Author: Kanayan Tamar

Panorama, Armenia
July 22 2011

A. Movsisyan: Only Armenia may attempt to be energy operator in the region

`Having adopted accurate policy we’ve developed our energy system and
can attempt being the only energy operator in the region,’ Armen
Movsisyan, Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, told
Panorama.am.

The Minister says Armenia is setting ultra-high voltage power lines
with Iran. Minister Movsisyan said the project targets those countries
which have energy deficit.

Referring to Georgia, which exports energy to the countries of Eastern
Europe, Armen Movsisyan said: `The project of ultra-high voltage power
lines is aimed to join Armenia to those energy flows.’

Panorama.am was interested if Georgia would approve Armenia’s
involvement, in case if Armenia purchases energy in lower prices,
Minister of Energy said: `Periodically our energy will be low, and in
spring and summer it will be lower conditioned by Georgia’s water
resources, but still this doesn’t really matter because launching
ultra-high voltage power lines we’ll optimize our regimes and have
cheaper price.’

Panorama, Armenia
July 23 2011

Turkish official says Turkey must normalize relations with Armenia

Osman Koruturk, deputy leader of the Republican People’s Party, or
CHP has condemned Turkish government’s foreign policy describing it as
`unscrupulous,’ `Turkish Weekly’ writes.

Turkish official has also condemned Turkish government, which veiling
the domestic conflicts attempts achieving world leader’s role.

`Turkish government’s vision is inaccurate, since world leader’s role
cannot be achieved unless interior issues are resolved.’

Osman Koruturk called on the government to normalize relations with
Armenia where no advancement has been recorded so far.

news.am, Armenia
July 23 2011

Dialogue to fail if opposition puts ultimatum – Armenian MP

July 23, 2011 | 13:57

YEREVAN. – Though expectations were not so high from
authorities-opposition dialogue, the first talks run positively,
Orinats Yerkir Party MP, member of authority working-group to dialogue
with opposition Khachik Harutyunyan told at a press conference on
Saturday.

`It is important that both sides are ready to continue talks. The
agenda is not yet set, but the dialogue will have a positive impact on
the future. It is a high time for authorities-opposition discrepancies
to be solved through discussions and not crashes and extreme
measures,’ MP told.

Opposition put very sharp issues during the first meeting of the
talks, even presented justifications for snap elections. However,
coalition members made them understood that the talks will fail if
ultimatums are set forward. Yet authorities expect that the talks with
opposition will bring positive results, otherwise dialogue will be
cancelled.

Harutyunyan said that authorities dialogue with opposition to have
more stable and peaceful state. The first meeting between authorities
and Armenian National Congress took place on July 18. The second is
scheduled for July 26.

news.am, Armenia
July 23 2011

Bronze Age settlement discovered on border of Armenia and Karabakh

July 23, 2011 | 16:22

YEREVAN. – A Bronze Age settlement, dating back to 4 millennium BC,
has been discovered on the border of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh,
director of Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural
Heritage Hakob Simonyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am on Saturday.

`Our expedition found the settlement on July 22. Local authorities
actually knew about it before, they asked us to come and study the
place. We revealed that a significant part of the settlement was
destroyed as a result of agricultural work. Anyway, during the
excavations we discovered objects, which belong to the the early
period of Kura-Araxes culture,’ said Simonyan.

news.am, Armenia
July 23 2011

Journalist writing truth in Azerbaijan is considered Armenian spy – BBC

July 22, 2011 | 19:14

BAKU. – Azerbaijani government will grant free apartments to
journalists, says BBC.

Critics, as well as human rights activists, see this as another tactic
to tighten state control of the media. They view this as a bribe,
threatening the freedom of press and making it harder for the
journalists to challenge the authorities.

The government says it aims to provide social protection for those who
need it. According to the president, the journalists have the right to
write what they want.

Ali Hasanov, an official representative, also urged journalists to be
patriots, supporters of the state. According to Mr. Hasanov, every
journalist must “support national and spiritual values and advocate
the country.”

Samir Ahmedbeyli, director of the Institute for War and Peace
Reporting in Azerbaijan, said that the call for journalists to be
patriotic is an effective way to get the media to support the
government, especially in the face of the draconian libel laws.

news.am, Armenia
July 22 2011

Armenian Government aware of capital outflow – PM

July 22, 2011 | 21:21

YEREVAN. – The Government of Armenia has a clear idea about the
outflow of capital and there is no ground for concern in this regard,
said Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan at meeting with
intellectuals of Aragatsotn region on Friday.

“Capital flows, balance of payments of our country are studied very
carefully and the Central Bank carries out this function on a
professional level. Of course, there are cases when our people do not
build factories in Armenia but abroad. But on the other hand, pursuing
liberal policy, we cannot apply restrictions on our plants to control
their cash flow. The interests of our country also suggest this. If
economic agents operating in Armenia will manage to diversify their
business, it will ensure the financial stability of the state “, said
the PM.

Armenia to face Hungary in the 7th round of World Team Chess Championship

July 23, 2011 – 17:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The 6th round of World Team Chess was rich in drawn
games. Teams of Armenia and China scored over India and Egypt with
2,5:1,5 and 3,5:0,5 to their total scores respectively to record only
victories in that round.

Other 3 matches, namely, Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Azerbaijan and U.S.
-Hungary ended in a draw 2:2.

After the 6th round, Armenia with 16 points is dominating the
Championship. Russia with its 14 points is the second in the
Championship, and Hungary (13,5 points) is the third.

Armenia will rival Hungary in the 7th round of World Team Chess Championship

Russia, India plays against Egypt, Azerbaijan against U.S. and Ukraine
against Israel.

Employee fired for leaking video of Garegin II and Ilia II meeting

16:28 – 23.07.11

The person who had posted video excerpts of the recent meeting of
Armenian and Georgian spiritual leaders on the social networking
website YouTube has been fired.

According to the Russian news agency Regnum, the person, whose name is
not given, was employed by the TV channel of the Georgian Patriarchate
called Edinodushyie.

He was fired for having released the footage without permission.

The video was posted on June 11. In the video, His Holiness Garegin II
says that the Georgian side `steps back from yesterday’s agreement’,
though it was not clear what agreements he meant.

The video, which unveiled previously uncovered details of the meeting,
was the first such footage of that June 11 meeting that was made
public.

Garegin II also told Ilia II that `it looks like you are trading’ and
does not remember how to say the word `trade’ in Russian and asks the
people around.

`… If you present your arguments, we will see what would hinder us
from solving those issues …,’ Garegin II said.
Ilia II second in turn said in the footage that `if we are not
difficult [to deal with], the issues will not be difficult either’.

Tert.am

ARMENIAN CHURCH CRITICIZED ON-LINE CAMPAIGN AGAINST CATHOLICOS

news.am
July 22 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Campaign against the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin
II recently unfolded in social networks does not bring honor to its
participants, said the spokeswoman for Karekin II, Father Vahram
Melikyan on Friday.

According to him, Holy Etchmiadzin has never been against discussions.

“We always welcome discussions and suggestions but the recent
discussions in social networks can hardly be called as such. The
language used, as well as insults addressed to the church, do not
bring honor to the participants who call themselves patriots. These
discussions will not do any good to our country, our church and the
Armenian Diaspora.”

Asked about the causes of such discussions and whether the misconduct
of priests could possibly initiate it, Melikyan told that ~Sthe
correlation of certain facts~T might give that impression

~SI cannot state who are behind this and what goals they pursue,
I think – time will reveal it. However, despite the criticism and
a wave of discontent, Holy Etchmiadzin will continue its activities
for the benefit of the people,” he added.

As for the behavior of some priests, according to Melikyan, in all
structures there are people having problems with conduct.

“In this regard, Holy Etchmiadzin is the most open structure, since
it immediately reports of church officials suspended from the church
because of their conduct,~T he stressed.

Recently several groups have been created on Facebook, demanding
the resignation of the Catholicos Karekin II. Soon another group
was created in support of Karekin II. At this point there is an
active on-line struggle between the supporters and opponents of
the Catholicos.

TURKISH-ARMENIAN DIALOGUE A MUST, SAYS ARCHBISHOP

Hurriyet
July 22 2011
Turkey

It is absolutely essential that dialogue be established between Turks
and Armenians to achieve understanding, a top Armenian-American
spiritual leader has said, adding that Turkey’s foreign minister
solicited his views on increasing such discussion.

“Turkish and Armenian people are members of the same family,”
Archbishop Khajag Barsamyan, the primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), told the Hurriyet Daily News during a
brief visit to Istanbul last week. “We ought to view history with
courage and [learn] to apologize if we have been in the wrong. We
need to be able to draw lessons from history’s negative and positive
aspects in the name of humanity.”

A planned international gathering to celebrate the opening of the Surp
Giragos Armenian church in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır
will present a chance to establish such dialogue, Barsamyan said.

During the World Political Forum in mid-March, Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu spoke favorably regarding the opening of the Turkish-Armenian
border, Barsamyan said, adding that he was ready for any steps taken
in the direction of establishing dialogue.

Barsamyan said Davutoglu had asked him for suggestions about how to
establish dialogue with the diaspora.

“I highlighted the significance of opening the sealed Turkish-Armenian
border and instituting trade [ties] with Armenian business people from
the diaspora,” he said, adding that he had also spoken to President
Abdullah Gul about the same issues back when Gul was foreign minister.

“Mr. Gul requested advice from me about how to put Turkish-Armenian
relations in order. I told him that Armenians have deep-running
sorrows, and that these sorrows must be listened to without denial,
or going on the defensive,” Barsamyan said.

“Davutoglu said Turkish and Armenian people lived together for
centuries. [He added that] vexing events have occurred in history and
touched upon the significance of putting an end to these and looking
forward. He said the diaspora Armenians are the people of this land,”
Barsamyan said.

“I reminded him that the Armenian President Serge Sarkisyan took great
risks in signing the [2009 Turkish-Armenian normalization] protocols
despite all the reaction both from within [Armenia,] as well as from
the diaspora, and I asked him why the protocols were not realized. Mr.

Davutoglu said there was need for a process, and that steps taken
[in this direction] must produce solutions, not new problems,” the
archbishop said.

The Turkish-Armenian border has remained sealed since 1993 when
Turkey unilaterally closed the border due to the Nagorno-Karabakh
War that broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Even though new
protocols were signed in 2009 to re-establish relations between the
two countries, the process has come to a grinding halt.

Opening of Armenian church a chance for dialogue

Barsamyan is arranging for more than 200 people from various Armenian
associations in the United States to participate in a ceremony marking
the reopening of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church in the southeastern
province of Diyarbakır on Oct. 22.

The reopening is an important step for dialogue, Barsamyan said,
adding that it was important that many people were going to be coming
to Turkey.

‘1915 must be put to scrutiny’

Touching upon the sensitive issue of the World War I-era killings of
Ottoman Armenians, Barsamyan said: “The problems need to be put to
debate and scrutiny. Clerics, historians, politicians and everyone
[else] can claim their own roles; this is a must for the future.

Unfavorable voices will surely arise from both societies. It is
necessary to work in good sense. Open minded people who think straight
are needed for this. I am ready as a cleric to take over the role
that falls to me.”

The 20th century was a bitter one not just for Armenians, but for
all the peoples of the world, the archbishop said, adding that he
had roots in the eastern province of Malatya.

“We lost a big portion of my family during the bitter events. My
grandmother was saved by a Turkish family; there was never any hatred
in my family toward Turks. My grandmother continued seeing the family
that saved her until she passed away. I also got to meet them,”
he said.

Recent efforts to renovate Armenian cultural assets in Turkey
represent a favorable development, according to Barsamyan, who also
drew attention to the historical Surp Hac Armenian Church that was
reopened for the Divine Liturgy on Akdamar Island in the eastern
province of Van last year.

“It is extremely important that the traces of each culture in Anatolia,
and not just those of Armenian culture, be maintained, for they all
represent the common legacy of humankind,” Barsamyan said.