Author: Kanayan Tamar

Aviation Week
Aug 23 2012

Armenia’s Armavia Struggles To Keep Hold Of Superjet 100 Fleet

By Maxim Pyadushkin
Source: Aviation Daily

Armenian carrier Armavia could lose its fledging Sukhoi Superjet 100
fleet over unpaid debts owed on its first aircraft and its failure to
negotiate financing for a second jet.

Armavia received its first SSJ100 April 16, 2011, and logged 1,870
flight hours from more than 760 revenue flights before sending the
aircraft to Sukhoi this summer for regular maintenance, where the
second SSJ100 destined for Armavia also is located.

But both these aircraft still remain with Sukhoi, with VP of Finance
Evgeny Konkov saying that Armavia still owes the manufacturer $4
million, the last tranche due on the first SSJ100.

The delivery of the second SSJ100, which was scheduled for June 22,
also has been delayed while Armavia attempts to negotiate better
financing terms on a lease agreement proposed Russian bank
Vneshekonombank. An Armavia spokeswoman tells Aviation Week that
negotiations with the bank continue, but provides no further details.

Mikhail Pogosyan, President of Sukhoi’s parent company United Aircraft
Corp., previously noted that Armavia’s financial issues will have no
impact on the SSJ100 order book, which now stand at almost 180 orders,
including contracts with Russia’s three largest operators, Aeroflot,
Transaero and UTair.

According to Pogosyan, deals on 40 more aircraft with three
undisclosed customers from Southeast Asia are also expected to bolster
the order book in the next two to three months.

Sources within Sukhoi also say the two Armavia SSJ100s could be easily
re-sold to other customers as soon as this year.

Interfax, Russia
Aug 22 2012

Russian, Iranian natural gas deliveries to Armenia up 26% in H1

YEREVAN. Aug 22

Deliveries of natural gas from Russian and Iran to Armenia were up
25.7% year-on-year at 1.257 billion cubic meters (bcm) for the first
half of 2012.

A statement issued by the country’s public services regulatory
commission says that natural gas deliveries to Armenia from Iran were
up 42% at 239 million cubic meters (mcm), from Russia – 22.37% at
1.018 bcm.

Iran is allowed by contract to ship Armenia up to 1.1 bcm of gas per
year (some 3 mcm per day), and starting in 2014 up to 2.3 bcm. The
plan was that Armenia would start supplying Georgia and Turkey with
excess electrical power. However, that has not been happening and in
fact Armenia is seasonally buying small amounts of less costly power
from Georgia.

CJSC Yerevanskaya Teploelektrotsentral receives natural gas arriving
in Armenia in exchange for electric power in a ratio of one m3 of gas
per 3 kWt/hours of electricity.

Armenia imported 460 mcm of Iranian gas in 2011, 15% more than the
year before. The country imported 1.609 bcm of Russian gas last year,
up 11.7%.

The monopoly gas supplier to Armenia is CJSC Armrosgazprom, which is
80% owned by Russian gas giant OJSC Gazprom (RTS: GAZP) and 20% by the
Armenian government.

Armenia’s fruit output this year may reach 305,000 tons: Deputy Minister

YEREVAN, August 23. /ARKA/. Deputy Armenian minister of agriculture,
Samvel Galstian, said today total fruit output this year is expected
to be about 305,000 tons, up from 229,400 in 2011. According to him,
the anticipated rise is exceptionally due to favorable weather
conditions.

Galstyan said according to preliminary data of the ministry, as of
August 20, farmers had gathered 70,150 tons of apricot, up from 42,800
tons last year. He said some 13,000 tons of apricots were exported
this year, up from 7,223 tons in 2011. Galstyan also noted that peach
output is twice of last year’s, but did not specify.

“This year we have negotiated with Georgia on facilitation of
procedures related to export of fruits,’ he said.

The deputy minister said also grape output is expected to grow to
240,000 metric tons against 230,000 tons last year.

“Today wine growers have actually no problems- we have a well
operating market with more than 25 processing companies, which are in
a healthy competition,” Galstyan said.

The deputy minister also said thanks to favorable weather conditions
the quality of Armenian grapes this year is very high.

Galstyan said the procurement price will be 120-130 drams per one kilo
of grape. ($1 – 410.52 drams). -0-

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-0710
Fax: (212) 779-3558
Web:
Email: [email protected]

TOP STORY August
23, 2012

St. Leon Cathedral
St. Leon Cathedral is the spiritual center of the Western Diocese.

Primate to Visit Western Diocese

On Sunday, August 26, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Diocesan Primate,
will visit the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, at
the invitation of Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western
Diocese.

Archbishop Barsamian will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at St. Leon
Cathedral in Burbank, CA. Following services, a fellowship hour will be
held in the Diocesan Center.

St. Leon Cathedral serves as the spiritual center of the Western
Diocese. Consecrated in September 2010, the cathedral will mark its
second anniversary this fall.
[4]Click here to visit the Western Diocese’s website.
Links:
4.

Scripture of the Week

Is 9:8-19
2 Cor 1:1-11
Mk 4:35-40

Prayer of the Week

Jesus, Wisdom of the Father, grant me wisdom, that I may, at all times,
think, speak, and do before you that which is good in your sight. And
save me from evil thoughts, words, and deeds. Have mercy upon your
creatures and upon me, a great sinner. Amen.

Upcoming Saints & Feasts

23 August: St. Jeremiah the Prophet

28 August: Holy Prophets Ezekiel, Ezra, and Zechariah, Father of St.
John the Baptist

CHURCH NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

Odzun Church
Sourp Mariam Asdvadzadzin Church in Odzun, Armenia.

Restoration of 6th-Century Church Underway in Armenia

Restoration work began this month at the historic Sourp Mariam
Asdvadzadzin Church in Armenia’s northern village of Odzun. It follows
last fall’s announcement by Armenia’s Ministry of Culture and the
Hovhannes Imastaser Catholicos Odznetsi charitable foundation to
collaborate on the restoration project.

Established in the 6th century, the church underwent its first major
reconstruction in the 8th century under the leadership of the
Catholicos Hovhannes Imastaser Odznetsi. During the Soviet period, the
church fell into ruin. Plans were made to renovate the structure in the
early 1990s, but the project stalled as the young Armenian nation faced
the challenges of its early years.

The current project will restore the Sourp Mariam Asdvadzadzin Church
to its former glory. Fr. Vertanes Baghumyan, parish pastor, said the
community is excited by the effort. Experts estimate that it will take
three years to complete the construction work.

[5]Click here to view a video in Armenian about the restoration
project.
Links:
5.

DIOCESAN NEWS

Diocesan Council meeting
Members of the Diocesan Council met in New York this week.

Diocesan Council Reviews Summer Programming

Meeting at the Diocesan Center on Wednesday, August 22, members of the
Diocesan Council heard a report from Diocesan Primate Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian on his trip to Romania earlier this month for the celebration
of the 500th anniversary of the Hagigadar Monastery in Suceava.

Archbishop Barsamian accompanied His Holiness Karekin II on his
pontifical visit to Romania. He described to council members the rich
history of the Armenian presence in the country and the inspiring sight
of pilgrims making their way to Hagigadar Monastery on their knees.
[6]Click here to view a video about the celebration in Armenian.
Links:
6.

The council also heard from the Very Rev. Simeon Odabashian, Diocesan
Vicar, about his visits to Diocesan youth programs this summer,
including St. Vartan Camp, Hye Camp, St. Nersess Summer Conferences,
and the Boyajian Young Choir Directors program. Executive director
Michael Guglielmo reviewed programs of the various Diocesan
departments.

Council members discussed feedback received to date regarding the July
24 letter sent by the Primate and Diocesan Council chair Oscar Tatosian
to clergy, Parish Council chairs, and Diocesan delegates about the
“Guidelines for Diocesan Bylaws of the Armenian Church,’ and made plans
to comprehensively assess all feedback in October.

The Council also discussed plans for the 2013 Diocesan Assembly, to be
hosted by St. David Church in Boca Raton, FL, and the 2014 Diocesan
Assembly, to be held at the Diocesan Center in New York. Council
members also reviewed plans for this year’s Annual Appeal, which will
kick off with a mailing later this month.

The Diocese is preparing for the September pilgrimage to historic
Armenia, which will be led by Archbishop Barsamian from September 5 to
19. Several Diocesan Council members and some 70 people from across the
Diocese will participate in the pilgrimage, which will include the
celebration of the Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross Church on the island of
Aghtamar, and prayer services at the recently consecrated St. Giragos
Armenian Church of Dikranagert and the St. Gregory Church in Kayseri.
Pilgrims also will visit Armenia’s magnificent former capital of Ani
and tour Arapkir, Kars, Antep, Sivas, Urfa, Kharpert, and Malatya,
among other cities and villages.

FAR
GTech students learn about programming at the recent computer science
seminar in Armenia.

FAR’s GTech Students Attend Computer Science Talk

Students at the Fund for Armenian Relief’s Gyumri Information
Technology Center (GTech) recently participated in a seminar covering
the basics of computer science organized by the Luys Foundation. The
goal of the seminar was to update the knowledge and skills of
programmers in Gyumri.

The seminar marked the first official collaboration between GTech and
the Armenian-based [7]Luys Foundation, which supports institutions that
foster positive cultural, academic, business, and social change in
Armenia, and makes it possible for talented students in Armenia to
study at leading colleges and universities abroad.
Links:
7.

GTech was established in 2005 by FAR, in partnership with U.S. and
Armenian technology companies, and with strong support from FAR’s Young
Professional alumni community. The goal of the center is to strengthen
the information technology skills of young Armenians and to expand
employment and business opportunities in the region for young
professionals. GTech also helps to bolster development by providing an
incubator space for new start-up IT businesses.
[8]Click here to read more.
Links:
8.

PARISH NEWS

Fr. Abraham Malkhasyan
Fr. Abraham Malkhasyan has been assigned as the new pastor of the Holy
Martyrs Church.

New Pastor in Bayside, NY

The Eastern Diocese is pleased to announce that the Rev. Fr. Abraham
Malkhasyan has been assigned as the new pastor of the Church of the
Holy Martyrs of Bayside, NY.

The assignment will go into effect on September 2. Fr. Malkhasyan will
celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the church on that day.

In his directive announcing the appointment, Diocesan Primate
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian conveyed good wishes to Fr. Malkhasyan and
his family, and also to all the parishioners of the Holy Martyrs
Church.

May our Lord guide his people as they embark upon this new chapter in
parish life.

Ordination
Archbishop Barsamian ordained Joseph Sarkis Gabrielian and Stan
Sheridan to the diaconate on Sunday.

Two Ordained to the Diaconate in Racine, WI

On Sunday, August 19, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Diocesan Primate,
celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Mesrob Church of Racine, WI, where
he ordained parishioners Joseph Sarkis Gabrielian and Stan Sheridan to
the diaconate.

Both are active members of the Racine parish, who have been working
hard to prepare for Sunday’s ordination. Mr. Gabrielian has served as a
Parish Council chair for six years; Mr. Sheridan, who studied at St.
Nersess Seminary, is the longtime advisor of the ACYOA Juniors.

A luncheon and program followed services. Diocesan Council chair Oscar
Tatosian was among the day’s speakers. He congratulated the newly
ordained and spoke about the importance of lay ministry. Parish Council
chair Steve Gengozian served as the master of ceremonies. Violinist
Lillian Proctor performed musical selections.

Click to [9]read more and to [10]view photos.
Links:
9.
10.

Blessing of Grapes in Springfield
Fr. Simeon Odabashian celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Mark Church
on Sunday.

Diocesan Vicar Visits Parish in Springfield, MA

On Sunday, August 19, the Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian, Diocesan
Vicar, visited St. Mark Church of Springfield, MA, where he celebrated
the Divine Liturgy and conducted the Blessing of Grapes service.

Following services, he joined the community for fellowship hour and met
briefly with the Parish Council.

On his way back to the Diocesan Center in New York, Fr. Odabashian made
a stop in New Britain, CT, where he surprised the parishioners of Holy
Resurrection Church during their Armenian festival.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Parish Events

Armenian Church at Hye Pointe | Haverhill, MA
The Armenian Church at Hye Pointe will host an Armenian food festival
on Sunday, August 26, from 12 to 5 p.m. The event will be preceded by
services at 11 a.m.

Enjoy live Armenian music by the Jason Naroian Ensemble, Armenian food,
cash prizes, and more. The picnic will be held at the American Legion
Farm (1314 Main St., Haverhill, MA). [11]Click here to view a flyer for
information.
Links:
11.

St. James Church | Evanston, IL
St. James Church of Evanston, IL, will host its annual “Taste of
Armenia” festival on Sunday, August 26, from 12 to 6:30 p.m. The event
will take place on Clark Street, between Benson and Sherman avenues in
downtown Evanston.

The festival offers a leisurely afternoon of delicious Armenian
cooking, music, and great company. For more information, [12]click
here.
Links:
12.

Church of the Holy Translators | Framingham, MA
The Church of the Holy Translators of Framingham, MA, will host its
annual `Armenian Food Festival’ on Saturday, September 8, from 12 to 5
p.m. The event will be held at the New England Laborers Training Center
(37 East Street in Hopkinton, MA).

Enjoy live Armenian music, Armenian food and homemade baked goods,
raffles, vendors, and more. There will be entertainment for children
from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Admission is free. For information, contact the
church at (508) 875-0868.

Church of the Holy Martyrs | Bayside, NY
The Church of the Holy Martyrs of Bayside, NY, will host its annual
Oceania Street Festival on Saturday, September 8, from 12 to 8 p.m. The
event will be held on Oceania Street in Bayside.

Enjoy Armenian food, street vendors, raffles, and
performances-including appearances by Robert Chilingirian, the Aradzani
and Hye Bar dance groups, the Antranig Dance Ensemble, and others.
[13]Click here to view a flyer.
Links:
13.

On Sunday, September 9, the church will host a Music Fest featuring
live performances by Kill the Alarm and 12X. [14]Click here to view a
flyer.
Links:
14.

Holy Trinity Church | Cambridge, MA
Holy Trinity Church of Cambridge, MA, will host the `Trinity Family
Festival’ on Sunday, September 9, from 12 to 5 p.m. The festival will
take place on church grounds (145 Brattle Street in Cambridge).

Enjoy an afternoon of delicious Armenian food-including shish, losh,
chicken, and doener kebab-Armenian music by the Greg Krikorian
Ensemble, games and activities for children (beginning at 1:30 p.m.), a
raffle, and more. A blessing of madagh will be held at 4 p.m. [15]Click
here to view a flyer.
Links:
15.

St. Peter Church | Watervliet, NY
St. Peter Church of Watervliet, NY, announces `St. Peter Wednesday
Café’-a series of Wednesday evening classes followed by coffee hour and
light snacks. All classes begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise specified.

Youth Bible Study: beginning on September 5, and continuing on the
first Wednesday of each month (ages 13-17 meet from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.;
ages 18-39 meet from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m.)

St. Gregory of Narek Prayer Group: beginning on September 12, and
continuing on the second Wednesday of each month

Bible and Badarak Study: beginning on September 19, and continuing on
the third Wednesday of each month

Book of the Month Club: beginning on September 26, and continuing on
the fourth Wednesday of each month

YOUTH NEWS

Jerusalem Students with Fr. Mardiros Chevian
Fr. Mardiros Chevian with Tania Nassar and Hagop Kasparian at St.
Nersess Seminary.

Jerusalem Students Attend St. Nersess Conference

Two students from Jerusalem’s Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School took
part in the High School B Conference at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
earlier this summer.

In addition to studying at St. Nersess Seminary, the young people=80’Tania
Nassar and Hagop Kasparian-visited St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, and
received a tour of New York City.

The students traveled to New York as part of a program launched by the
Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian seven years ago to give talented Armenian
youth in Jerusalem an opportunity to learn and interact with peers in
the Eastern Diocese.

TURQUIE
Quatre soldats turcs tués dans l’attaque d’un convoi dans le sud du pays

SEMDINLI (Turquie), 22 août 2012 (AFP) – Quatre soldats turcs ont été
tués et deux autres blessés mercredi dans des explosions qui ont visé
un convoi militaire dans le sud-est du pays, selon des sources
militaires. Le convoi a été frappé par quatre explosions simultanées
sur une route de la ville de Semdinli (province de Hakkari) dans une
embuscade organisée par des membres du Parti des travailleurs du
Kurdistan (PKK), selon les mêmes sources.

Les affrontements continuaient mercredi soir à Semdinli, proche de la
frontière avec l’Irak et scène de fréquents heurts similaires entre
forces de sécurité turques et rebelles kurdes. Ces incidents
surviennent après une attaque lundi à la voiture piégée, qui a fait
neuf mort dont quatre enfants et des dizaines de blessés dans la
province de Gaziantep (sud-est), suscitant un climat de fureur et de
panique dans le pays.

Les responsables turcs ont accusé le PKK d’être à l’origine de
l’attentat de lundi mais les rebelles qui luttent pour l’autonomie du
sud-est de la Turquie depuis 1984 n’ont pas revendiqué l’attaque qui a
fait plusieurs victimes civiles.

Le conflit avec le PKK, considéré par Ankara comme une organisation
terroriste, a déjà coûté quelque 45.000 vies dans des combats qui
durent depuis presque 30 ans.

jeudi 23 août 2012,
Ara ©armenews.com

Western Queens Gazette, NY
Aug 22 2012

Holy Martyrs Church To Hold Annual Fest

The Armenian church of the Holy Martyrs will hold their annual weekend
Street and Music Festival at Oceania Street on the corner of Horace
Harding Expressway in Bayside. The Street Festival on Saturday,
September 8, will feature ethnic food, music and dance performances
and children’s games and rides including slides and an obstacle
course. Vendors will be selling Armenian novelties, books, music and
gifts, Middle- Eastern food and desserts, there will be an Attic
Treasures booth and a Grand Raffle for thousands of dollars, plus
smaller raffles. Raffle tickets will also be available before the
festival at the church office, 718-225-0235. Admission is free and
there will be indoor and outdoor seating. The Music Festival will be
held on Sunday, September 9 with rock bands Kill the Alarm, 12X, a
Battle of the DJs, a fashion show, vendors and a dunk tank. Beer and
burgers will be available. Admission to the Music Festival is $5.
Vendor spots can still be obtained by calling the above number or
visiting

ITAR-TASS, Russia
August 21, 2012 Tuesday 10:21 PM GMT+4

Armenian Central Bank refutes broad activity of Iranian banks

YEREVAN August 21

The Armenian Central Bank has refuted media reports alleging broad
activity of Iranian banks in the republic.

“Banks operating in Armenia have no correspondent relations with banks
and financial organizations registered in Iran,” the Central Bank said
on Tuesday.

“All the banks operating in the Armenian territory are being
supervised by the Armenian Central Bank and are complying with the
normative acts of the Armenian Central Bank and interbank legal acts,”
it said.

The comment was made on foreign media reports alleging the successful
activity of Iranian banks in Armenia regardless of international
sanctions. “The Armenian Central Bank, in the first place, binds banks
and other financial organizations to hold a detailed monitoring of
every transaction for avoiding actions unacceptable for the
international community,” the statement said.

Iranian Mellat Bank has been working in Armenia since 1996. “Most of
the bank clients are small and medium businesses engaged in
Iran-Armenia trade, tourists and students,” the statement said. “The
operations and assets of the bank shrank considerably in the past
three to four years. For instance, bank assets more than halved from
December 31, 2010, to July 1, 2012, from $88 million to $40 million,”
the statement said.

Waiting for Godot

Opinion | August 22,
2012 2:20 pm

By Edmond Y. Azadian

In an election year all news channels are supersaturated with
electioneering, most of the time oblivious to the fact that many other
newsworthy events and developments are happening around the world which may
affect our livelihood and even the future of the country.

Two wars that the Bush administration began – Iraq and Afghanistan – are
continuing with the same ferocity and draining our economy. The Clinton
Administration concluded its second term with a surplus in the budget. The
Bush-Cheney administration left behind an abysmal deficit, on top of
depleting the surplus. Since President Barack Obama was elected, every
legislative initiative has been opposed by Republicans – even at the cost
of hurting the country – just to hamper his reelection chances. That, of
course, will give ammunition to the Republican camp that the Obama
administration failed to improve the economy, which on the surface may
sound true, if they can discount the Bush-era debacle. Republican president
candidate Mitt Romney began his campaign at the height of the economic
crisis, giving a positive spin to the campaign as a successful businessman
who could inject some hope in the gloomy business climate. But as his
campaign has progressed and his credentials have been placed under rigorous
scrutiny, his reputation as an able and honest business leader has been
dented, especially when his opponents began digging into the scandal of the
Bain Capital, which had netted him $473 million.

Any president or presidential candidate may promise the sky to the public,
but if they don’t have the backing of the legislature, they cannot deliver
on their promises. That, in itself, is a built-in defense mechanism. In
case of failure, blame the Congress. There is a plethora of issues in this
presidential campaign that each camp will dissect to discredit its
opponents.

Now, enter Paul Ryan, a youthful and dynamic Republican vice presidential
candidate on a crusade to dismantle the Obama health care plan. Initially,
the Romney and Ryan healthcare plans looked different from each other and
even sounded contradictory. The two candidates quickly have been
reconciling their differences, because healthcare will become – or, already
has become – one of the hottest campaign issues.

Foreign policy is hardly mentioned in the campaign debates, because the
assumption is that the US can and will resolve those issues at the butt of
the gun. Yet defense remains a major issue, as the Obama administration
tries to wind down the foreign wars and cut out unnecessary spending.

The US is not only a super power but a super-super power that can out-gun
any potential adversary with its stockpile of state-ofthe- art weaponry.
Yet, security and the strong posture of America have become euphemisms for
fueling the military-industrial complex, something President Dwight
Eisenhower had warned against in the waning days of his administration.

Americans vote with their pocketbooks, except some ideological zealots in
both camps. If the economy shows some signs of improvement in the remaining
days of the campaign, that will favor the incumbent administration. If it
deteriorates, citizens will look for change, for saviors, regardless of the
outcome of their choice. Interest groups have their own agendas to pursue
in this election year. Leniency advocated by the Obama administration with
regards to the 11 million illegal aliens here will certainly have a
positive impact in the Hispanic community. On the other hand, leniency
towards Cuba’s new ruler may jeopardize the Florida vote, a key
battleground in this campaign. Therefore, the administration has to
calibrate its policy to the tune of the public sentiment to assure a second
term for President Obama.

The Jewish vote is crucial for any candidate; wooing the Israeli lobby is
not enough – Benjamin Netenyahu will not settle for anything less than
complete surrender. The two-state solution for the Palestinian issue
advocated by President Obama did not jibe well with the friends of Israel.
Despite his solid commitment to Israel’s security, Mr. Obama may end up
receiving a cold shoulder from his Jewish constituency.

On the other hand, the Republican hopeful offered the maximum, by visiting
Israel and making an outright play for the Jewish vote. He declared
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, pre-empting the traditional US policy of
recognizing Tel Aviv as the capital. That would bias any future settlement
of the conflict, as Palestinians have been vying for East Jerusalem to
become their own capital. Considering the Arab world is in enough turmoil
for any retaliation, Mr. Romney threw another incendiary barb, comparing
unfavorably the accomplishment of the Palestinians versus the Israelis.

He suggested that the Palestinians have not prospered as well as Israelis
because of cultural differences, i.e., inferiority, neglecting to mention a
chokehold on them by the Israeli government, while praising the thriving
Israeli economy, again neglecting to mention that US taxpayers are pouring
money into its economy. That laughable statement drew winces even from the
Israeli hosts, not to mention riled up Palestinians, who justifiably called
Romney a racist.

Since every ethnic or interest group is guided by its own interest,
Armenians are also entitled to the same rights. For us at issue are the
Genocide, the US assistance to Armenia and the thorny problem of the
Karabagh (Artsakh) conflict.

Thus far, neither camp has addressed those issues and time is running out.
Republican vice presidential-hopeful Rep. Paul Ryan is on record as having
co-sponsored the latest House Resolution acknowledging the Armenian
Genocide. But that does not mean too much, since President Obama and Vice
President Joe Biden have been vocally supportive of the Genocide issue
until their election.

Since their election, they have been dancing around the Gword, as they have
become captives of the political system. In all fairness, we need to be
mindful that President Obama came closest in defining the Armenian Genocide
and he dared to remind Turks to come to terms with their grizzly history,
in a speech delivered in Ankara, at the Turkish parliament. Yet that does
not match his official written commitment made before his election. Once
elected, even the most moralistic candidate seems to compromise his or her
moral compass for political expediency.

However, Armenians have learned the convoluted course of political
machinations and will never give up on this critical issue. We are reminded
of the French precedent, when the parliament had almost criminalized the
denial of the Armenian Genocide similar to the Gayssot Law, which has
criminalized the denial of the Jewish Shoah. Yet, despite then-President
Nicolas Sarkozy’s passionate speech at an Armenian rally, he let the time
elapse and failed to sign the resolution, allowing the opponents of the
resolution to muster enough votes to claim the resolution unconstitutional.

The new president, Francois Hollande, has made the same pledge, but a
recent interview by his foreign minister casts some doubt on his
commitment; indeed, in an interview conducted by the French weekly
l’Express, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was asked how the president is
will make good on his pledge to pass the Genocide resolution without
offending Ankara, when France needs Turkey’s support on its Syrian policy.
The minister answered in an equivocal fashion: `We are seeking ways to
reconcile the two issues.’ If we have learned enough history we can safely
assume that is also another betrayal in the making.

Coming back to the US elections, neither camp yet has addressed the
Armenian concerns. That does not allow the Armenian voters to take a stand.

In President Obama’s case, any pledge is worth less, since he could – and
he still can – deliver on his pledge while in office. Mitt Romney can sway
some Armenian votes if he comes up with a lastminute positive statement.

Contrary to our beliefs and our campaigns, not all Armenians take the
Genocide issue seriously in voting.

Currently, there is a vicious campaign against President Obama, with racial
overtones, and many Armenians are shamefully taken in; the president’s skin
color and his advocacy for the middle class seem to have alienated those
Armenians.

At this time, there is no decision for Armenians – we are waiting for Godot.

Armenian church in Turkish city past repair

TERT.AM
16:41 – 22.08.12

The St Gevorg church of Mardin (southeastern Turkey) has not been
reportedly renovated since being returned to the Armenian Catholics a
couple of years ago.

The Armenian catholic community has said it doesn’t have enough
financial means to repair the church which for several years served as
a warehouse of the Agriculture Ministry.

According to the Turkish newspaper Evrensel, the building is now under
the threat of collapse, being doomed to destruction like many other
churches on the territory of Anatolia.

An Armenian foundation which took the church under its care has not
reconstructed the building but it has repaired the roof to prevent a
possible collapse.

Turkish human rights activist and publisher Ragip Zarakolu had
revealed the church occasionally during a trip to the region.

Before a decision to repair the building could take effect, one of its
guards dug a 7m deep hole in search of treasure, thus deteriorating
the church’s foundations still further.

How Many `Husbands’ Armenia Has

Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:00:19 – 22/08/2012

The Public Television of Armenia denies the ongoing race between the
West and Russia for influence on Armenia and claims that official
Yerevan should not necessarily have only one `husband’. Opinions are
heard that Armenia is not forced to choose a way and it may maintain
good relations both with Russia and the U.S. and Europe.

This is quite possible in two cases. First, if Armenia builds up very
strong sovereign positions to be able to dictate diplomatic conditions
and second, if the power centers lose interest in Armenia leaving the
choice up to them.

There is no second condition. Russia, the U.S. and Europe are not
hiding their interest in increasing influence on Armenia. In addition,
they even resort to blackmail and demands `not to be friends with
anyone else’. In such a situation, it is really difficult for Armenia
to avoid a choice.

Yesterday, Regnum agency released an article accusing Armenia of being
a transit country for Iran to break the U.S. blockade and transfer
money to Europe. The article was written in a very tough way which
means that the U.S. is dissatisfied with Armenia.

Perhaps, the U.S. wants to warn Serzh Sargsyan not to leave for Tehran
for Non-Aligned Movement Summit to be held on August 26-31. Iran’s
president Ahmadinejad invited Serzh Sargsyan to the summit, and the
office of the Armenian president has not made any statements regarding
whether or not Sargsyan will attend it.

The U.S. considers the Non-Aligned Movement almost an anti-American
organization. It is composed of over 120 countries including North
Korea. The U.S. will hardly be happy to see Serzh Sargsyan there too.

For its part, Russia is also jealous about the foreign policy
preferences of Armenia, pulling it hard into the Eurasian Union.
Armenia has started an active campaign to convince people of the
advantages of the Eurasian Union. However, because of the lack of real
arguments, only blackmail and intimidation are used as such.

So, not local experts push Armenia to make the difficult choice, as
the Pubic TV affirms, but the great powers. Armenia has so far been
able to maneuver. Moreover, during Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Moscow no
word was uttered on the Eurasian Union. Will he be able to stay
neutral if during his visit to Yerevan Vladimir Putin poses the
question directly?

In order not to face the fact, Armenia needs to formulate its foreign
political perspectives which need to be based on the national
interest. World powers will find it hard to object to the national
interest and the only argument may be violence. Meanwhile the lack of
clearly set priorities makes others set them.