Author: Nahapetian Boris

ARMENIAN NATIONAL AIR COMPANY GETS EUROPEAN SECURITY CERTIFICATE

ARKA
Sep 1, 2008

YEREVAN, September 1. /ARKA/. Armavia Air Company has passed European
security audit successfully, Mikhail Baghdasarov, the owner of the
company, said in an interview with ARKA News Agency on Monday.

He said Armavia got an international security certificate. "We are
considering the possibility of operating joint flights with the
largest European companies", Baghdasarov said.

He said that the company is planning to launch flights to India,
China, the United States and maybe the Great Britain. He also didn’t
rule out that flight to Zurich could be resumed.

The owner of Armavia said that negotiations over new flights to Berlin
are under way as well.

Now the company operates over 70 regular flights a week to CIS and
European countries,

The air company has nine aircrafts – two Airbus 319, two Airbus 320,
one Boeing 737, one CRJ-100, one Yak-42, one Тu-134 and one Il-86.

–Boundary_(ID_2PYBeEpbNLv89TUYA6E3Ng)–

LEADER OF OPPOSITION REPUBLICAN PEOPLE’S PARTY BELIEVES ‘ACTIONS BY GUL AND ERDOGAN’ BETRAYAL

arminfo
2008-09-01 13:37:00

ArmInfo. Deniz Baykal, a Turkish politician and long-time leader of
the opposition Republican People’s Party believes ‘the actions by
Gul and Erdogan’ betrayal.

‘The actions by Erdogan’s government is a deplorable fact. Let my
Azerbaijani brothers know that it is not the opinion of Turkish
people to establish relations with aggressive Armenia. I apologize
to my Azerbaijani brothers for betrayal of Gul ad Erdogan’, Baykal
told media on August 31 when commenting on possible visit of Gul to
Yerevan, 1news.az reports.

‘This government drifted our Cypriot friends apart and now it do the
same with regard to our Azerbaijani brothers’. Baykal said.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF SLOVAK REPUBLIC: NOBODY DOUBTS THAT AFTER
COMMITTING GENOCIDE TURKS ALSO ORGANIZED "GENOCIDE OF ARCHIVES"

BRATISLAVA, AUGUST 29, NOYAN TAPAN. There is no obstacle to approval of
the law envisaging criminal punishment in Slovakia for denial the
Armenian Genocide, the Slovak deputy prime minister, minister of
justice Stefan Harabin said during the August 28 meeting with the
Chairman of the Forum of Armenian Unions of Europe and the Armenian
community of Slovakia Ashot Grigorian. According to S. Harabin, he sees
no problem "in the issue of approval of the law on the Armenian
Genocide within the planned period, especially as the resolution
confirming and condemning the Armenian Genocide, which was adopted by
the National Council of the Slovak Republic in 2004, has the status of
an imperative necessity for the country’s government." Not responding
to Turkish diplomats’ complaint about the wreath laying ceremony at
Armenian Khachkar dedicated to the Genocide during the opening of a
congress of the Forum of Armenian Unions of Europe in Bratislava in
late May, S. Harabin gave the above mentioned explanation to the
foreign ministry of the Slovak Republic.

During the meeting, the interlocutors summarized the developments that
followed the Slovak deputy prime minister’s visit to Armenia. As for
the appeal of the Turkish foreign minister Ali Babacan to Armenia to
open the archives of the two countries, S. Harabin said that every
person who visits the Genocide Museum in Yerevan becomes acquainted
with the Armenian archives, besides, "no one doubts that after
committing the genocide the Turks also organized a "genocide of
archives".

PRESIDENT OF THE NKR SENT A CONGRATULATORY LETTER…

Azat Artsakh Daily
28 Aug 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

On the same day President of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic Bako
Sahakyan sent a congratulatory letter also to the President of the
Republic of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity. The letter reads as follows:
"On behalf of the people and authorities of the Nagorno Karabagh
Republic I cordially congratulate You and the people of South Ossetia
on this momentous event, the recognition of state independence of
the Republic of South Ossetia.

For the people of South Ossetia the path to independence was thorny,
full of difficulties and hardships. However, the Republic has found
strength and come off with flying colors. Artsakh is genuinely joyed
with the recognition of South Ossetia’s independence. I congratulate
You and the people of fraternal South Ossetia once again. Let peace
be established in your country forever. I wish you prosperity and
wellbeing".

EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
27 Aug 2008
Armenia

Company "Flesh" is trying to transport a big amount of Turkmenistani
petrol to Armenia via Iran.

Of course the transportation of Turkmenistani petrol to Armenia
via Iran is rather expensive. The reason is the absence of railway
communication. The fuel is transported from Iran by cars, which raises
the price. "The transportation is very expensive, demands great job and
is rather risky, because we bring the fuel from Turkmenistan to Iran
by ship to Persian Enzeli port and from there we bring it to Armenia
by cars. It is an alternative option to solve the situation," deputy
director of company "Flesh" Mushegh Elchyan told our correspondent.

WEST TELLS MOSCOW: ‘YOU ARE IRRESPONSIBLE’
by Antonella Rampino

La Stampa, Italy
Aug 27 2008

Rome: Predictably enough, in a game in which Moscow’s tactics involve
forestalling the West’s moves, the Kremlin has recognized South
Ossetia’s and Abkhazia’s independence….

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini made no secret of the
risk which the Caucasus may end up becoming "Balkanized," with the
principle of "change of citizenship on an ethnic basis" heading the
list. The minister’s analysis pointed out the fact that the "West has
made the mistake of humiliating Russia for 10 years, demanding that
it provide energy but not play any political role and that anger has
now erupted". There is no threat to Italy’s gas supplies, he said
(and the ENI [Italian National Hydrocarbons Agency] bore him out on
this), rather, Frattini said, "There is a threat to Italy’s security"
and there is also the risk (albeit one which Moscow has denied) that
Russia may shut off the airspace that NATO so badly needs for the war
against the Taleban in Afghanistan. Former Russian President Vladimir
Putin placed that airspace at the United States’ disposal, playing the
go-between with the Caucasian republics, when [US President George]
Bush first decided to launch the "Enduring Freedom" mission back
in 2001.

Many diplomatic sources, speaking under the cover of anonymity, have
remarked that the allies pointed out to Washington that the precedent
of independence for Kosovo from Serbia would entail risks. Others
believe that Bush is playing the Georgian crisis for its potential
impact on the upcoming US election – Republican candidate John McCain’s
wife Cindy McCain’s currently trip to Tbilisi is held up as evidence in
support of that theory. But the danger is that there may be a knock-on,
"domino" effect in the Caucasus, given that the Nagorno-Karabakh with
Armenia, and Transdnestria with Moldova, have placed themselves in
South Ossetia’s wake.

Press and Information Department
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Armenia
Tel. + 37410 544041. ext. 202
Fax. + 37410 565601
e-mail: [email protected]
web:

Answer of Tigran Balayan, Head of MFA’s Press Office to the questions by
Regnum News Agency

Question: What is Armenia’s position on the recognition of South Ossetia
and Abkhazia independence.

Answer: Armenia has always favored and continues to believe that any attempt
for military solution to conflicts is futile. Such conflicts should only be
resolved on the basis of free expression of the will of the people.

Schenectady Gazette, NY
Aug 24 2008

Levon Aronian rallies to win in Sochi, Russia

By Jack Peters, International Master
August 24, 2008

Position No. 6017: Black to play and win. From the game Ivan
Cheparinov-Vugar Gashimov, Sochi 2008.

Solution to Position No. 6016: White wins with 1 Nd6!, threatening 2
Ndf7+. Both 1 . . . Qxd6 2 Nf7+ and 1 . . . cxd6 2 Nxc6+ Kd7 3 Nxb8+
cost Black his Queen.

Grandmaster Levon Aronian of Armenia came from behind to win the first
prize of 30,000 Euros (about $44,700) in the second Grand Prix
tournament in Sochi, Russia. With three wins and a draw in his final
four games, Aronian scored 8 1/2 -4 1/2 , edging Teimour Radjabov of
Azerbaijan, who finished second at 8-5.

The only undefeated player, Wang Yue of China, tied with former
U.S. champion Gata Kamsky for third place at 7 1/2 -5 1/2 . Kamsky’s
only loss came when he fell into time pressure and botched a winning
position.

Russian star Peter Svidler transformed a poor result into a
respectable tie for fifth place at 7-6 by winning his last three
games. On the other hand, early leaders Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria
and Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan suffered the opposite
fate. Cheparinov plummeted with three losses and a draw in his last
four games, while Gashimov, "+2" after 10 rounds, lost twice in his
last three games.

The World Chess Federation plans to award 300,000 Euros to the top 10
scorers in the six-tournament Grand Prix. Wang Yue, who shared first
place in the May tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan, now leads the series.

World Junior

The most prestigious age-group tournament, the World Junior
Championship, brought 109 players, ages 20 or younger, to Gaziantep,
Turkey. The field included 24 grandmasters. The surprising winner was
19th seed GM Abhijeet Gupta, 18, of India, who scored 10-3. He
overcame two losses by winning his final five games.

The silver medal went to 15-year-old GM Parimarjan Negi of India at 9
1/2 -3 1/2 . Five players finished at 9-4, with International Master
Arik Braun, 20, of Germany receiving the bronze medal on tiebreak
over, among others, Hou Yifan, the 14-year-old Chinese girl who is
already the world’s fourth-highest rated female.woman.

American representative Tyler Hughes, 17, of Colorado finished with
6-7.

Dronavalli Harika, 17, of India led the 68-player World Junior Girls
Championship with 10 1/2 -2 1/2 . Four players tied for second place
at 9-4. Tatev Abrahamyan, 20, of Glendale tied for 14th place with 7
1/2 -5 1/2 .

Local news

The Southern California Open, the state championship open to everyone,
will be held next weekend at the Pasadena Hilton, 168 S. Los Robles
Ave. in Pasadena. Details of the tournament and side events are posted
at scchess.com.

The invitational state championship concludes today in Century
City. Favorites IM Andranik Matikozyan and IM Enrico Sevillano led the
first weekend with scores of 3-1. See scchess.com for the finish.

The San Diego County Championship, held Aug. 9-10 at the San Diego
Chess Club, attracted 80 players, an excellent turnout. Grandmaster
Melikset Khachiyan scored 4 1/2 – 1/2 to win the tournament, while
Peter Graves tied for second place and earned the title of county
champion.

Michael Yee, a 13-year-old expert, won the Summer Swiss at the West
Valley Chess Club. Ed Isler and Robert Abrosini won other sections of
the 60-player tournament. The club runs tournaments continuously on
Thursday evenings in the Jewish Community Center, 22622 Vanowen St. in
West Hills. Contact Jerry Yee at (818) 915-5572 or at
[email protected] for information.

Today’s games

IM Alvaro Blanco Fernandez (Mexico)-IM Enrico Sevillano (U.S.A.),
U.S. Open, Dallas 2008: 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 d4 dxc4 A common
position in the Catalan Opening. 5 Bg2 Bb4+ 6 Bd2 Be7 7 Qc2 a6 8 Qxc4
b5 9 Qc2 Bb7 10 0-0 White has the edge. He should fight for control of
e4 or c5. Be4 11 Qc1 0-0 12 a3 Black would not mind 12 Nc3 Bb7. Nc6 13
e3 If 13 Nc3? Nxd4 14 Nxd4 Bxg2 15 Nxe6 fxe6 16 Kxg2 c5, Black
controls more of the center. Bd6 14 Bc3 Another promising line begins
14 Nc3 Bd3 15 Rd1 Web only: (threatening 16 Ne1) Na5 16 Nxb5. White
gets adequate compensation from 16 . . . Nb3 17 Qc3 Nxa1 18 Nxd6 Be2
19 Nb7! Qb8 20 Rxa1 or 16 . . . axb5 17 Bxa5 Be2 18 Ne5! Bxd1 19 Nc6
Qd7 20 Qxd1. a5 15 Rd1 Qe8 16 Be1?! Meek. White must have feared 16
Nbd2 Bd5 17 Qc2 b4, but 18 e4 bxc3 19 bxc3 is fine for him. Ne7 17
Nbd2 Bd5 18 Bf1?! More timidity, ceding e4. White could keep equality
with 18 Ng5. Qb8! To meet 19 Qc2 by 19 . . . Qb7. 19 Ne5 c5 20 e4
Welcoming 20 . . . Nxe4? 21 Nxe4 Bxe4 22 Nd7. Bb7 Leaving White’s
center very shaky. 21 Bxb5 The defensive 21 Nef3 cxd4 22 Nxd4 is
uncomfortable too. Black can take the initiative with 22 . . . Rc8 23
Qb1 b4. cxd4 22 Nd7? He should settle for 22 Nec4 e5 23 Qc2. Nxd7 23
Bxd7 Ng6 24 f4?! His last hope is 24 Nc4! Ne5! 25 Nxe5 Bxe5 26
Qc2. Rd8 25 Ba4 Nxf4! Turning a maneuvering game into a ferocious
attack. 26 gxf4 Bxf4 27 Qc5 After 27 Qc2 Bxh2+ 28 Kg2 Qe5 29 Qd3 Bf4,
Black will soon obtain five passed pawns for the piece. And 27 Bg3
loses quickly to 27 . . . Bxg3 28 hxg3 Qxg3+ 29 Kf1 f5. Be3+! 28 Kg2
Qf4 29 Qh5 White cannot reinforce e4 by 29 Bc6 Rac8 or 29 Bc2 d3. Bxd2
30 Rxd2 Qxe4+ 31 Kf1 Or 31 Kh3 Qe3+ 32 Kh4 d3, intending 33
. . . Rd4+. Qh1+ 32 Ke2 Qg2+ 33 Bf2 As 33 Kd3 gets mated by 33
. . . Qe4+ 34 Kc4 d3+ 35 Kb3 Bd5+. d3+ 34 Rxd3 Rxd3, White Resigns.

Richard Rapport (Hungary)-IM Sandor Farago (Hungary), Budapest 2008: 1
d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 cxd5 cxd5 5 Bf4 The Exchange variation, a
safe but not harmless treatment of the Slav Defense. Nc6 6 Nf3 e6
Theory also deals with the symmetrical 6 . . . Bf5 7 e3 e6 8 Bb5. 7 e3
Bb4?! The Bishop belongs at d6 or e7. 8 Bd3 White can afford to ignore
the pin. Qa5 9 0-0 Bxc3 Black might as well grab a pawn. After 9
. . . 0-0 10 Nb5! a6, White reaches a winning endgame by 11 Bc7! b6 12
a3! axb5 13 axb4 Qxa1 14 Qxa1 Rxa1 15 Rxa1 Nxb4 16 Bxb5. 10 bxc3 Qxc3
11 Bd6 Now Black will have to struggle to castle. Qa5 12 Ne5 Qd8 13
Ba3 Bd7 The natural 13 . . . Ne7 14 Qc2 0-0 does not solve Black’s
problem, as 14 Rfc1 Bd7 15 Nxd7 Qxd7 16 Qc7 recovers material. Even
the improvement 13 . . . Ne7 14 Qc2 Bd7 is not completely satisfactory
because of 15 Rab1 Rc8 16 Qe2 Bc6 17 Nxc6 bxc6 18 Rb7 Rc7 19 Rfb1 0-0
20 Qb2 Re8 21 Rxc7 Qxc7 22 Qb7, picking off the a-pawn. 14 Rb1 Qc7 No
better is 14 . . . b6 15 Nxd7 Nxd7. White would mobilize his entire
army with 16 Qa4 Ne7 17 Rfc1, when 17 . . . 0-0? drops a piece to 18
Bxe7 Qxe7 19 Rc7 Rfd8 20 Bb5. 15 Qb3 Rb8 16 Rfc1 Black is lost. His
first worry is 17 Nxc6 Bxc6 18 Rxc6! Qxc6 19 Bb5. a6 17 f4 All right,
but White could win immediately with 17 Nxc6 Bxc6 18 Rxc6! Qxc6 19 Rc1
Qd7 20 Bxa6. A possible finish is 20 . . . Qd8 21 Bb5+ Nd7 22 Qb4 Ra8
23 Rc7! Rxa3 24 Bxd7+. Ng8 18 Nxc6 Bxc6 19 Rxc6! Opportunity knocks
twice. Qxc6 20 Qb4 Kd8 If 20 . . . Kd7, then 21 Rc1 a5 22 Qb2 traps
Black’s Queen. Or, if 20 . . . Rc8, then 21 Qf8+ Kd7 22 Rxb7+!
foresees 22 . . . Qxb7 23 Qxf7+ Kc6 24 Qxe6+ Kc7 25 Qd6 mate. 21 Qf8+
Kc7 Useless is 21 . . . Qe8 22 Qd6+. 22 Qxf7+ Kd8 23 Qf8+ Kc7 24
Qxg7+, Black Resigns. The winner is 12.

ess24-2008aug24,0,5238293.story

Mediamax, Armenia
Aug 21 2008

CIS SECURITY BLOC DISCUSSES IN ARMENIA REGIONAL ISSUES

Yerevan, 21 August: It is necessary to speed up military cooperation
within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) due to the current geopolitical situation [in the region],
Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan said at a news conference to
sum up the results of a session of the CSTO council of defence
ministers in Yerevan today.

Speaking about cooperation between the CSTO and other
military-political blocs, the CSTO secretary-general, Nikolay
Bordyuzha, noted that the organization is ready to cooperate with
NATO, since "any contact with the North Atlantic Alliance will help to
solve numerous problems in both NATO and the CSTO member countries".

The regional military and political situation in the zone the CSTO is
responsible for, and neighbouring regions was discussed at the session
of the council of the defence ministers of the CSTO member countries.

The participants in the session decided to set up an interstate
working group to create a single system on the technical monitoring of
the railways of the CSTO member countries. The defence ministers
coordinated documents aimed at improving the CSTO activities.

The power of the chairman of the CSTO council of defence ministers
were granted on Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan until the
next session. The council of the defence ministers approved a draft
resolution on appointing the Armenian first deputy defence minister
and the chief of the general staff of the armed forces, Yuri
Khachaturov, head of the CSTO united staff until the next session.

TURKEY AND THE CAUCASUS

The Economist
Aug 21st 2008

Waiting and watching

A large NATO country ponders a bigger role in the Caucasus

Erdogan plays the Georgian flagAT THE Hrazdan stadium in Yerevan,
workers are furiously preparing for a special visitor: Turkey’s
president, Abdullah Gul. Armenia’s president, Serzh Sarkisian, has
invited Mr Gul to a football World Cup qualifier between Turkey and
its traditional foe, Armenia, on September 6th.

If he comes, Mr Gul may pave the way for a new era in the
Caucasus. Turkey is the only NATO member in the area, and after the
war in Georgia it would like a bigger role. It is the main outlet
for westbound Azeri oil and gas and it controls the Bosporus and
Dardanelles, through which Russia and other Black Sea countries ship
most of their trade. And it has vocal if small minorities from all
over the region, including Abkhaz and Ossetians.

Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has just been to
Moscow and Tbilisi to promote a "Caucasus Stability and Co-operation
Platform", a scheme that calls for new methods of crisis management
and conflict resolution. The Russians and Georgians made a show of
embracing the idea, as have Armenia and Azerbaijan, but few believe
that it will go anywhere. That is chiefly because Turkey does not have
formal ties with Armenia. In 1993 Turkey seal ed its border (though not
its air links) with its tiny neighbour after Armenia occupied a chunk
of Azerbaijan in a war over Nagorno-Karabakh. But the war in Georgia
raises new questions over the wisdom of maintaining a frozen border.

Landlocked and poor, Armenia looks highly vulnerable. Most of its
fuel and much of its grain comes through Georgia’s Black Sea ports,
which have been paralysed by the war. Russia blew up a key rail bridge
this week, wrecking Georgia’s main rail network that also runs to
Armenia and Azerbaijan. This disrupted Azerbaijan’s oil exports,
already hit by an explosion earlier this month in the Turkish part
of the pipeline from Baku to Ceyhan, in Turkey.

"All of this should point in one direction," says a Western diplomat
in Yerevan: "peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan." Reconciliation
with Armenia would give Azerbaijan an alternative export route for
its oil and Armenia the promise of a new lifeline via Turkey. Some
Armenians gloat that Russia’s invasion of Georgia kyboshes the chances
of Azerbaijan ever retaking Nagorno-Karabakh by force, though others
say the two cases are quite different. Russia is not contiguous with
Nagorno-Karabakh, nor does it have "peacekeepers" or nationals there.

Even before the Georgian war, Turkey seemed to understand that
isolating Armenia is not making it give up the parts of Azerbaijan that
it occupies out side Nagorno-Karabakh. But talking to it might. Indeed,
that is what Turkish and Armenian diplomats have secretly done for
some months, until news of the talks leaked (probably from an angry
Azerbaijan).

Turkey’s ethnic and religious ties with its Azeri cousins have long
weighed heavily in its Caucasus policy. But there is a new worry that a
resolution calling the mass slaughter of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks
in the 1915 genocide may be passed by America’s Congress after this
November’s American elections. This would wreck Turkey’s relations with
the United States. If Turkey and Armenia could only become friendlier
beforehand, the resolution might then be struck down for good.

In exchange for better relations, Turkey wants Armenia to stop backing
a campaign by its diaspora for genocide recognition and allow a
commission of historians to establish "the truth". Mr Sarkisian has
hinted that he is open to this idea, triggering howls of treason
from the opposition. The biggest obstacle remains Azerbaijan and
its allies in the Turkish army. Mr Erdogan was expected to try to
square Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliev, in a visit to Baku this
week. Should he fail, Mr Gul may not attend the football match–and
a chance for reconciliation may be lost.