SPEAKER OF KARABAKH PARLIAMENT GAVE CONDOLENCES TO THE CHINESE PEOPLE
KarabakhOpen
17-05-2008 12:45:57
The speaker of the NKR National Assembly Ashot Ghulyan sent a telegram
to his Chinese counterpart Wu Bango, giving condolences to the Chinese
people, the families of the victims of the devastating earthquake.
STEPS TAKEN IN DIRECTION OF RATIFICATION OF TRANSACTIONS OF UN EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION ON "HEAVY METALS" IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Ma y 15, 2008
YEREVAN, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The "Assistance for Ratification of
transactions of UN European Economic Commission on "Heavy Metals""
three-day workshop, which was attended by representatives of over ten
countries, launched its proceedings in Yerevan on May 14. Within the
frameworks of the UN corresponding convention eight transactions have
been adopted for 29 years, which regulate the exhaustion of almost
all the most important harmful materials into atmosphere.
Armenia ratified the convention in 1997. However, as Angella Turlikian,
the chief specialist of the Protection Department of the RA MInistry
of Environmental Protection, mentioned, none of those transactions
has been ratified up to now. The reason, according to her, is that the
implementation of the strict demands defined by those transactions are
not available for Armenia as yet. Among them are, in particular, the
detailed making inventory of exhaustions and the continuous running of
land-survey and the investment of "best available technologies." In
the words of A. Turlikian, the making inventory conducted in the
republic and the running of land-survey do not correspond to the
demands of the transactions as yet.
According to her, the objective of the workshop is to contribute
to the abolishion of obstacles for the ratification of one of those
transactions: the transactions on "Heavy metals." This transactions
regulates the exhaustions of mercury, lead and cadmium. A. Turlikian
mentioned that the issue is very up-to-date for Armenia, as there
are sources of exhaustions of heavy metals. They are, in particular,
the factories of non-ferrous metals and cement.
The given transactions has been ratified by 29 out of 51 countries,
which have voted for the convention. At present, steps are taken
in Armenia in the direction of its ratification and the settlement
of the problems connected with the implementation of the obligations
prodeeding from them. It was also mentioned that a cartography program
of the sources and quantities of exhaustions has been carried out
in the republic. In addition to this, the monitoring station of
transborder pollution will be put into operation in a month. The
government of Norway has sponsored the creation of this station
in Armenia.
AZERBAIJAN JOINS THE MIDDLE EAST
By John C. K. Daly
Eurasia Daily Monitor
le_id=2373054
May 13 2008
DC
Azerbaijan’s massive hydrocarbon resources have begun to attract
the attention of an increasing number of energy-poor nations in
the Middle East, including Israel and Jordan. While the logistical
problems involved in such deliveries would be daunting, as no direct
pipelines currently exist, the diplomatic intricacies involved in
such shipments would be even more formidable. Nevertheless, the
diplomatic implications of such interest are both interesting and
potentially significant.
Israel has recently attempted to increase its number of natural gas
suppliers, according to National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin
Ben Eliezer. On May 4 Ben Eliezer told a conference in Tel Aviv that
his Ministry had discussed possible future supplies of natural gas
to Israel with the energy companies BP and Gazprom as well as with
Caspian producers Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Last week
in Azerbaijan, National Infrastructure Ministry Director-General
Hezi Kugler held talks with Azeri officials about possible future
gas supplies, but no details of the negotiations have been released
(Trend news agency, May 6).
Azerbaijan produces gas from its Caspian offshore Shah Deniz field,
the country’s largest natural gas field, which is operated by BP. The
330 square-mile Shah Deniz gas and condensate field was discovered
in 1999 and began production in December 2006. The field lies under
2,000 feet of water, 44 miles southeast of Bakubat.
BP owns 25.5 percent of the joint venture. The other Shah Deniz
consortium partners are Statoil Azerbaijan (25.5 percent), State Oil
Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) (10 percent), France’s Elf
Petroleum Azerbaijan (10 percent), Russia’s LukAgip N.V. (10 percent),
Iran’s Oil Industries Engineering & Construction (OIEC) (10 percent),
and Turkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortakligi (TPAO) (9 percent).
Shah Deniz holds an estimated 1.5 to 3 billion barrels of oil, and 50
to 100 billion cubic meters of gas. The United States is optimistic
about Azerbaijan’s natural gas future. The US Energy Information Agency
wrote, "With the addition of the Shah Deniz natural gas and condensate
field and the South Caucasus Pipeline, Azerbaijan will become a large
natural gas provider to Turkey and to Europe in the upcoming decade"
().
The 430-mile-long South Caucasus Pipeline, also known as the
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) Pipeline, became operational at the same
time as the Shah Deniz field and transmits Azeri gas through Georgia
to Erzurum in eastern Turkey. Shah Deniz oil is sent through the
1,092-mile-long, $3.6 billion Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline,
which terminates at Turkey’s eastern Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. The
BTC shares the same corridor as the BTE. In 2007 the BTC pipeline
exported roughly 650,000 barrels per day of crude and condensate.
The devil is in the details, in this case geography. While Israel
might be interested in possible imports of Azeri natural gas, the fact
remains that there are only two ways of transporting it, pipelines
and liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers. LNG ports and tankers are
extremely expensive, while any pipeline extending from Erzurum to
Israel would either have to extend from southeastern Turkey under
the Mediterranean parallel to the Lebanese coast or traverse Syria,
with which Israel has yet to sign a peace treaty.
There are, however, interesting signs that a deal may yet be in the
works. According to recent newspaper reports, Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert already has informed Syrian President Bashar al Assad
that Israel is prepared to cede the Golan Heights to Syria in return
for a comprehensive peace agreement (Ha’aretz, May 6).
Such considerations may be the diplomatic subtext of the state
visit to Azerbaijan by Jordan’s King Abdullah, ostensibly in Baku to
attend the opening of Azerbaijan’s Second Jordanian exhibition and
the Azerbaijan-Jordan Business Forum. While in Baku, Abdullah held
extensive discussions with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and signed
a number of bilateral documents (AzerTag, May 5).
In an interview with Azerbaijan’s State Telegraph Agency, Abdullah put
the Arab-Israeli conflict in a broader regional context, observing,
"It is common knowledge that the Palestinian problem is the core issue
in the Middle East conflict, and it is our conviction that solving
the interrelated issues in our region depends on our ability to find
a just and permanent solution to the conflict in Palestine" (AzerTag,
May 2). In comments that will undoubtedly resonate in Baku, Abdullah
offered his services in resolving Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh
dispute with Armenia.
As Washington is prodding both Israel and the Palestinian Authority
toward resolving their disputes over the Middle East’s "core issue,"
Abdullah’s comments about "interrelated issues" would seem to indicate
a possible "twin track" approach to solving the region’s other
unresolved disputes. Syria, bracketed between Israel’s ally Turkey
to the north and Israel itself, the Middle East’s leading military
power, to the south, may now be ready to trade peace for territory,
especially if the deal were sweetened with increased access to both
natural gas and transit fees.
In such a situation, Turkey would win by further positioning itself
as a regional transit hub, and Azerbaijan would gain valuable
additional diplomatic support from Jordan for resolving its dispute
with Armenia. If Azerbaijan developed energy ties with Israel, this too
could have a diplomatic payoff over Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly if
Israel used its good offices with Armenia, its fifth-largest trading
partner. Finally, Syria and Israel would gain access to Caspian energy
from a reliable Western ally. For Israel, there could be no greater
60th birthday present than a peace treaty fired by natural gas from
Azerbaijan’s Caspian "King of the Sea" gas field.
5 MINI WATER POWER PLANTS IN THE FIRST STAGE
KarabakhOpen
14-05-2008 10:49:17
The meeting of government on May 13 focused on the energy sector,
and affirmed the program for development of the sector.
It was announced that it is foreseen to set up 24 or 25 mini water
power plants as part of a long-term program, 5 of which will be
built in the first stage. 3 will be built on the river Trghe, 2 on
the Tartar, near the village of Mataghis.
The head of the department of industrial infrastructures Valery Balayan
said in the upcoming 3 years 90 percent of the demand of NKR will
be supplied, and in the second stage Karabakh will be able to export
electric power. It was also noted that the sector will be modernized.
Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan said the program will be implemented
on government investments, as well as private, both local and foreign
investments and the resource of the commercial banks.
The government has also affirmed the reorganization of Artsakh Water
Power Plant into an open joint-stock company. The NKR government
holds the state-owned shares.
$10,000 SAROYAN PLAYWRITING COMPETITION FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
by Zoe Kevork
AZG Armenian Daily #091
14/05/2008
Culture
The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance (ADAA) is pleased to announce the
three finalists of the inaugural William Saroyan Prize for Playwriting:
Nadia by Lilly Thomassian, Flesh and Tenderness by Kristen Lazarian
and The Living and the Dead by Matthew "Yazo" Yaldezian.
Play submissions were received from across the United States, the UK
and Armenia. Entries were required to be full-length plays written
in English and based on Armenian themes. The plays were required
to have a professional production or reading prior to submission,
which resulted in high quality entries.
First round judges were Claire Cox, playwright and writing instructor
at the Gotham Academy in New York; Enrique Urueta, playwright
and former literary manager at Impact Theatre in San Francisco;
Landon Vaughn, actor, writer and producer; Tanya Yerevanian, actor,
writer and graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London;
and David Grillo, actor, writer and producer of the off-Broadway
production of Beast on the Moon.
The three finalist plays will be evaluated by an honorary jury
including Leslie Ayvazian, award-winning playwright and Professor
of Playwriting at Columbia University; Deborah Salzer, playwriting
educator and founder of The Playwrights Project; and, Mac Wellman,
Lifetime Obie-award winning playwright and the Donald I. Fine Professor
of Play Writing at Brooklyn College.
The winner will be announced at the ADAA’s 3rd Annual Celebrity
Gala on Saturday, August 23, 2008, which will be held at the Stars
Palace Theatre in Glendale, CA. The winner will be honored with a
$10,000 award.
Tickets are available at
The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance’s mission is to make the Armenian
voice heard on the world stage through the dramatic arts of theatre
and film. The organization accomplishes this mission by supporting
playwrights and screenwriters and providing production opportunities,
research tools, networking resources and writing awards. In addition
to the William Saroyan Prize for Playwriting, the ADAA administers
the $10,000 Lillian and Varnum Paul Prize for Screenwriting, the
deadline for which is February 15, 2009.
For more information about ADAA, its activities and how to
contribute to its important mission, please visit the website at
or call at 617.871.6764
HIS HOLINESS GAREGIN II CONCLUDES THE FRATERNAL VISIT TO VATICAN
armradio.am
13.05.2008 17:48
His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians concludes his one week fraternal visit to the Bishop of
Rome and Pope of the Catholic Church, His Holiness Benedict XVI,
Press Service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin informed.
Accompanying His Holiness throughout the duration of the visit were
His Eminence Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian, Grand Sacristan of the
Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem; His Grace Bishop Aram Ateshian,
Grand Sacristan of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople; and
approximately 20 additional archbishops and bishops of the Armenian
Church – primates of Armenian Dioceses in North and South America,
Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
On Tuesday, May 6, the Pontiff of All Armenians and his delegation
arrived at Ciampino Airport in Rome. Also joining His Holiness were
more than 75 devoted laymen of the Armenian Church from throughout
the world who were invited by the Catholicos to participate in this
historic visit to the Holy See and Italy. This was His Holiness’
third visit to the Vatican since his election as Catholicos of All
Armenians in 1999.
The visit to Italy was composed of three parts: a four-day visit to
the Vatican, a one-day visit to the Armenian community of Milan and
a two-day visit to the Mekhitarian Congregation on the Island of San
Lazzaro in Venice.
On Wednesday morning, His Holiness Karekin II and the Armenian bishops
visited the tomb of Pope John Paul II of blessed memory, in the crypt
below Saint Peter’s Basilica, and offered a solemn prayer for the
repose of his soul. The Catholicos and the Armenian delegation also
visited the newly named St. Gregory the Illuminator plaza inside
St. Peter’s courtyard and viewed the statue of the patron saint of
the Armenian Church, placed there during the pontificate of John
Paul II. Immediately afterwards, the Armenian delegation of clergy
and laity participated in the general audience in St.
Peter’s Square, jointly held by Pope Benedict XVI and Catholicos
Karekin II. The two church heads exchanged messages of greeting, a
fraternal embrace and kiss of peace on the platform in front of the
mother cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church, before a crowd of more
than 35,000 faithful.
In his message to the Pope and the faithful, the Catholicos stated in
part, "Dear Brother in Christ, today, on the threshold of the Feast
of Pentecost, when we unite our prayers to those of Your Holiness
and of your faithful sons and daughters, we praise and glorify the
Holy Spirit, Who is the fountainhead of unity and transforms our
steps on the paths of brotherhood with grace – steps which are for
the glory of God and are born from the love of Christ, for the sake
of establishing peace in the world and a blessed life for mankind. In
spite of different historical experiences and paths we have traversed;
in spite of dogmatic and cultural divergences, we are all children of
the one God, and we are all brothers and sisters in His Holy love. For
in our diversity, it is our unity of love that is the genuine testimony
that we are children of God.
"Intolerance and confrontation must not be allowed within the
brotherhood and love of Christ. Mankind has suffered much as a
result. Today as well, the creation of God – the world that surrounds
us – is imperiled through interfaith disagreements, through wars
and terrorism, through the effects of poverty and neglect. Our
brothers and sisters are in distress in the Middle East and many
other regions of the world; where women and children, the elderly and
disabled are endangered by the blows of disagreement and division,
unjust competition and enmity. This is not the Will of God. This
is not our calling. We aspire to live a life in peace, of creation
and creativity, to use the graces given to us by the Holy Spirit,
to serve the establishment of unity and solidarity with the love of
Jesus Christ and the message of the Gospel, since ‘for those that
love God, all things work together unto good.’ (Romans 8:28)
"We Armenians are a people who have survived genocide, and we know
well the value of love, brotherhood, friendship, peace and a secure
life. Today, many countries of the world recognize and condemn the
Genocide committed against the Armenian people by Ottoman Turkey,
as did the Holy See, by His Holiness Pope John Paul II of blessed
memory during our fraternal visit to Rome in 2000. Offering prayers
to his luminous memory, we as Pontiff of the Armenians, appeal to
all nations and lands to universally condemn all genocides that
have occurred throughout history and those that continue through
the present day, so that those who yield power and authority realize
their responsibilities and results of those crimes which have been
and continue to be committed against the creation of God, and that
the denial of these crimes is an injustice that equals the commission
of the same."
That same afternoon, His Holiness Garegin II was presented with
an Honoris Causa doctorate degree from the Pontifical Salesian
University recognizing his fruitful work in Christian Education and
Youth Instruction. Attending the ceremony representing His Holiness
the Pope were His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Vatican State
Secretary and His Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper, President of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
On Thursday, May 8, His Holiness Karekin II and his delegation visited
the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, and conveyed his blessings
and warm greetings to the participants of a symposium dedicated to the
study of the Armenian Divine Liturgy. The symposium was organized by
Fr. Robert Taft and included presentations by Armenian and Catholic
learned scholars from throughout Europe and North America. His
Eminence Leonardo Cardinal Sandri, Prefect for the Vatican’s Council
for Oriental Churches, also accompanied His Holiness to the symposium.
Friday morning, May 9, the delegation of 100 Armenian bishops and
faithful went to the Apostolic Palace of the Holy See, for a private
audience under the joint presidency of His Holiness Garegin II and His
Holiness Benedict XVI. The two pontiffs again exchanged warm messages
of greeting and brotherly love, embraced with a solemn kiss of peace
and spoke of the strong ties and increasing collaboration between
the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
His Holiness Garegin II, addressing the head of the Catholic Church
and the Armenian faithful gathered for the audience, stated in part,
"We offer gratitude to the Almighty in heaven, as successor to Saints
Thaddeus and Bartholomew, and the saint co-equal to the apostles,
Gregory the Illuminator, that we are enjoying the light of this good
day when we exchange the divinely ordained kiss of peace with Your
Holiness, worthy successor to the See of Saint Peter, seven years
after experiencing the joy of receiving your predecessor of blessed
memory under the gaze of biblical Mount Ararat. It is even more joyous
that this kiss of peace is exchanged on this day, the 9th of May,
when we are celebrating Victory and Peace Day in our homeland – the
day which commemorates the conclusion of World War II – the cause of
great human tragedy and misery; as well as the triumph of our people
in the national liberation struggle for Nagorno Karabakh.
A short prayer service was held under the presidency of both church
heads, following which, the faithful approached the Catholicos and the
Pope to kiss their right hands and receive their blessings. At the
conclusion of the audience, Catholicos Karekin II and Pope Benedict
XVI met privately during lunch to discuss issues of importance to
both Churches.
In the afternoon, His Holiness Karekin II, met with His Grace
Archbishop Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, in the Vatican
Guest House for a private meeting. The head of the Church of England
and the Anglican Communion was coincidentally also in the Holy See
this week, and the two fondly recalled the Archbishop’s fraternal
visit to Holy Etchmiadzin in September 2007, as well as discussed
the upcoming Lambeth Conference for the Anglican Communion and the
current state of relations with sister Churches.
The final event at the Vatican was an Ecumenical Prayer Service,
offered at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, where the
grave of St. Paul the Apostle is located. His Holiness Karekin II
presided during the service, which included the participation of
Roman Catholic and Armenian Church bishops and clergy.
In addition to the official events throughout the course of the week,
His Holiness and the church hierarchs also visited a number of Armenian
and Catholic churches and shrines. His Holiness and the high-ranking
clergymen departed Rome for Milan on Saturday morning.
Upon the invitation of the Pope Benedict XVI His Holiness Karekin
II paid an official visit to Vatican from May 6-9, 2008 accompanied
by 18 Archbishops, Bishops of the Armenian Church. The fraternal
relations between the See of Rome and the See of Etchmiadzin have
further developed and deepened in recent years. The Armenian Church
and the Catholic Church share a long history of mutual respect,
considering their various theological, liturgical, and canonical
traditions as complementary.
POLICE TESTIMONY IS NOT ENOUGH
A1+
[07:10 pm] 12 May, 2008
"No one can be imprisoned unless the arrest is grounded," says
barrister Dzerar Julhakian, member of the Armenian Advocates Union
(ADU) of Paris. Together with five other advocates he has arrived
in Armenia to get familiarized with the state of his Armenian
counterparts. The French advocates have met with RoA FM, Chairman of
the Advocates’ Chamber and detainees of the March 1 events.
We are mainly concerned over the state of advocates in Armenia
especially in pre- and post-election period," he says.
Though it is still too early to draw conclusions we can say that
certain pressure is exerted on advocates in Armenia. Some judicial
rules are ignored and even violated. We would give a detailed answer
in case we participated in trials and got acquainted with the material
thoroughly," says Mr. Julhakian.
The advocates will likely return to Armenia in the nearest future to
participate in the legal proceedings of March 1 events.
The ADU will issue a statement in this regard.
Courts must bring impartial and unbiased verdicts compliant with
the RoA Penal Code. At the same time they must respect the European
Convention on Human Rights. They should rely on all details at hand
and not suffice with policemen’s testimonies," he said.
Movses Hakobyan: `Our army is capable of maintaining the ceasefire in
the conflict zone’
10-05-2008 13:32:10 – KarabakhOpen
An interview with NKR Defense Minister General-Lieutenant Movses
Hakobyan
Q – Mr. Hakobyan, I’d first like to congratulate you on the anniversary
of the liberation of Shushi and my first question relates to it. What
was the significance of Shushi’s liberation for Karabakh?
A – Thanks for the congratulations. As for the significance of the
liberation of Shushi in terms of Karabakh we can look at the issue from
several angles. As a commander in the military services of the republic
I would single out only two factors. First, the victory won in Shushi
restored Armenians with the belief that they could rely on their own
strengths and lead them to take solace in one overriding truth. That is
if you wish to command the respect and esteem of others first see to it
that you can defend yourself and that you master the skills to
neutralize the threat posed by the enemy, when the need arises.
Secondly, the operation involving the liberation of Shushi showed that
victory is inevitable if you have a leadership force and an army with
all its prerequisite structures in place. Yes, these were the two
important lessons that Armenians learned on May 9, 1992 and served as
the core of their future dazzling victories.
Q – The Azeri military budget grows yearly. Won’t this upset the
balance of power? What steps are being taken to maintain the balance?
A – Lately, I’ve answered this question on several occasions and I must
confess that the yearly increase in the Azeri military budget is of
concern and only goes to show the aggressive intentions of Baku. Let me
add however that in the final analysis every military budget gets its
final evaluation on the battlefield. In passing I should also note that
during the war itself the Azeri military budget outstripped our battle
expenses many fold but as it turned out Baku couldn’t translate this
superiority into victory. I don’t believe that it is possible to obtain
an advantage or upset the relation of forces merely through additional
military expenditures. Success is achieved not so much through the
growth of the military budget but rather as a result of the more
efficient and targeted utilization of the resources at hand. And I can
assure you that we’re accomplishing this otherwise Azerbaijan wouldn’t
have tolerated the ceasefire for fourteen straight years.
Q – Lately American-Armenian analyst Richard Giragosian stated in an
article that the military preparedness of the Azeri army was less than
its military expenditures would indicate. Do you agree with this
evaluation?
A – If I wasn’t an army commander but still possessed all the
information regarding the Azeri armed forces that I do know, perhaps
I’d agree with Mr. Giragosian. But my responsible position within the
government obligates me to overestimate the resources of our potential
opponent. It is incorrect to underestimate the enemy and we cannot
afford to make such a mistake.
Q – According to several studies the south Caucasus region is the most
militarized in all of Europe. Do you agree with this viewpoint? In
general, is the arms race a danger or a guarantor of security today?
A – Given that there are still a number of unresolved conflicts in our
region the arms build-up is perhaps inevitable. We are thus forced to
view the process as both a threat to and a guarantor of security. This
is the situation confronting us today and we must take it into account
in all our decision-making.
Q – The NKR army is considered to be the most fighting-ready force in
the Transcaucasus. Is this still the case today?
A – I am not the person to talk about this…There are higher bodies
that periodically evaluate what we have accomplished. But it remains an
indisputable fact that for many consecutive years our army has
succeeded in maintaining the ceasefire in the conflict zone and
ensuring the peaceful livelihood of our people without the intervention
of a third force. All this speaks to the high level of our army’s
military preparedness. Those high marks given to our army from time to
time, rather than lull us into a false sense of satisfaction, serve to
make us work even harder. As to the comparison regarding various armies
in the region, as always, I’d rather hear about that from others than
myself.
Q – The Karabakh war is included in the curriculum being taught in
military academies in Russia. What was it about the Karabakh War that
has made it required subject matter in Russian military instruction?
A – Generally, the study of the lessons derived from various wars is
vital in establishing a top-level school of military science. It is not
by accident that 2007 was declared to be the `Year to reassess our
army’s track record and to appreciate our best traditions’, during
which the main emphasis was placed on those military operations that
took place in the Artsakh liberation war that can garner the interest
of any given specialist in the field of the military arts, with their
uniqueness and operational characteristics. Of particular interest are
the operations conducted by small detachments, their quick redeployment
from one battle front to another, the characteristics inherent in
creating army structures parallel to carrying out military operations,
etc. Naturally, these are narrow specialist issues whose study and
dissemination require more time. I am convinced that many others will
study the lessons culled from our war as well in the future.
Q – What’s your evaluation of the negotiation process?
A – I am convinced that the negotiations taking place under the
auspices of the OSCE constitute the only avenue leading to the peaceful
settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
Q – In your estimation what’s the probability that Azerbaijan will
resume military operations or do you think those bellicose declarations
were merely pre-election campaign rhetoric?
A – Regardless of whether those statements reflect a willingness on the
part of Azerbaijan to resume military operations or not, our forces are
always in the necessary state of military preparedness and will
effectively confront any military challenge whenever the need arises.
As to the probability that warfare might resume I must tell you that,
given my official position, I am obliged to confront such an
eventuality at any moment, even right now as we speak…
Catholic World News
May 9 2008
Pope, Armenian patriarch pray for restored unity
Vatican, May. 9, 2008 (CWNews.com) – At a midday meeting on May 9 with
the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Pope Benedict XVI (bio –
news) looked forward to Pentecost Sunday and said, "we will pray in a
particular way for the unity of the Church."
The Holy Father was joined by Catholicos Karekin II in an ecumenical
prayer service in the Clementine Hall of the apostolic palace. Karekin
was accompanied by a number of Armenian bishops and a large group of
lay faithful of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
"If our hearts and minds are open to the Spirit of communion, God can
work miracles again in the Church, restoring the bonds of unity," the
Pope said. "Striving for Christian unity is an act of obedient trust
in the work of the Holy Spirit."
Recalling the breakthroughs in ecumenical dialogue with the Armenian
Church over the past several years, the Pope said that the two
churches must pray "that the day will come when our unity in faith
makes possible a common celebration of the Eucharist." The immediate
predecessors of the two Church leaders, Pope John Paul II (bio – news)
and Catholicos Karekin I, signed a theological accord that settled the
major Christological disputes that have divided the churches for 15
centuries. A joint commission is now working toward common agreements
on remaining theological differences.
Catholicos Karekin, during brief remarks that he delivered at the
Pope’s public audience on Wednesday, May 7, had called for a general
recognition of the Armenian genocide. Pope Benedict responded to that
plea during their Friday meeting, and also alluded to the oppression
of religious faith under the Communist regime, noting that "the recent
history of the Armenian Apostolic Church has been written in the
contrasting colors of persecution and martyrdom, darkness and hope,
humiliation and spiritual re-birth."
In more recent years, the Pope continued, "the restoration of freedom
to the Church in Armenia has been a source of great joy for us all."
He praised the leadership of the Armenian patriarchs, under whose
leadership "the glorious light of Christ shines again in Armenia and
the saving words of the Gospel can be heard once more."
MEETING
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on May 08, 2008
Armenia
According to the preliminary agreement, on May 6, Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandyan, who is in Strasburg to participate in 118th
Session of Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, met with
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamediarov, in the Permanent
Representation of France in the Council of Europe. An extended meeting
in the presence of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Bernard Fassier, Mathew
Braise, Yury Merzlyakov, and the representative of OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Kasprchik followed the meeting.
After the meeting Edward Nalbandyan informed the journalists that the
meeting between the Ministers was of familiarization nature and the two
Ministers expressed opinions regarding Karabakh process. The Ministers
will introduce the results of the discussions to the two Presidents,
who will decide their future steps.