Author: Karapetian Hovik

U.S. CONGRESS MOST LIKELY TO ADOPT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

news.am
Feb 26 2010
Armenia

RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement addressed to Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that Yerevan will withdraw from the
Armenia-Turkey normalization process unless Ankara hurries to ratify
the Armenian-Turkish protocols means that Armenia’s patience is running
out, Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies,
told NEWS.am.

Another piece of evidence is the fact that the Armenian Parliament
adopted amendments to the Ra Law on International Agreements. "I
think that by reasonable timeframe Yerevan means before April 24,"
Safrastyan said. He stressed that domestic political tension in
Turkey, which is actually "an inland war," will cause a delay in the
ratification process.

Speaking of the Armenian Genocide resolution at the U.S. Congress,
Safrastyan expressed the confidence that the document is more likely
to be adopted now, as the Administration does not exert pressure on
the Legislature. The expert does not rule out that in his address
on April 24 U.S. President Barack Obama will pronounce the word
"genocide." "Last year he made a step and pronounced the word
‘teghaspanutyun’, the Armenian for genocide. This year he may go even
further and pronounce ‘genocide’," the expert said. He stressed that
Ankara is taking resolute steps to prevent unfavorable developments.

"I am sure that this issue will be among the ones high on the agenda
of the Turkish Premier’s visit to the United States," Safrastyan said.

ANKARA CONCERNED ABOUT "CONFUSING SIGNALS" FROM YEREVAN

2010/02/2 6 | 17:48

Region

According to reports in the Turkish press, Ankara remains unsatisfied
that Armenia is committed to normalizing relations with its western
neighbour.

Hurriyet reports that a senior Turkish Foreign Ministry official said
today that, "Confusing signals are coming from the Armenian side." The
official was referring to the law recently passed by the Armenian
parliament that would make it easier for Yerevan to ultimately pull
out of the Protocol ratification process.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with President Sargsyan
in Kiev on Thursday while attending the inauguration of Ukraine’s
newly-elected President Victor Yanukovych. Hurriyet reports that the
meeting lasted for over a hour although it was scheduled for much less.

The paper claims that Turkish diplomatic sources are concerned with
the contradictions in Armenia’s words and deeds, underlining that
Yerevan has repeatedly said that Protocols will not be put to a vote
before ratification by the Turkish parliament.

"I cannot understand the basis of the Armenian claim that one of the
parties concerned would ratify the agreements before the other party.

There is nothing about Turkey’s pre-approval in either the protocols’
texts or under international law," Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak
Ozugergin told the Hurriyet.

AZERBAIJANI AGITPROP DECIDED NOT TO RISK, HAVING NOT INVITED ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS TO DISCUSSIONS OF ‘KHOJALU MASSACRE’

ArmInfo
2010-02-26 12:23:00

ArmInfo. A regular attempt to falsify the history and create a false
myth about the "Khojalu massacre" will be made in Moscow today.

Some representatives of the Armenian mass media, working in Russia,
including ArmInfo correspondent in Moscow, were invited to the event
in the President Hotel. When the Armenian journalists said they were
ready to visit the "show" and take active part in it, employees of
the press service of Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Russia contacted again
some time later and cancelled the invitation on the pretext that it
was received by mistake.

This fact gives a ground to say with confidence that organizers of
the event cowardly avoid a fair and evidential dialogue. As ArmInfo
correspondent reported, in the context of this flagrant fact,
the Armenian journalists, accredited in Moscow, applied to their
Russian colleagues asking to treat with responsibility the delivery
of materials by the Azerbaijani party in covering of the so-called
"Khojalu events", to demand an international proving base not to
become a tool in firing a new conflict coil.

For many years the Azerbaijani authorities have been trying to blame
Armenians for the death of civilians. The lie of Azerbaijan’s agitprop
has already befuddled the minds of its people, and now it is trying
to launch this forgery in the international arena.

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web:

February 25, 2010
REMEMBRANCE DAY FOR ARS ON SUNDAY
His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan announced that this Sunday, February
28, all Prelacy churches will observe Remembrance Day for the Armenian
Relief Society. A requiem service will be offered following the
Divine Liturgy for all deceased members and benefactors of the ARS,
which this year is marking its Centennial anniversary.

VICAR WILL BE IN NEW JERSEY
Bishop Anoushavan will preside over the Divine Liturgy this Sunday,
February 28, at Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey.
Following the services, His Grace will present a lecture on
the Similarities and Differences of the Armenian, Orthodox and
Catholic Churches.
PRELACY LENTEN LECTURE SERIES CONTINUES
The second of the six-part Lenten program at St. Illuminators Armenian
Cathedral, under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan, took
place yesterday evening. The program included a 30-minute Lenten
service (Husgoom), an educational component, followed by a meal
fellowship (from 7:30-9:30pm).
The second lecture focused on Women as Guardians of Armenian
Family Values, presented by Mrs. Iris Papazian, the Prelacys Director
of Communications and Publications. Mrs. Papazian first defined what
family values mean today and then choose to focus on the
generation of survivors from the Genocide showing how they were able
to continue the legacy of Armenian family values even though they
themselves were deprived of a childhood, a family, parents, and
education. Utilizing examples from her own family she showed how
these women became the keepers of our traditions, our faith and
church, our oral history, and our ethical and moral compass. An
interesting Q and A followed the presentation with comments and
questions about the difficulty of maintaining family values today in
our global and techno-laden society.
This year, being the year of the Armenian woman, special
intercessions to Asdvadzadzin (Mary, Mother-of-God) are made during
the Husgoom service and each week the participants learn a different
sharagan dedicated to Asdvadzadzin under the directorship of
Dn. Sarkis Apelian, the choir master of St. Illuminators Armenian
Cathedral.
After the lecture, the participants enjoyed a delicious meal
of Lenten favorites and fellowship.
The Lenten Program is sponsored by the Prelacys Armenian
Religious Education Council (AREC), the Prelacy Ladies Guild (PLG),
and St. Illuminators Cathedral Ladies Guild. For more information
please contact the Prelacy office at 212-689-7810 or
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or the
church at 212-689-5880.
MUSICAL ARMENIA
The 26th Musical Armenia concert will take place on Sunday, March 21,
at 2 pm at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, 57th Street and
Seventh Avenue, New York City, featuring Tanya Gabrielian, piano; and
Natalie Aroyan, soprano.
Natalie Aroyan, soprano, participated in the 2009 American
Institute of Musical Studies vocal program in Graz, Austria. Her
achievements at Graz included winning First Place and the Audience
Vote at the prestigious Meistersinger Vocal Competition, in which she
performed under the direction of Edoardo Muller. In 2008 at the Sydney
Conservatorium of Music, she performed the role of Rosalinde in
Matthew Barclays production of Strauss Die Fledermaus, conducted by
Imre Pallo. She is currently a professional studies student at Mannes
College The New School for Music.
Tanya Gabrielian, was described as a pianist of powerful
physical and imaginative muscle, by The Times of London. She was
awarded first prize at the 2004 Scottish International Piano
Competition and the 2003 Aram Khachaturian International Piano
Competition. Ms. Gabrielian has performed with several major
orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New London
Sinfonia, and the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra. She toured Scotland
with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She is currently an
artists diploma student at The Juilliard School.
For tickets ($30) contact the Carnegie box office at
212-247-7800 or the Prelacy at 212-689-7810.

BIBLE READING
Bible readings for today, Thursday, February 25, is 1 Samuel
3:21-4:18; Proverbs 3:11-4:14; Jeremiah 2:31-3:16.
The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed
himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. And the word of
Samuel came to all Israel.
In those days the Philistines mustered for war against Israel,
and Israel went out to battle against them; they encamped at Ebenezer,
and the Philistines encamped at Apbek. The Philistines drew up in line
against Israel, and when the battle was joined, Israel was defeated by
the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of
battle. When the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said,
Why has the Lord put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us
bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, so that he
may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies, So the
people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the covenant
of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. The two sons
of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant
of God.
When the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp,
all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. When the
Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, What does this
great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean? When they learned that
the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid;
for they said, Gods have come into the camp. They also said, Woe to
us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can
deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who
struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take
courage, and be men, O Philistines, in order not to become slaves to
the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.
So the Philistines fought; Israel was defeated, and they fled,
everyone to his home. There was a very great slaughter, for there fell
of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured;
and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line, and came to Shiloh
the same day, with his clothes torn and with earth upon his head. When
he arrived, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the road watching, for
his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man came into the
city and told the news, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the
sound of the outcry, he said, What is this uproar? Then the man came
quickly and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes
were set, so that he could not see. The man said to Eli, I have just
come from the battle; I fled from the battle today. He said, How did
it go, my son? The messenger replied, Israel has fled before the
Philistines, and there has also been a great slaughter among the
troops; your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark
of God has been captured. When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell
over backward from his seat by the side of the gate; and his neck was
broken and he !
died, for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty
years. (1 Samuel 3-21-4:18)

For a listing of the coming weeks Bible readings click here (
4882/goto: elacy/PDF/2010dbr-2.pdf
).

ST. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM
This Saturday, February 27, the Armenian Church commemorates St. Cyril
(315-386) of Jerusalem, a doctor of the church. St. Cyril had a
pleasant and conciliatory disposition, but unfortunately he lived at a
time when bishops were embroiled in bitter controversies and were
quick to condemn any attempts at compromises, labeling such attempts
as treason. Sixteen years of his thirty-five years as a bishop were
spent in exile. When a famine hit Jerusalem, he sold some of the
possessions of the church to raise money for the poor people who were
starving. He was condemned for selling church property and was
banished. His best-known work that has survived, The Catechetical
Lectures is believed to be one of the earliest systematic accounts of
Christian theology. The lectures consist of an introductory lecture,
followed by eighteen lectures on the Christian faith that were used
during Lent for those preparing to be baptized on Easter, and five
lectures on the sacra!
ments to be used after Easter. The lectures have been translated into
many languages, including English and Armenian, and are noted for
their presentation of the Christian faith in a positive light and
maintaining a balance between correct belief and holy action.

SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON
Our journey through Great Lent continues. This Sunday, February 28, is
the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. The parable of the Prodigal Son is
intended to show Gods fatherly love and eagerness to forgive those who
repent. The well-known story describes an errant son whose absence
causes pain to his father. When the son returns, the father welcomes
him with open arms and jubilation, to the distress of an older son who
had remained faithful. But the father says, It is fitting to make
merry and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive again; he
was lost, and is found. You can read the entire parable of the
Prodigal Son in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 15, verses 11 to
32.

Light from light, generation and dawn, you came to seek out the
wondering sheep of our nature which you carried together with the
cross on your shoulder; purify us also from our sins.
Holiest of the holy, purifier of those who exist, you swept
your house, purified the world from sins and having found your image
in it you renewed it, renew us also from our ancient sins.
With the prodigal son we cry out to you, tender-hearted Father,
we have sinned against heaven and before you, the purifier from sins;
come out with love to meet us, embrace us with a kiss and purify us
from our sins.
Holy Mother of God, fountain of life which flowed from the
heavenly Eden, which watered the thirsting earth with the Spirits
wisdom, pray that we may be given a fountain of tears for the
cleansing of our sins.
(From the Canon for the Third Sunday of Great Lent, Sunday of the
Prodigal Son)

CORRECTION
In last weeks Crossroads in the item about Sts. Vartanantz Church,
Providence, Rhode Island, it should have read that Garo Tashjian was
ordained a sub-deacon (Ourarageer) of the Church by His Grace Bishop
Anoushavan Tanielian.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS

February 28 Lecture on The Similarities and Differences of the
Armenian, Orthodox and Catholic Churches, presented by Bishop
Anoushavan Tanielian, hosted by the New Jersey chapter of Hamazkayin,
Sts. Vartanantz Church, 461 Bergen Boulevard, Ridgefield, New Jersey,
at 2 pm.
February 28 and March 7 General Membership meetings of Soorp
Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
March 3 Third Prelacy Lenten Service and Lecture at St. Illuminators
Cathedral, New York City, 7:30 pm. Women as Mothers and Wives,
presented by Rev. Fr. Hovnan Bozoian, pastor of Sts. Vartanantz Church
(NJ).
March 7 Annual Membership Meeting, Sts. Vartanantz Church, 461 Bergen
Blvd., Ridgefield, New Jersey.
March 7 Annual Membership Meeting, St. Paul Church, 645 S. Lewis Ave.,
Waukegan, Illinois.
March 10 Fourth Prelacy Lenten Service and Lecture at St. Illuminators
Cathedral, New York, 7:30 pm. St. Mary, Paradigm of Discipleship and
Holiness, presented by Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian, pastor of St. Sarkis
Church (NY).
March 13 International Food Festival and Auction hosted by the
Armenian Relief Society at Hovnanian School, New Milford, New Jersey,
at 5 pm. Food booths of various nations. Silent auction and Tricky
Tray. For information Lucy Keomurjian, 201-567-3318 or
[email protected]
(mailto:lucine [email protected]).
March 14 Ladies Guild annual Lenten Luncheon following church
services, St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts.
March 17 Fifth Prelacy Lenten Service and Lecture at St. Illuminators
Church, New York, 7:30 pm. Women as Charity Workers, presented by
Mrs. Valentine Berberian.
March 21 Musical Armenia, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New
York City. Featured artists: Tanya Gabrielian, pianist; Natalie
Aroyan, soprano. Tickets $30. Carnegie box office 212-247-7800 or
Prelacy office 212-689-7810.
March 24 Sixth and final Prelacy Lenten Service and Lecture at
St. Illuminators Cathedral, New York City, 7:30 pm. Women as Christian
Educators Today, by Yeretzgin Joanna Baghsarian.
April 11 ARS Mayr Chapter presents ZULAL, a cappela trio, at the
Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs, 209-15 Horace Harding Expressway,
Bayside, New York, 4 pm. Donation: $50, $30; $15 for children under
12. Contact Sonia, 917-679-6992; Hasmik, 516-330-5290.
April 17 St. Stephen s Ladies Guild, Watertown, Massachusetts,
presents jazzy evening featuring Sandi Bedrosian jazz ensemble, 6 pm,
church hall. $35 per person. Contact [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected]) or Yeretzgin Baljian,
781-209-1915. Reservations only.
April 17 Ladies Guild New England Regional Seminar hosted
Sts. Vartanantz Church (Providence) Ladies Guild and the National
Association of Ladies Guilds (NALG), 9 am. Guest speaker: Shakay
Kizirian. Topic: Survival (A Womans Story). For information: Joyce
Bagdasarian, 401-434-4467 or [email protected].
April 18 ARS Mayr and Erebouni Chapters sponsor Walk-Armenia to
benefit Camp Haiastan. Registration at St. Sarkis Church, 38-65 234th
Street, Douglaston, New York, starts at 12 noon, $25 fee. Walk begins
1 pm. For information 516-330-5290 (Hasmik); 516-739-0805 (Nayda).
April 18 Health Expo 2010, To Your Health, St. Sarkis Church, 38-65
234th St., Douglaston, New York. Free tests, counseling, information
on medical conditions, mini-lectures on current health issues. For
information: Dr. Arthur Kubikian 718-786-3842.
May 10 Mothers Day luncheon sponsored by the Prelacy Ladies Guild.
May 13 to 16 National Representative Assembly hosted by St.
Illuminators Cathedral, New York City, and St. Sarkis Church,
Douglaston, New York.
May 13-14 NALG Annual Conference in conjunction with the NRA, Crowne
Plaza, LaGuardia Airport Hotel. For information Mary Derderian,
781-762-4253, [email protected].
July 17 A Hye Summer Night V, dance hosted by Ladies Guild of
Sts. Vartanantz Church and ARS Ani Chapter, Providence, Rhode
Island. Watch for details.
August 22 Annual picnic of St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville,
Massachusetts.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacys web
site.
To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
add [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to
your address book.
Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
credit Crossroads as the source.
Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

UN SECRETARY GENERAL INFORMED OF MASSACRE OF ARMENIAN POPULATION IN AZERBAIJAN

ArmInfo
2010-02-24 12:14:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in
the person of Head of the Mission, Ambassador Karen Nazaryan, has
disseminated a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
on occasion of the anniversary of the tragic incidents in Sumgait
and Baku.

Armenian Foreign Ministry told ArmInfo the letter particularly says:
"Azerbaijan keeps on presenting itself as a so-called victim of
"Armenian aggression" distorting not only the incidents known to the
world but also the evidences by Azerbaijani sources of those years."

Ambassador Nazaryan quoted the well-known interview with ex-president
of Azerbaijan Ayaz Mutalibov telling about the incidents in Khojali
when the opposition of Azerbaijan and militia created obstacles
to evacuation of the peaceful population from the zone of military
actions via the gorge. The opposition hoped for coming to power in
Baku through massacre of its compatriots.

The letter also refers to the report by The Helsinki Watch dated
September 1992 which brings evidences by Azerbaijanis saying that
Azerbaijani militia fired at the retreating civilians.Nazaryan’s letter
also says that the world community has repeatedly given evidences
and confirmed numerous barbarities by the Azerbaijani government
with respect to the helpless Armenian population. "In response to the
peaceful and constitutional requirement of the NKR people to exercise
their rights to self-determination, the Azerbaijani authorities armed
the crowd which committed pogroms of the Armenians in Sumgait in
1988. Those pogroms have become the first case of massacre in the
territory of the Soviet Union, which was registered in judicial
cases. Just after gaining independence, Azerbaijan released the
convicted murderers and declared them national heroes. The report by
The Helsinki Watch indicates that those incidents aimed to frighten
the Armenians living in other regions of Azerbaijan. The pogroms
in 1988-1991 in Gandzak and other towns of Azerbaijan were even
more barbarous and led to ethnic extermination and displacement of
over half a million of Armenians. Those barbarities were followed
by unprecedented offensive actions by the Azerbaijani armed forces
directed to extermination of the NKR population", the letter says.

The letter was sent also to the UN Security Council and General
Assembly. The Ambassador has drawn attention of the Organization
to the fact that it was Azerbaijan that unleashed armed aggression
against Nagorny Karabakh. Armenia is sure that the best decision in
such situation is restoration and exercising of the Nagorny Karabakh
people’s legal right to self-determination, the Ambassador concluded.

US TURNS SCREW ON ANKARA OVER SANCTIONS
By Daniel Dombey In Washington

Financial Times
-b920-00144feab49a.html
Feb 24 2010
UK

The US is stepping up pressure on Turkey to back new sanctions against
Iran, highlighting the difficulties Washington faces in forging a
consensus on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

A report from the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed fears
last week that Tehran could be working on a nuclear warhead. But
Turkey remains unconvinced about imposing more sanctions and its
relations with the US are strained.

EDITOR’S CHOICE Iran increases uranium enrichment – Feb-09.US foreign
policy has not made breakthroughs – Feb-07.Iran to start work on 20%
nuclear fuel – Feb-08.US says it cannot force Iran to shun bomb –
Feb-03.Between the bomb and the barricades – Feb-05.Siemens to avoid
seeking more business in Iran – Jan-27..Ankara’s reluctance is all
the more significant as the country is presently on the UN Security
Council and is a Nato member.

"Turkey has as much reason to be concerned about the prospect of a
nuclear Iran as anybody," James Steinberg, US deputy secretary of
state, told the Financial Times.

Asked about statements from Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime
minister, calling Iran a "friend", Mr Steinberg added: "We don’t need
them to label Iran. We need them to work with us to make sure that
Iran doesn’t become nuclear weapons-capable." The two allies needed to
"find a common tactical approach" to try to achieve that objective.

Relations between the US and Turkey are being tested on other fronts.

Last week senior diplomats from each country had an angry exchange
outside a meeting between Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state,
and Mr Erdogan. Joseph LeBaron, US ambassador to Qatar, wanted to
interrupt so Mrs Clinton could meet the Emir of Qatar on time.

According to the state department, Turkish diplomats physically
restrained him from doing so.

A congressional panel is to vote next month on whether to label the
massacre of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire as a "genocide".

Turkey has warned the resolution, which is backed by 138 of the 435
members of the House of Representatives, would hurt relations with
the US.

Mr Steinberg dismissed concerns that a military strike on Iran would
be likely after Tehran’s decision a week ago to shift almost all of
its stockpile of low-enriched uranium to a location where it could
be brought closer to weapons grade material.

"Nobody is looking for a military solution," he said. "I mean nobody."

JERMUK TO BECOME HOLIDAY PLACE OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE

Noyan Tapan
Feb 22, 2010

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. By the decision of the Armenian
government, the city of Jermuk will become a holiday place
of international importance. Armenian Minister of Economy Nerses
Yeritsian announced this during the February 22 press conference,
adding that a digital three-dimensional model of the city and the
adjacent area will be ready by May. The model will include special
zones of the city and the ways of its infrastructure development. The
cost of studies on tourism opportunities of Jermuk will amount to 200
thousand dollars, some of this sum will be allocated by the government,
the rest – by Jermuk municipality, the minister said.

He said that the delegation headed by him visited Verbier
(Switzerland) on February 8-11 in order to familiarize themselves
with similarities of famous Swiss holday resorts and Jermuk and to
study their experience. The delegation went to local spas and skiing
resorts and became acquainted with work of a garbage-disposal plant.

According to the minister, an agreement was reached with Switzerland
that a 2-3-km cable-way which operated for 10 years will be purchased
for Jermuk from that country. He explained that the cable-way was
dismantled not because it was old but because another infrastructure
will be created in its place.

N. Yeritsian said that they had some apprehension about tourism
development in Jermuk, but it disappeared after they became
acquainted with Swiss experience. "If you make investment in the
correct direction, you will receive a huge profit. Harsh winter
and mountains create problems for us, but for the Swiss, they are an
opportunity to earn billions. It is necessary to take consistent steps
in this direction, and we should move forward not at a snail’s pace,
but we should succeed in attracting considerable investments by means
of a correct strategy," the minister underlined.

DIFFERENT PLACES

chess
01:33 pm | February 23, 2010

Sports

Armenian chess master Levon Babujyan is the top chess player among
the six Armenian chess players participating in the international
chess competition held in the Iranian city of Mashad.

After 5 rounds, he scored 4.5 points and is currently sharing the 4-7th
places. Levon Babujyan, Gevorg Harutyunyan and Suren Poghosyan started
the competition feeling very confident and scored victories in the
first four rounds, but in the 5th round, the last two were defeated and
were left out of the first top ten. Joining them was chess master Ara
Minasyan who won his opponent in this round and also scored 4 points.

The other two Armenian participants, Aghasi Inants and Varuzhan
Babakhanyan, have 3 and 2.5 points in their actives respectively and
hold the 42nd and 100th places respectively.

The competition is being held by the Swiss procedure with 11 rounds.

PACE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONFLICT PREVENTION ESTABLISHED

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.02.2010 19:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Karabakh conflict issue is activated regularly
in international organizations and I do not think that a new process
has started. We just started to pay more attention to it, David
Harutyunyan , head of the Armenian delegation in PACE told a news
conference in Yerevan.

Referring to the resumption of the work of Subcommittee on
Nagorno-Karabakh, Harutyunyan said that this issue is on the agenda
of PACE Bureau, but is delayed for different reasons.

The PACE subcommittee on prevention of conflicts has been established.

According to Harutyunyan, this structure is likely to hurt than help
resolve conflicts.

The armed conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke
out in 1998, as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched
in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought
from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994
(when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most
of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions is
now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are
holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which held
its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered
the oldest internationalparliamentary assembly with a pluralistic
composition of democratically elected members of parliament established
on the basis of an intergovernmental treaty. The Assembly is one of
the two statutory organs of the Council of Europe, which is composed of
the Committee of Ministers (the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, meeting
usually at the level of their deputies) and the Assembly representing
the political forces (majority and opposition) in its member states.

It has a total of 642 members – 321 principal members and
321 substitutes [1] – who are representatives of each member
state. There are also 18 delegates from the Canadian, Israeli and
Mexican observers. The size of each country determines its number
of representatives and number of votes. This is in contrast in the
committee of ministers, where each country has one vote.

Each State member selects its method of designating its representatives
to the parliamentary assembly; however, they must be chosen from among
the members of the respective Parliaments. Moreover, the political
composition of each national delegation must reflect the representation
of the different parties within the respective parliaments.

NO DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION TO KARABAKH ON HORIZON – ANALYST
Leyla Tagiyeva

news.az
Feb 23 2010
Azerbaijan

Janusz Bugajski News.Az interviews Janusz Bugajski, Lavrentiadis Chair
at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

What are the main threats in the South Caucasus region?

There are three major challenges in the South Caucasus region. First,
the territorial integrity of all states is threatened by separatist
forces supported by outside powers. Second, there is a contest over
the transit of hydrocarbon energy supplies across the region from the
Caspian basin to Europe, with Russia seeking monopoly controls. Third,
the foreign and security policies of independent states are monitored
closely by Russia as the Kremlin does not recognize the sovereign
choice of each country to join the international organizations that
best ensure their security and prosperity.

Are Russia and the US really able to collaborate in providing peace
and stability in the region despite bilateral misunderstandings on
global security?

Russia and the US have differing and often conflicting national
interests and national ambitions in the South Caucasus. While
Washington seeks integrated and stable states to eventually enter NATO
and the EU and become a valuable part of the trans-Atlantic community,
Russia either wants to bring the region back under its political and
economic dominance or to promote weak and divided states that do not
qualify for Euro-Atlantic integration.

Azerbaijan is still arguing with Armenia on the principles of
territorial integrity and self-determination for Karabakh, and there
is no pressure from the international community to put an end to the
conflict. What should be done to move the Karabakh settlement forward?

International attention only focuses intensely on cold conflicts when
they become hot conflicts. Basically, there are one of two solutions
to the Karabakh dispute. Either there is a new war between Armenia
and Azerbaijan over the territory and adjoining areas resulting in
new border configurations, or there is a diplomatic solution generally
acceptable to both sides. The latter would require the understanding
by both Yerevan and Baku that a speedy solution would be in their
long-term national interests. I do not currently see a diplomatic
solution on the horizon.

Russia’s been playing a more active role on the Karabakh settlement
for the last two years, and the role of the US seems to be weakening.

Is Karabakh not a priority for the US after the war between Russia
and Georgia?

Russia has been playing an active and negative role in the Karabakh
dispute since the Soviet Union collapsed. Moscow does not want a
settlement and the restoration of full relations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia as this would limit its "privileged interests" by
moving both countries toward the Wider Europe and trans-Atlantic
institutions. Russia traditionally manipulates territorial and ethnic
conflicts with or between neighbours in pursuit of its expansionist
agenda. The priorities for the Obama administration are in Afghanistan,
Iran and Iraq and, while the Karabakh dispute remains quiet and does
not endanger the security of the wider region, Washington is unlikely
to become deeply engaged in an attempted resolution.

How would you assess the present role of Turkey in a Karabakh
settlement?

Turkey has its distinct interests in the region that do not necessarily
correspond with those of Azerbaijan. In particular its closer ties with
Moscow in order to gain energy, trade and investment benefits from
Russia could lessen its commitment to the territorial integrity of
both Georgia and Azerbaijan. Turkey’s limited prospects for European
Union accession may encourage Ankara to form some kind of Caucasian
condominium with Moscow and limit the role of the US and EU.