armenia to attend a World Cup qualifying
soccer match between the countries. The two nations remain deeply
divided over the World War I-era massacres of Armenians under the
Ottoman Empire and do not have diplomatic relations. As Dorian Jones
reports for VOA, the visit is being seen as an important breakthrough
for bilateral relations.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul will head Saturday to Yerevan to watch
the Turkish national football team play a World Cup
qualifier. Although President Gul will only spend a few hours in the
Armenian capital, Turkish international relations expert Cengiz Aktar
says the visit is significant.

"It is very important but one should not exaggerate its
significance. Either if they can establish a sort of personal
relationship, President Gul and President Sargsyan, all the best. This
is how things advance. But the problems are so deep that one such
visit is definitely not enough to solve them," he said.

In a statement released by Mr. Gul, the visit has the potential of
creating a climate of friendship in the region. The Turkish president
is scheduled to meet with his Armenian counterpart for talks during
his visit.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations because of Turkey’s
opposition to Armenia’s occupation of a region of Azerbaijan — a
close ally of Turkey.

The rivalry also stems from Armenia’s insistence that the deaths of an
estimated 1.5 million ethnic Armenians around the time of World War I
be recognized as genocide. Turkey says the killings occurred at a time
of civil conflict and that the casualty figures are inflated.

The embargo has hit the Armenian economy hard and, according to Cengiz
Aktar, that hardship has intensified with the Georgian conflict
restricting trade access to the important Black Sea port of Poti.

"The port of Poti is under Russian occupation and the Turkish border
is closed, so Armenia is in the hands of Russia and Iran. They want
desperately for this Turkish border to reopen," he said.

The leaders of Turkey’s main opposition parties have strongly
condemned President Gul’s decision to visit Yerevan, accusing him of
betraying the country and its Azerbaijan ally. And, in Armenia, the
nationalist Dashnaktsutyun party said it activists will be at the
airport where Mr. Gul is to arrive and the football stadium to stage
protests demanding Turkey recognize the World War One killings as
genocide.

But the United States and the European Union have welcomed the
president’s decision. The Turkish media also is broadly supportive of
the visit, along with many organizations.

One such group is Fans Without Borders which is sending a group to
Yerevan to call an end to the Armenian embargo. One member is Ceran
Kener:

"Our is aim is that to say that we don’t leave this issues to the
States. We don’t want to leave this issue to the Diaspora. We want to
deal with this issue with ourselves," he said.

Turkish diplomatic sources say that while little diplomatic progress
will be made during short visit, the real test will be if substantial
negotiations will follow after Mr. Gul’s visit.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 689-7810
Fax: (212) 689-7168
Email: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER – September 4, 2008

SUNDAY AND ARMENIAN SCHOOLS SET TO BEGIN NEW TERM
With Labor Day behind us, please note that most of our parishes are set
to begin the 2008-2009 term of their Sunday and Armenian schools. Check with
your local parish for registration dates.

PRELATE PRESIDES OVER ANNIVERSARY DINNER AND
OPENING CEREMONIES OF AYF OLYMPICS IN DETROIT
Archbishop Oshagan participated in the 75th annual Olympic Games of the
Armenian Youth Federation which took place Labor Day weekend in Detroit,
Michigan. On Saturday evening he presided over a special 75th anniversary
celebration and on Sunday delivered the opening prayer at the Track and
Field games.
In his message the Prelate praised the AYF for its 75 years of service
to the Armenian youth in America. "The original Olympics was the greatest
festival in the ancient Greek world, and the AYF Olympics has become the
greatest festival in the modern Armenian Diaspora," the Prelate said. "For
seven and one-half decades the Armenian Youth Federation has brought
together our youth. The AYF has a rich history of service to our younger
generations that must continue." Archbishop Oshagan concluded his message
with prayerful words: "Let us together give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ
and our forefathers for this blessed occasion which brings us together as a
family of caring and loving Armenians.. God bless each of you; may the grace
of our Lord be with you always."

ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN IN LEBANON
The Prelate traveled to Antelias, Lebanon this week and is expected to
return to New York next week.

PRELATE CONSECRATES WALL PAINTING IN PROVIDENCE
On Sunday, August 24, Archbishop Oshagan consecrated a wall painting at
Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence Rhode Island.

LINKED IN: A WEEKEND WORKSHOP FOR STUDENTS & PROFESSIONALS
Are you looking for a way to connect with friends and with your church?
Would you like to learn more about your Armenian spiritual heritage?
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Prelacy under the
Catholicosate of Cilicia, a workshop for students and professionals (ages 18
to 35) will take place September 26 to 28, at St. Mary Coptic Orthodox
Retreat Center in Charlton, Massachusetts.
Direct your questions via email to [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: The registration form is now on the web page. Don’t delay. Send
in your form right away as space is limited.

ANNIVERSARY BANQUET SET FOR OCTOBER 25
The dual anniversaries of the 110th anniversary of the establishment of
the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and the 50th
anniversary of the Prelacy’s affiliation with the Great House of Cilicia
will be marked with a gala banquet on Saturday, October 25, at the Marriott
at Glenpointe in Teaneck New Jersey. An exhibit about the history of the
Prelacy and a DVD film, "A Journey of Faith" will be on display during the
cocktail hour.

OUTREACH ONLINE
The September 2008 issue of Outreach (Volume 30, Number 1) is at the
printers and will be mailed next week.

MAJOR RENOVATION UNDERWAY AT ST. ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL

Major renovation of St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City is
continuing. Archbishop Oshagan is a frequent on-site visitor to monitor the
progress. The Prelate reports that right now there is dust everywhere, but
he can already see that when it is completed it is going to be beautiful!
Until the interior renovation is completed the Divine Liturgy is being
offered every Sunday at 10:40 a.m. at the Armenian Center, 69-23 47th
Street, Woodside, New York.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Bible readings for today, Thursday, September 4, are: Proverbs 20:6-22;
Job 42:12-16; Lamentations 3:22-56; Acts 13:25-33; James 5:7-11; Matthew
14:1-12.
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer
waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it
receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen
your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble
against one another so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is
standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved,
take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed
those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you
have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and
merciful. (James 5:7-11)

ST. JOHN THE FORERUNNER AND JOB THE RIGHTEOUS
Today, Thursday, September 4, the Armenian Church remembers St. John the
Forerunner and Job the Righteous.
St. John the Forerunner, also known as John the Baptist (Hovhaness
Mkrtich), is an important figure in the four New Testament Gospels. He is
understood to be the "forerunner" (Karapet) to the Messiah. He lived as a
hermit in the desert of Judea. At the age of 30 he began to preach against
the evils of the times and called for penance and baptism, "for the kingdom
of heaven is close at hand."
The Book of Job is one of the five books, along with Psalms, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon, classified as the "poetical" books of the
Bible. Many theologians consider it to be one of the most remarkable books
in the Bible. The central theme of the Book of Job is the mystery of
suffering. Job is a good and righteous person who experiences and endures
catastrophe after catastrophe. The phrase "the patience of Job" has entered
the English lexicon as a popular cliché. Biblical scholars agree that rather
than "patience" a more accurate translation would be "persistence" or
"endurance." Ultimately, Job is rewarded because "the Lord blessed the
latter days of Job more than his beginning," and "After this Job lived one
hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s children,
four generations. And Job died, old and full of days." (Job, chapter 42).

THE 318 FATHERS OF THE HOLY COUNCIL OF NICAEA
This Saturday, September 6, the Armenian Church commemorates the First
Ecumenical Council held in Nicaea in Asia Minor in the year 325, and the 318
Church Fathers who attended. The Council was called by Emperor Constantine.
The Armenian Church participated in this Council and contributed toward the
victory of Orthodoxy. Aristakes, son of Gregory the Illuminator, represented
the Armenian Church. The Council is mentioned in the writings of Moses of
Khoren and Agathangelos. In later centuries and in all their doctrinal
writings, the Fathers of the Armenian Church referred to the Council of
Nicaea with veneration and the Nicene Creed (Havatamk) was incorporated into
the Armenian Liturgy. The Council condemned Arianism (which denied the full
divinity of Christ) and proclaimed that the orthodox position is the belief
in "one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of God the Father,
Only-Begotten, of the substance of the Father. God from God, Light from
Light, true God from true God, begotten and not made." (from the Nicene
Creed recited during the Divine Liturgy).

BAREKENDAN OF THE FAST OF EXALTATION
This Sunday, September 7, is the Barekendan of the Fast (Bahk) leading
to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Khachveratz), which is
next Sunday, September 14. Because this is a Tabernacle Feast, it is
preceded by a week (Monday to Friday) of fasting, and a memorial day the day
after (Monday)..

FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE HOLY MOTHER
This Monday, September 8, is the Feast of the Nativity of the Holy
Mother of God. The birth of Mary is not recorded in the Bible. The account
of this event is from the apocryphal writings which are not part of the New
Testament scriptures. According to tradition, Joachim and Anna were faithful
and pious, waiting for the promised Messiah. They were elderly and
childless. They prayed to God for a child and were blessed with a child, who
they named Mary and who would become the Mother of the Messiah.
The Armenian Liturgical Calendar sets aside seven days devoted to the
Holy Mother. These are: Annunciation; Birth; Purification, Presentation to
the Temple; Conception; Assumption; Discovery of her sash;, and Discovery of
Reliquary.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

September 7-Annual picnic Festival of St. Gregory Church, North Andover,
Massachusetts, at American Legion Grounds, Haverhill, Massachusetts,
beginning at 12 noon.

September 7-St. Stephen’s Church of New Britain-Hartford, Connecticut,
annual picnic, 1 pm to dusk at Quartette Club Grounds, 225 Wooster Street,
New Britain. Rain or shine. Free admission.

September 14-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey. Celebration of
the Holy Cross and Madagh. For information 201-943-2950.

September 14-50th anniversary of Holy Cross Armenian Church, Troy, New York,
and 50th anniversary of the Prelacy. Badarak will be celebrated by
Archbishop Oshagan, assisted by Rev. Fr. Bedros Shetilian. Dinner will
follow at the Franklin Terrace Ballroom, 126 Campbell Avenue, Troy. $50 per
person; $20 for children 12 and under. For information: 518-283-3515.

September 19-Sts. Vartanantz Church Ladies Guild, Providence, Rhode Island,
present "Remembering the Good Old Days. 8 pm, Aramian Auditorium. For
tickets and information 401-434-4467.

September 20-Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference with Executive Council,
Pastors, Boards of Trustees and Delegates to the National Representative
Assembly, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Hosted by St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia,
Pa.

September 21-Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts, annual
church banquet.

September 21-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, annual picnic on the
church grounds. Good food, music and supervised activities for children.

September 22-13th annual St. Stephen’s School/ACEC Golf Tournament,
Framingham Country Club, Framingham, MA. For information, Astor Guzelian,
781-326-5764.

September 25-Sixth annual golf outing hosted by Sts. Vartanantz Church,
Ridgefield, New Jersey, at River Vale Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey.
For information contact Richard Krikorian 201-784-2236 or church office
201-943-2950.

September 26-28-National Youth Conference at Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual
Vineyard, Charlton, Massachusetts.

September 29-30-Clergy conference at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual
Vineyard, Charlton, Massachusetts.

October 5-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, Requiem Service for
benefactor Mrs. Suzanne Hagopian.

October 5-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York. Lecture by His Grace
Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian.

October 12-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, Lecture by Rev. Fr.
Nareg Terterian.

October 12-St. Illuminator’s Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, New York, Annual
Book Fair, dedicated to the Holy Translators in celebrating of the Cultural
Month. Immediately after the Badarak at the Armenian Center, 69-23 47th
Avenue, Woodside, New York. For information, 212-689-5880.

October 17-18-Annual Fall Fair of St. Gregory Church, North Andover,
Massachusetts, Jaffarian Hall.

October 19-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, Lecture by Dn. Shant
Kazanjian.

October 19-St. Stephen’s Church of New Britain-Hartford, first Connecticut
performance of "Hello Ellis Island," at Silas Deane Middle School, 551 Silas
Deane Highway, Wethersfield, Connecticut. Program starts at 3 pm; reception
follows. Advance reservation desired. Adults $25; Students $10; Children
under 12 $5. Tickets at door $30. For information: 860-229-8322.

October 25-Gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America under the jurisdiction of the Great
House of Cilicia and the 110th anniversary of the establishment of the
Armenian Church of America. Marriott at Glenpointe, Teaneck, New Jersey.

October 31, November 1 and 2-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey,
Annual Bazaar and Food Festival. For information 201-943-2950.

November 1-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, International Cuisine
Harvest Night. Enjoy tastes from over 20 countries, prepared by more than 40
cooks. Music and entertainment to help burn the calories. Early reservations
recommended. For information: 718-352-3848.

November 2-St. Stephen’s Church of New Britain-Hartford, Connecticut, 83rd
anniversary banquet at Indian Hill Country Club, 111 Golf Street, Newington,
Connecticut. Reception 1 pm, dinner at 2 pm. For information: 860-229-8322.

November 7 & 8-Annual bazaar, St. Stephen’s Armenian Church, 10 am to 9 pm,
at the ACED, 47 Nichols Ave., Watertown, Massachusetts. Dinners and gourmet
delicacies, arts and crafts, games and activities for children. For
information, 617-924-7562.

November 8-Mid-West Regional Conference with Executive Council, Pastors,
Boards of Trustees, and Delegates to the National Representative Assembly,
9:30 to 4:30 pm, hosted by All Saints Armenian Church, Glenview, Illinois.

November 8 & 9-Sts. Vartanantz Church, Providence, Rhode Island, largest
Armenian Fest in New England. Saturday 12 noon to 10 pm; Sunday 12 noon to 8
pm. Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Broad Street, Cranston, Rhode Island. Kebobs and
kufta dinners. Live Armenian music. For information: 401-434-4467.

November 9-38th anniversary of St. Gregory Church, North Andover,
Massachusetts, and 50th anniversary of the Prelacy under the Holy See of
Cilicia, presided over by His Grace Bishop Anoushavan at Jaffarian Hall
following Divine Liturgy.

November 15-St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York, Annual Bazaar and Food
Festival by Ladies Guild.

November 21 and 22-Holy Trinity Armenian Church, Worcester, Massachusetts,
Fall Food Festival.

November 23-William Saroyan Centennial Celebration, co-sponsored by the
Anthropology/Armenian Museum at Queens College and the AGBU, 3 pm at Lefrak
Concert Hall, Queens College, Flushing, New York. Archbishop Oshagan will
participate. The program includes readings and a play by Saroyan. Also
special performance by the Aaron Copeland School of Music students of the
music of composer Arno Babadjanian. For information: 718-428-5650.

February 7-50th anniversary celebration of Sts. Vartanantz Church,
Ridgefield, New Jersey. Dinner Dance at Rockleigh Country Club.

March 8-Musical Armenia, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City,
sponsored by Prelacy and Prelacy Ladies Guild.

March 28-ARS Centennial Gala Banquet, Yale Club, New York City.

May 7-9-National Representative Assembly of Eastern Prelacy, hosted by All
Saints Armenian Apostolic Church, Glenview, Illinois. Clergy Conference
begins May 6.

June 29 – July 5-St. Gregory of Datev Summer Institute, St. Mary of
Providence Center, Elverson, Pennsylvania.

COLLECTIVE SECURITY MEASURES TOPS AGENDA OF CSTO SESSION IN YEREVAN

National Legal Internet Portal
Sept 3 2008
Belarus

A session of the committee of the chiefs of the security councils
of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) member states
opened in Yerevan on September 3. The session is attended by State
Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus Yury
Zhadobin, BelTA learnt from the Embassy of Belarus to Armenia.

The session is an important preparation stage ahead of the upcoming
session of the Collective Security Council at the level of the
heads of state. The chiefs of the security councils will discuss the
military-political situation in the zone of the CSTO responsibility
and analyse the course of implementation of the resolutions passed at
the Minsk (2006) and Dushanbe (2007) sessions of the CSTO Collective
Security Council. The situation in the Caucasian region in the wake of
Georgia’s aggression against South Ossetia will be on the agenda too.

At a plenary meeting the chiefs of the security councils will discuss
a set of the documents aimed at creating an effective system of
collective response to new challenges and threats.

On September 3 the chiefs of the delegations of the states – CSTO
members will be received by President of the Republic of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan.

RUSSIAN, TURKISH FMS TO DISCUSS COOPERATION AND STABILITY ISSUES IN CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.09.2008 16:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold
talks Tuesday his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan in Istanbul during
his one-day visit. The two foreign ministers are expected to exchange
views on the Caucasus Cooperation and Stability Platform brought to
the agenda by Turkey and to discuss the recent trade row between the
two countries at the meeting, Hurriyet reports.

Babacan and his Russian counterpart are to discuss a Turkish plan
for a regional group to stabilize the Caucasus region following war
between Russia and Georgia. The group would include Turkey and four
nearby Caucasus nations: Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The two Foreign Ministers will hold a press conference after
their meeting at the Prime Ministry Office in the central Besiktas
district of Istanbul. Georgia’s Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili
also met last week Babacan in Istanbul to hold talks regarding the
recent developments in Georgia and Turkey’s proposal for a Caucasus
alliance. She said Georgia would consider joining such a group only
after Russian forces leave her country.

PM TIGRAN SARKISIAN TO LEAVE FOR ARTSAKH

A1+
[04:55 pm] 01 September, 2008

On September 2 Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian will leave
for the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to participate in the celebration
of the 17th anniversary of the proclamation of NKR independence.

The delegation headed by the Armenian Premier comprises the Ministers
of Finance, Economy, Transport and Communication, other top-level
officials, reports the Information and Public Relation Department of
the RoA Government.

DON’T WRITE RUSSIA OFF YET!
By Sergei Markedonov

Prague Watchdog
4-000003-000131&lang=1
Aug 29 2008
Czech Republic

A response to Sergei Gligashvili’s polemic article "An empire on the
verge of collapse".

Even a superficial acquaintance with the West’s behaviour during
the second half of the twentieth century is sufficient to stop one
harbouring any illusions. The West has always noticed Russia (and
formerly the USSR) when its interests are directly affected, and is
ready to ignore or even indulge Russia if that is consistent with
the national interest of the United States and the countries of Europe.

Thus it was in 1941-1945 (as though America didn’t know about the
Stalin-era deportations). Thus it was in 1956 in Hungary and in 1968
in Czechoslovakia, when the Soviet Union imposed order on its zone
of influence and responsibility. Thus it was in 1991 in Riga and
Vilnius. It was almost the same in 1996, when the election of Boris
Yeltsin as president turned out to be of strategic importance for the
United States and the countries of Europe. Who remembered Chechnya
then? And after September 11 it was hard to find many supporters
of "free Ichkeria" in Washington. The issue of Chechnya was only
seriously raised in the West in 1999-2000, and then only because
of the fact that Moscow’s position on Kosovo was incompatible with
the line adopted by the US and the EU – remember Yevgeny Primakov’s
famous U-turn over the Atlantic.

It was for somersaults like this that efforts were made to teach Moscow
a few lessons. But when it turned out that Moscow and Washington
had more strategic interests in common than they had differences,
"struggling Ichkeria" was simply forgotten.

Meanwhile, one suspects that the fuss surrounding the Russian
action in Georgia will soon die down – especially after the US
presidential elections have been held. Today it is important to the
US administration (and its heir-in-waiting John McCain) to convince
ordinary Americans that Washington will support the "democratic little
Georgia" about which they have been hearing from their television sets
for the past four years. And so they need to create an atmosphere
of fear and hysteria in order to show people that the United States
and its faithful allies have foiled the Kremlin’s plan to revive the
Soviet Union. All that needed to be done was to sacrifice a couple
of places called Abkhazia and South Ossetia (which are not even not
visible on the map). As for the plans to reunify the Evil Empire,
they fell through.

It is strange that the "watchdogs of democracy" stubbornly refuse
to notice that without Russia’s participation it would today be
physically impossible to resolve a large number of the most critical
issues of world politics. There is Afghanistan (to which the transit
route lies through Russia and Central Asia, where Russian influence
is extremely strong and consistent with American interests). There is
Iran, with which negotiations are sometimes simply impossible without
Russia’s involvement (otherwise Iran simply will not talk). There are
the problems of North Korea and the Middle East, terrorism, and the
full range of nuclear issues. Closer to the South Caucasus, there is
above all Karabakh, where the positions of the US, Russia and France,
the three mediating countries, are absolutely identical.

And it can quite safely be asserted that the disintegration of a
nuclear power into separate pieces has no part in the plans of the
United States, any more than the U.S. intended to bring about the
break-up of the Soviet Union. While there are plans to weaken Russia,
complete collapse is not on the agenda.

Regarding the question of standards and international law, any decision
on recognition (or non-recognition) is taken – and not just by Russia –
on the basis of national interest rather than abstract standards. The
European Union and the United States opted for the right of nations to
self-determination when they recognized the independence of Croatia,
Slovenia and Kosovo, and did their utmost to defend the territorial
integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Russia has
fought separatism in Chechnya and regional particularism in the North
Caucasus and the Volga region, but has recognized the independence
of Georgia’s two separatist republics. Turkey emphasizes that the
principle of the territorial integrity of the states in the region
is the aim of its Caucasus policy, and also does its best to fight
Kurdish separatism. At the same time, Turkey was one of the first
countries to recognize Kosovo and is still alone in recognizing the
de facto Turkish Cypriot state.

And here there is no contradiction, because this apparently illogical
policy is built around one idea – the ensuring of Turkey’s national
interests and security. On the other hand, among experts in polite
society it is considered simply indecent to talk about international
law after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and the
Yalta-Potsdam system. International law is always related to history
– it is produced in specific contexts, and not on the basis of
abstract altruism. The Yalta-Potsdam system reflected the reality
that developed after 1945. And as soon as it ceased to reflect them,
it passed into history.

Now to turn to the argument about the "Abkhaz boomerang," which is
supposedly going to rebound against Russia (in Chechnya, Tatarstan
or elsewhere). Mr. Gligashvili writes: "The Kremlin has given an
impetus to processes that no one is capable of controlling. And it
looks as though Russia may turn out to be the principal victim of a
new world order, or – more precisely – disorder. At some point events
will evolve spontaneously, since Moscow’s recognition of Georgia’s
autonomous regions is setting in motion a mechanism that revises the
basic principle of territorial integrity in the post-war world."

It’s a great pity that the expert has ignored numerous examples
of the revision of the principle of "territorial integrity" in
the world since 1945. Cyprus, Bangladesh, Eritrea, East Timor,
fifteen republics of the former USSR, Slovakia, six republics and
one autonomous province of the former Yugoslavia. And these are
only the successful examples. There were also Biafra, Katanga, and
three unrecognized republics of Yugoslavia. So it all began long
before Kosovo. The Yalta-Potsdam system was built on the basis of
two irreconcilable principles (territorial integrity and the right
of nations to self-determination). These principles undermined the
system from within, and finally toppled it. As for the process of
recognition as an alleged factor in influencing a country’s integrity,
here too one should not try to create myths out of nowhere. Quebec did
not break away from Canada just because Canada recognized Kosovo. When
it recognized the ex-autonomy of Serbia, France did not automatically
experience a Basque uprising or a Corsican secession. And so the
main problem for a multi-ethnic society is not the recognition or
non-recognition of separatist territories, but the creation of a
competent domestic policy and the building of national status.

If the dissident Georgian nationalist movement began its struggle for
power with the slogan "Georgia for the Georgians", the demand for the
abolition of national autonomous regions and a ban on participation
in elections by the Georgian regional parties (Adamon Nykhas and
Aydgylara), then one should have had no illusions about how the
Abkhazians and Ossetians would feel about the "Georgian State"
project. None of Russia’s presidents (for all their failures,
stupidities and crimes) has ever called the Chechen people "trash
that has to be swept out through a tunnel". For that is what Georgia’s
first President Zviad Gamsakhurdia said about the Ossetian people at
a rally in the village of Eredvi in 1989.

One can argue about whether what happened in South Ossetia was
genocide or not. The claim is probably an exaggeration founded on
propaganda. But the fact that the city of Tskhinvali was stormed
four times in seventeen years (twice in 1991, once in 1992 and most
recently in 2008) – is an obvious fact. During the Georgian-Abkhaz war
of 1992-1993 3,000 Abkhazians out of a pre-war population of 93,000
died in the fighting. The failure of the creation of a Georgian nation
state became the spur to separatism in the former autonomous regions.

I am not going to remain silent about the Russian excesses in
Chechnya. But the conflict in that republic is very different from
anything that has taken place in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In
Chechnya, military clashes began long before the entry of Russian
troops into its territory in 1994. In 1992 Grozny fought with the
forces of Nadterechny district, and then the republican government
began another confrontation (using heavy armour) with the Grozny city
authorities. There were several conflicts in Chechnya throughout the
whole of the 1990s.

The conflict between Moscow and Grozny was only one of those. There
were also conflicts between nationalists, supporters of secular
democracy and Islamists, between Sufis and Salafists, between
supporters of secession and their opponents (the Avtorkhanovites,
for example). Russia has always had its allies in Chechnya. In 1996,
Alu Alkhanov defended Grozny’s railway station from the guerrillas
and in 1999 Beslan Gantamirov and Said-Magomed Kakkiyev stormed it
together with Russian troops. And behind these leaders there were
always armies and a certain degree of strength. Georgia has not faced
"its Abkhazians" for sixteen years.

There is much else that could be said about Chechnya. About Chechen
business activity in Moscow, which continued even during the two
military campaigns, about the migration of Chechens to Russian regions
(for some reason there is no Abkhazian business activity in Tbilisi,
and in August 2008 the Ossetian refugees fled to Vladikavkaz rather
than the Georgian capital). Thus Moscow’s recognition of Abkhazia
and South Ossetia is unlikely in itself to become a challenge to the
country’s unity. If the Russian state is able to conduct an effective
campaign against corruption and the privatization of power, which is
happening in Kadyrov’s Chechnya, it will not collapse like a house
of cards. But if the Kremlin is not able to alter those negative
domestic tendencies, then that is what will be fatal for Russia,
and not the recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Andrei Dmitriyevich Sakharov was right when he referred to Georgia
as a "little empire". It is precisely the inadequacy of its own ideas
concerning its role and place in world politics that has led Georgia
to a natural collapse. Georgia should have been more realistic and
cut its cloth to suit its cloak, rather than trying on suits made in
Washington. Then it would not have had to go looking external causes
for the secession of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and bring political
storms against its the northern neighbour, the country from which
only recently "the sun rose on Georgia." But nota bene: it wasn’t
Moscow’s politicians who talked such nonsense!

Sergei Markedonov is a senior researcher at the Institute for Political
and Military Analysis, Moscow.

ROOFS OF 26 APARTMENT BUILDINGS TO BE REPAIRED IN KAPAN THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan

Au g 27, 2008

KAPAN, AUGUST 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian government allocated
150 million drams from its reserve fund for repairs of roofs of
apartment buildings in Kapan. The head of the urban development unit
of Kapan mayor’s office Vilen Badalian told NT correspondent that
26 roofs will be repaired with these allocations. Priority was given
to accident-prone buildings. It is envisaged to complete the repair
work by late 2008. The work will be done by the construction firms
that were announced the winners of a tender.

By another decision of the government, 185 million drams was allocated
for major repairs of Aram Manukian Street and Grigor Arzumanian Street
in the regional center of Syunik marz, and repairs of a 2.4 km road
which is parallel with the Meghri-Yerevan interstate road passing
through the city.

This work will also finish by the end of 2008.

US POLICY ON SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT HASN’T CHANGED

AZG Armenian Daily
26/08/2008

Karabakh issue

Similar statement made the US Charge d’Affairs in Armenia
Joseph Pennington commenting on the viewpoints in the press on
Georgian-Russian conflict and straining of US-Russia relations and
the meaningless of the joint work of Russia and the USA in the Minsk
Group. The statement was made by Zeyno Baran, Head of the programs
on Eurasian policy of Hadson Institute in the USA; she is also the
spouse of the Minsk Group US Co-chair Matthew Bryza.

"The statement was not made by an US official and does not reflect
the US policy on Nagorno Karabakh, which hasn’t undergone changes",
mentioned Mr. Pennigton.