Author: Kanayan Tamar

Eturbo News
December 21, 2012 Friday

Christmas message from the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem

U.S., Dec. 21 — We, the Heads of the Churches of Jerusalem, bring you
greetings of joy, peace, hope and love from the Land of the Nativity:
the Joy and the peace of God that were announced by the heavenly host
of Angels in the sky of Bethlehem, the Hope of salvation made possible
through the Incarnation of the Word, His Love that was fully embodied,
revealed and incarnated through the Babe of Bethlehem.

This was the essence of the message of the incarnation, which
descended from on high and revealed the very nature of the Divine, the
Holy and the Transcendent. It is through the incarnation of the Word
of God that heaven and earth were reconciled and wedded together; it
is through the incarnation of the Word that heaven and earth were
united and made one, because God has dwelt among God’s people in flesh
here on earth. We pray, with our Lord and Saviour, that the whole
church may be one and Christians be united under the banner of the
Prince of Peace.

Church Fathers taught us that the Word became human so that humans may
become divine. Today, humans have the same challenge set before them,
yet the only way to become divine is through becoming fully human,
thus, human-becoming! This heavenly message is directed towards all of
humanity, especially, where humanity is alienated from the divine
presence from within, and is called to embody the Joy, Peace, Hope and
Love of the Nativity and be able to share them with the whole world.

The message of Christmas is about bringing Joy to all those who mourn
and grieve, and about bringing Peace to those who are oppressed and
live under occupation and injustices. It is about bringing Hope to
those who live without hope and are in despair, and about bringing
Love where there is hatred and enmity, particularly to the unloved and
the strangers. We especially hold up to God the children and those who
are affected by violence and those who live as refugees, and for the
end of intolerance, discrimination, and vandalism against all Holy
Sites.

We pray at this time of our Christmas celebrations for the situations
of conflict and distress throughout the Middle East. Especially, for
the people of Syria and for the ending of violence and bloodshed. And
here in the Holy Land, we pray that the “Two States” solution may
bring peace, security, and reconciliation to both nations.

May there be peace in this region of the Middle East, and all people
may see the love of God in face of the other. We hope and pray that
all those in authority and their people may walk in the paths of peace
and good will for the common good, thus our joy may be complete. Amen

+Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate

+Patriarch Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarchate

+ Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, Locum Tenens of the Armenian Apostolic
Orthodox Patriarchate

+Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, ofm, Custos of the Holy Land

+Archbishop Anba Abraham, Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem

+Archbishop Swerios Malki Murad, Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate

+Archbishop Joseph-Jules Zerey, Greek-Melkite-Catholic Patriarchate

+Archbishop Abouna Matthias, Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate

+Archbishop Mosa El-Hage, Maronite Patriarchal Exarchate

+Bishop Suheil Dawani, Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East

+Bishop Munib Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land

+Bishop Pierre Malki, Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate

+Bishop Joseph Antoine Kelekian, Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Dec 20 2012

Serzh Sargsyan: The murder of an Armenian is no longer considered a
crime in Azerbaijan

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated that `the
murder of an Armenian is no longer considered a crime in Azerbaijan’.

The President said this on December 19 addressing the Summit of heads
of member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(OSCE).

`The Azerbaijani propaganda brings up a whole generation in an
atmosphere of xenophobia and intolerance. My words may be proved by
the formation of an image of a hero over the faint-hearted and
cowardly murderer, who was extradited to Baku by Hungarian
authorities. He was immediately released and given a military rank, as
well as paid the salary for the years spent in Hungarian prison. Thus,
the murder of an Armenian is no longer considered a crime in
Azerbaijan. And this happens in the 21st century, in a country which
is a member of the UN Security Council,’ said Serzh Sargsyan.

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Dec 20 2012

Sargsyan, Putin discuss deepening of cooperation

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met with the
President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on
December 19.

`The heads of two states discussed issues of deepening cooperation in
a number of spheres of mutual interest,’ the Armenian presidential
press service reported.

The delegation headed by the Armenian President completes its visit to
Moscow today and returns to Yerevan.

The Public Sphere in Armenia

16:16, December 20, 2012

What are the perceptions of the public sphere in Armenia? What was the
public sphere during the Soviet Union? Which are the priority issues
of the public sphere? Who makes decisions regulating the public sphere
and where? Who can participate in that decision-making process and
how?

This and other issues are covered in the film through interviews with
art-critic Nazareth Karoyan and art expert Vardan Azatyan. The film
also presents a short visual chronology of 20th century Armenia and
shows the efforts of self-organized communities towards saving public
spaces from commercialization. The film aims at creating new platforms
for discussion on the issues raised.

Sarkisian, Putin Discuss Strategic Ties

Presidnets Sarkisian and Putin meet in the Kremlin Wednesday

MOSCOW – President Serzh Sarkisian on Wednesday met with his Russian
counterpart Vladimir Putin, following a session of the Collective
Treaty Security Organization, which focused on the proposed
Russian-led customs union.

According to Sarkisian press office, the two leaders discussed issues
of mutual interest in Russian-Armenian strategic relations and
possible avenues of cooperation between the two countries.

Ahead of the Sarkisian-Putin meeting a senior official in Moscow said
that the absence of a common border with Russia is not an
`insurmountable obstacle’ to Armenia’s accession to the customs union,
which enjoys the membership of all CSTO member-states except Armenia.

Armenia has expressed reservation in joining the union, known as the
Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEc), saying the fact that it does
not share a common border with Russia could raise problems in the long
run.

EurAsEc member-state presidents met separately in Moscow immediately
after the CSTO summit.

That meeting in turn was followed by trilateral talks between Putin
and presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan and Aleksandr
Lukashenko of Belarus. Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus make up the more
tightly-knit Customs Union, which Putin hopes will eventually develop
into a larger Eurasian Union of former Soviet republics.

Armenia appears to be facing growing pressure from Moscow to join the
Customs Union. It has avoided committing itself until now, citing the
lack of common borders with any of the three member states, reported
RFE/RL.

Viktor Khristenko, the Russian head of the Eurasian Economic
Commission, the Customs Union’s governing body, questioned the
official Armenian rationale in an interview with the Moscow daily
`Vedomosti’ published on Wednesday, according to RFE/RL.

`Many thought [the absence of common borders] is an insurmountable
obstacle. But in my view, it’s not,’ Khristenko said, pointing to the
existence of Russia’s Kalinigrad exclave sandwiched between Poland and
Lithuania.

`Given the developed level of communications existing today, the
Customs Union can definitely have an exclave,’ he stressed.

`Of course, Armenia has very sensitive infrastructure constraints: it
has a sole transport corridor to the Customs Union passing through
Georgia. But Armenia’s strategic interest has been articulated and it
boils down to its being a Eurasian country,’ added the former Russian
deputy prime minister.

Khristenko discussed the matter with Armenian leader when he visited
Yerevan on December 5-6. He met Sarkisian the day after the latter’s
most recent talks with Putin held on the sidelines of an informal
Commonwealth of Independent States’ summit in Turkmenistan.

Putin and Sarkisian had earlier agreed to set up a joint task force
that will explore possible ways of Armenia’s integration with the
Customs Union.

In that context, Khristenko spoke of unspecified `new models of
interaction that have not existed before.’ He also told `Vedomosti’
that the Russian and Armenian governments are now working on trade
memorandums aimed at facilitating bilateral trade.

Russia has already signed similar memorandums with Ukraine, another
ex-Soviet state which Moscow hopes will join the Customs Union.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich was scheduled to visit Moscow on
Tuesday for talks on trade and energy ties. Yanukovich cancelled the
trip at the last minute.

`I think that our movement forward with Armenia may be even more
intensive than with Ukraine,’ declared Khristenko.

EDUCATION, JUDICIAL SYSTEM, POLICE REMAIN MOST CORRUPT FIELDS IN ARMENIA

Panorama.am
15:11 20/12/2012

Education, judicial system and police are the most corrupt fields
in Armenia, Varuzhan Hoktanyan, Executive Director of Transparency
International Anti- corruption Center, told reporters, citing surveys
conducted two years ago. The situation, however, is unlikely to have
changed abruptly since then, he added.

A new survey is underway and will be completed in May 2013.

“There is a pessimistic opinion that the authorities insufficiently
implement their functions in fighting corruption. 52-53 percent of
the respondents gave a positive answer to the question if they think
corruption increased during the past three years,” Hoktanyan noted.

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN MET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION VLADIMIR PUTIN

23:20, 19 December, 2012

President Serzh Sargsyan, who is the Russian Federation on a working
visit, today in Moscow, met with the President of the Russian
Federation Vladimir Putin.

As Presidential press service informed Armenpress, the Presidents of
the two countries discussed issues pertinent to the Armenian-Russian
strategic partnership and cooperation in a number of areas which
present mutual interest.

Concluding its visit to Moscow, the delegation headed by President
Sargsyan will return to Yerevan on

BAKU DEMANDS EXPLANATIONS FROM EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS FOR HIS PLANNED VISIT TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH

arminfo
Thursday, December 20, 13:30

Baku demands explanations from EU Special Representative for South
Caucasus Philippe Lefort for his planned visit to Nagorno-Karabakh,
said Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov, TREND reports.

“Nagorno-Karabakh is under occupation and one can visit these areas
only after obtaining Azerbaijan’s permission,” deputy minister told
the media today.

“Azerbaijan is not against OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen’s visit to
these areas, as it is their job. Regarding the intentions of various
political forces to visit these areas for some political reasons we do
not in principle give them permission, as there is no reason for this.

As for Lefort’s visit to Nagorno-Karabakh, one must think about the
purpose of the trip,” he said.

Azimov said that the EU is not involved in the conflict settlement,
but only supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group. In future, the
EU may be involved in resolving any issues related to the conflict,
deputy minister said.

If Lefort wants to visit Nagorno-Karabakh, he must explain the purpose
of his visit, the diplomat said.

ANTI-CORRUPTION BODY NECESSARY FOR FIGHTING AGAINST CORRUPTION IN ARMENIA, MP SAYS

13:03 ~U 20.12.12

Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) MP Artsvik
Minasyan, speaking to reporters on Thursday, said for effective
fight against corruption in Armenia it is necessary to establish an
anti-corruption body and adopt a law on corruption.

The MP stressed that the body should not be either pro-opposition or
pro-governmental, it should be able to make its own decisions.

“This body should be paid enough. It will not be possible to fight
against corruption with low salaries. Only in such case it will be
possible to fight against corruption. If anti-corruption body is not
created we will not get anything,” he said.

Minasyan said it is difficult to say which sphere is the most corrupted
as it is of systematic nature in Armenia.

Armen Martirosyan, deputy leader of Heritage party, agreed with the
ARF-D MP, saying the body should have wide authorities and be headed
by the opposition.

“I think the authorities must not be part of that body as it will be
set up to control them [the authorities]. The parliamentary majority
cannot control themselves. Besides, the opposition figures, the civil
society representatives must too be engaged in the body,” he said.

Heritage party member Styopa Safaryan said the corruption in Armenia
is not systematic but here corruption has become a system.

“This system has been created to earn money. The fight against
corruption in Armenia means loss of power, which does not allow the
issue to be solved. There will be one-two people wanting to fight
but the system will throw them out,” he said.

RUSSIAN OFFICIAL NAMES ARMENIA EXCLAVE OF CUSTOMS UNION

tert.am
20.12.12

The chief of the Eurasian Integration Committee was reported on
Monday to have compared Armenia with the Russian exclave region,
Kaliningrad, when speaking of the country’s potentials for joining
the Custom’s Union.

“It seems an unsurmountable obstacle to many. But that isn’t so
from my point of view. The Russian Federation has one exclave – the
Kaliningrad region – on its territory. And the Customs Union may have
an exclave today on the existing level of communication development.

Armenia has, of course, very sensitive infra-structure restrictions; it
has one transport corridor to the Customs Union, which passes through
Georgia,” Victor Khristenko told the Russian newspaper Vedomosti.

Commenting on the Russian official’s statement, the Armenian political
analyst, Hrant Melik Shahnazaryan, said he doesn’t see anything
offensive about that. “An enclave is a territory that has no borders.

A comparison with the mother state was made because neither the
Kaliningrad region nor the Republic of Armenia has a land border [with
Russia], with all trade issues being resolved through air communication
or a transit route through third countries,” he told Tert.am.

The expert explained that only the absence of common borders was at
the heart of the comparison. “That comparison was not appropriate,
of course, given several circumstances, first of all, the neighbors,”
he said. “Secondly, Russia has a big political desire to involve
Armenia in these Eurasian processes, particularly the Customs Union.”

A representative of the Russian State Duma, who visited Armenia
several years ago, had called the country a forepost.

“After all, these are trends for expanding the Russian state,”
Melik Shahnazaryan said, adding that statements of the kind should
not make the Armenian authorities give their immediate consent to
such proposals.

According to him a comprehensive analysis is now in the interests of
Armenia as that would help the country realize what Russia means by
saying Eurasian integration.

Russia has not taken into consideration the fact that Armenia’s current
problems with some of its neighbors could prevent the country from
developing trade relations with any state, Melik-Shahnazaryan added.

Asked whether avoiding a membership is possible at all, the expert
said it is more important to consider the appropriateness of the plan.

“It is simply necessary to realize and assess fully all the existing
risks and advantages that could emanate from the union,” he said.

The analyst believes Armenia’s integration to the Eurasian processes
would complement rather than restrict the country’s EU efforte.

“It will restrict to a certain extent, definitely, because we know
Armenia is now conducting talks for joining the European Free Trade
Area. It is just necessary at this point to study and realize which
market is more advantageous to Armenia,” he said.

A former foreign minister of Armenia, Alexander Arzumanyan, who
is now a member of the opposition Heritage party faction in the
National Assembly, said the Russian officials considered Armenia a
non-independent state for quite a long time.

“While they used to call us a forepost, they have progressed now,
naming us an exclave,” he explained.