Author: Nalbandian Eduard

`Medvedev-Sarkozy plan’ one year after: `the games of international formats’.

en.fondsk.ru
Eurasia
13.08.2009
Andrei ARESHEV

On August 12 is the very same day the year before when so-called
`Medvedev-Sarkozy plan’ was signed. Amid `a paralytic stroke’ of the
Security Council, the six principles which had been worked out in
Moscow helped to solve some short-term tasks and to stop the military
actions. But initially it was not planned that being short-term
oriented those principles would become the core of long term
peacekeeping and post conflict rehabilitation of the Caucasus region.
It is known that in August 2008 the Georgian government was counting
on Russia’s non-intervention and when Russia did not meet the
expectations and brought its troops into Gori, Poti and Senaki the
enthusiasm of `builders of the new Georgian nationality’ yielded to
ambition to leave the country as soon as possible.
According to Dmitry Steshin, reporter of the `Komsomolskaya Pravda’
newspaper, there was a terrible panic on August 11 in Tbilisi. `I was
leaving Georgia via Armenia and there was traffic jam on the border
created by diplomatic cars and cars with foreigners. Everyone was
pushed to the roadside, while their cars were leaving the country just
like a column of armed-vehicles’. A Georgian driver said to me than:
`Bastards! They have built their democracy for us and now they are
running away’. The columns of posh jeeps with Georgian flags driving
down the Ararat valley looked quite `patriotic’. Even Saakashvili
himself, as you all remember, was captured by a TV camera saying in
his native English language something like `Let’s get out of here!’ In
such a situation Tbilisi’s authorities grabbed an option of the
European mediation as their last straw.
At first the parties’ interpretations of `Medvedev-Sarkozy plan’ were
totally different. A good example of it is a telephone conversation
between the Russian and French Presidents on August 23 and its further
interpretation
s. According to the website of the French president, `President
Sarkozy thanked President Medvedev after Russia had met its
obligations and withdrawn its troops. In particular, the presidents
agreed that it was urgent to elaborate an international mechanism
under the guidance of OSCE, which would replace Russian patrols in the
security zone in Southern Ossetia. President Sarkozy said he would
like the EU fully to contribute to this process’. Meanwhile the
statement on Medvedev’s official website said the following: `The head
of the Russian state confirmed his readiness to cooperate with OSCE in
accordance with 5th clause of the principles of the conflict’s
settlement, but the substitution of Russian
peacekeepers in security zone with OSCE’s forces was not discussed’.
Later on the website of the French newspaper Le Figaro a disappointing
comment was published saying `Russia is continuing its complicated
diplomatic waltz. Despite the statements of the Elysee Palace the
Kremlin declined its readiness to go too far’. It is obvious that the
author of the comment meant Russia’s readiness to replace its armed
forces in the region with the forces of OSCE. Meanwhile a speech by
A. Wolf, US representative in the UN, at a session of the Security
Council on August 29 reveals the intentions to push the idea of US and
NATO presence in the Caucasus on the pretext of creating an
international mechanism under OSCE guidance: `Locating additional
monitors of OSCE in South Ossetia is just the beginning. Other
international monitors should be let in too’.
As we know, the stage of so-called `complicated diplomatic waltz’ of
Russia came to an end when the Russian President delivered his speech
on August 26, 2008. The way he was speaking was not the way Russia’s
`partners’ wanted him to speak.
Anyway some points of the plan and their specific interpretation are
still being used as a propaganda tool by the forces, which are trying
to revise political results of the five days war as far as possible.
In his article in Financial Times Ronald Asmus, executive director of
the Brussels-based Transatlantic Center of the German Marshall Fund of
the United States, says: `The conflict that led to the war is not
over. The core issue has not been resolved. Georgia still wants to go
west and Moscow wants to stop it. That is why we again hear rumbles of
possible military action from Moscow`. `The west needs to unite behind
the position that breaking the rules of the game in Europe carries
real costs and that further aggression against Georgia will lead to
the kind of rethink of its relationship with Russia that did not
happen last year’.
On August 9, in his telephone conversation with Sarkozy Medvedev
stresse the situation in the zone of Georgian-Ossetian conflict it is
necessary to withdraw Georgian troops from the zone and to sign a
binding agreement on non-use of force. In the letter of the Russian
president to his French counterpart, which marks the anniversary of
their plan, Medvedev said `he regrets they have failed to coordinate
parameters of further work of OSCE and UN missions in the region’. `We
believe it is still possible to find the right formulas to continue
the activities of these two important international institutes
there. Of course three parties should agree on them ` South Ossetia,
Abkhazia and Georgia’. Earlier Russia proposed to prolong the
international missions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia but to do it
independently of Tbilisi but its proposal was rejected. In their turn
Georgian authorities plan to expand the presence of international
organizations in the country without reducing its `military rhetoric’
and insisting on de-occupation of Georgia.
It should be noted that a global scale informational and diplomatic
war against Russia which followed Georgian attacks of South Ossetia is
not over yet, many battles of this war are ahead and Russia should not
act apologetically because this is the worst it could do.
A year ago ` for the first time since 1991 – people of the Caucasus
saw (and believed), that Russia does not leave friends in the
lurch. The plans of mass annihilation and banishment of the Ossetian
folk were prevented but logically it should be regarded only as the
first step. Tskhinval is still in ruins and there are still scandals
about the money allocated for restoration of the republic. Opinion
polls show alarming shifts in social consciousness: in the North
Caucasus the number of supporters of the official recognition of
Sukhum and Tskhinval and the number of opponents of it is now almost
equal. This means that the level of support of August actions of the
Russian government is significantly weaker there than in other parts
of the country. Moscow should make new steps to strengthen relations
with South Ossetia. These steps should be peaceful but at the same
time as persuasive for the world as the advancing the 58th Russian
army last August to meet Georgian troops.

ERDOGAN MEETS WITH RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

gan-meets-with-religious-minorities/
Aug 17th, 2009

ISTANBUL (Combined Sources)-Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
promised democratic reforms on Saturday in a rare meeting with Turkey’s
religious minority leaders, highlighting the issue of minority rights.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and leaders of the small Armenian,
Jewish, Assyrian Orthodox and Catholic communities had lunch with
Erdogan and senior ministers on Buyukada, an island near mainland
Istanbul.

Representative of the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul, Archbishop
Aram Atechian was present at the meeting along with Holy Savior
Hospital board chairman Bedros Shirinoglu, Knale town council
president Levon Shadian, Kumkabu town council president Hrand
Moskovian, Ortagyugh town council president Iskender Shingeuz,
"Karageuzian" organization president Dikran Gulmezgil, Armenia’s
Black Sea representative Karen Mirzoyan and representatives of the
three Armenian newspapers, Marmara, Agos and Jamanak.

The lunch meeting coincided with government reform moves to address
decades-old tensions with the country’s 12 million Kurds. Erdogan, a
devout Muslim whose government is viewed with suspicion by some for its
Islamist roots, alluded in his speech to a broader reform process. Only
reporters from the Anatolia news agency and the state-run Turkish
Radio and Television Corporation were allowed to attend the meeting.

Turkey is passing through a transition period, Erdogan said in a
speech delivered at the lunch, while admitting that problems have
been experienced during this process along which the government has
been exerting efforts for further democratization of the country,
Anatolia reported.

The government is against both ethnic and religious nationalism, he
said, underlining that they have kept an equal distance from every
ethic and religious group in society. "Aren’t there deficiencies
regarding implementation? Yes, there are. We will overcome these
[deficiencies] with a struggle to be carried out all together, and I
believe that this democratic initiative will change a lot of things in
our country. Only if we stand hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder,"
Erdogan was quoted as saying by Anatolia. "Persians have a saying,
‘They gathered, talked and dispersed.’ We should not be of those who
gather, talk and disperse. A result should come out of this."

Erdogan and Bartholomew later toured the Aya Yorgi Church, where
they had a private conversation in which the patriarch voiced his
community’s concerns, a patriarchate official told Reuters on condition
of anonymity. The two men last met in 2006.

Erdogan and Bartholomew also visited a former orphanage on Buyukada
that the Turkish state seized from a Greek Orthodox foundation a
decade ago. The European Court of Human Rights ruled last year that
Turkey had wrongly confiscated the property, but the government has
yet to act on that ruling.

Bartholomew also raised the issue of the closed Orthodox seminary on
the nearby island of Heybeliada, or Halki in Greek, but Erdogan made
no statement on the issue, the patriarchate official said.

"We believe the prime minister is looking for a way to open the
school. There is movement on this," the official said. "It was a very
positive, very friendly meeting."

In remarks to the Athens News Agency, Bartholomew voiced pleasure over
the meeting with Erdogan, the private CNN-Turk news channel reported.

"We have been inspired with hope; we are optimistic," the patriarch
was quoted as saying by CNN-Turk, which also reported that Greek
media labeled the meeting "historical" and "a big step."

Greek news reports also said that the Greek Foreign Ministry described
the visit as "positive and extremely interesting," citing anonymous
sources.

Turkey signaled last month that the seminary may open after pressure
from the EU and US President Barack Obama, who called for its
restoration during a visit to Turkey in April.

The EU has made reopening Halki Seminary a litmus test of the
government’s commitment to religious freedom for non-Muslims. Turkey
closed Halki Seminary in 1971 during a period of tension with Greece
over Cyprus and a crackdown on religious education that also included
Islamist schools. About 2,500 Greeks remain in Turkey, as well as
approximately 60,000 Armenians, 20,000 Jews and 10,000 Assyrians.

Fuss over hacker attacks – unfounded
15.08.2009 18:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The recent anxiety over Azeri hackers’ attacks
against Armenian Web sites is absolutely unfounded, Helix Consulting
company’s director Aram Mkhitaryan and Smart Tech company’s Deputy
Director on Information Security Issues Ruben Muradyan told today a
press conference devoted to situation with Armenian Web sites in view
of incessant hacker attacks.
Experts particularly noted that such attacks were registered earlier
too, and their number was even more. But last week, Azeri hackers
sharply increased the range of their activities, attacking Web sites
of Armenian state government bodies, public organizations as well as
private individuals. Nonetheless, specialists are surprised that such
wave of anxiety was mounted now.

Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, August 15, 2009

Mapping a New Geography of Knowledge

While political debates about globalization have traditionally focused
on offshore outsourcing of manufacturing and services, there is
increasing recognition that a new type of offshoring may be just as
important, if not more so the emergence of global innovation networks
that integrate dispersed engineering, product development and research
activities across geographic borders. The challenge for economic
researchers and policymakers has been in tracing and deciphering the
increasingly complex forms of these networks, which are pushing
interdependence among national economies to historically unprecedented
levels.

To help identify the driving forces and impacts of such networks,
economist Dieter Ernst, a Senior Research Fellow at the East-West
Center in Honolulu and an international authority on globalization in
high-tech industries, has assembled a unique database tracking the
development of global innovation networks in nearly 150 electronics
companies. The database draws on surveys and case studies to provide
such information as the location and type of activity of offshore
research and development labs, the size and composition of their
workforce, and the educational background and work experience of
senior managers. In addition, it contains information on companies’
rationale for establishing innovation networks and the scope and
stability of these networks.
Ernst’s research, just published in the East-West Center Policy Study
"A New Geography of Knowledge in the Electronics Industry?",
highlights how the emergence of such networks is leading to a new map
of global innovation, particularly in Asia.
"This new geography of knowledge has important implications for major
policy issues and negotiations worldwide," Ernst explains. "It shows,
for example, that U.S. economic relations with emerging economies have
moved from hegemony to interdependence, where no player, not even the
U.S., is strong enough to impose its own agenda unilaterally on
others. This in turn impacts discussions on such diverse topics as
health care, climate change, international trade, alternative energies
and cyber-security."
Among the findings of the study are that:
The emergence of global innovation networks is expanding rapidly,
driven by increasing outsourcing of such functions as engineering,
development, and research.
The substantial increase in the mobility of knowledge has led to a new
hierarchy of innovation hubs, with global centers of excellence in the
United States, Japan, and the EU; advanced locations, such as Israel,
Ireland, Taiwan, and Korea; catching-up locations like Beijing, the
Yangtze River delta, and the Pearl River delta in China, and
Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Delhi in India; and "new frontier"
locations, including lower-tier cities in China and India, plus
Romania, Armenia, Bulgaria, and Vietnam.
The new geography of knowledge cannot be left to market forces
alone. Although global integration of production and innovation has
facilitated rapid advancement in Asia, for example, that integration
may become a mixed blessing unless Asian governments establish
appropriate policies for developing innovative capabilities.
The big question mark at this point, of course, is the potentially
game-changing impact of the current breakdown of the financial system
and the resultant collapse of international trade and
investment. Ernst writes that "there are now clear signs that Asia’s
prospects for investment and employment are grim and that demand and
GDP growth will slow down significantly. It is unclear at this stage,
however, how this will affect Asia’s innovative capacity and its
response to the emerging new geography of knowledge."
Ernst concludes that "The systemic nature of the forces that are
driving the geographical dispersion of innovation networks indicates
that this is a lasting change in the geography of
knowledge. (However), the result is not a flatter world. Instead,
integration into global innovation networks has dispersed innovative
capabilities to new players, but overall this dispersion remains
highly concentrated in a handful of new, yet very diverse and
intensely competing, innovation offshoring hubs in Asia. As the
diversity of network players, locations, business models, and network
arrangements is increasing, new opportunities for knowledge diffusion
are being created, enabling Asian network participants to enhance
learning, absorptive capacity and innovative capabilities."
##
The EAST-WEST CENTER is an education and research organization
established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and
understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and
the United States. The Center contributes to a peaceful, prosperous
and just Asia Pacific community by serving as a vigorous hub for
cooperative research, education and dialogue on critical issues of
common concern to the Asia Pacific region and the United
States. Funding for the Center comes from the U.S. government, with
additional support provided by private agencies, individuals,
foundations, corporations and the governments of the region.

ANC RESUMES FRIDAY PROTESTS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.08.2009 12:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian National Congress (ANC) resumes its Friday
marches and protest rallies. In particular, Congress has today released
a statement which runs as follows: "As long as Nikol Pashinyan is
kept in detention, we’ll do our best to make his presence felt and
words heard by all citizens."

In their statement, activists also say that youth will start Friday
marches and rallies, initiated by Niikol Pashinyan. "Realizing that
Armenia’s salvation depends on one person, and that person is each
of us, we declare of our intention not to yield to any force. Our
victory is inevitable. And hence – 1+1+1+1+1+1+…," runs the release.

"During the July 12 opposition meeting, RA first President Levon
Ter-Petrosyan announced that the next protest rally was due on
September 18. In the meantime, he didn’t rule out possibility of
interim meetings."

One of active participants of March 1, 2008 incidents, "Haykakan
Zhamanak" newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief Nikol Pashinyan gave himself up
to law enforcement bodies on July 1, 2009. Activist was subsequently
arrested and sent to "Yerevan-Knetron" penitentiary.

Dissatisfied with February 19, 2008 election outcome, opposition
organized meetings in the center of Yerevan. On March 1-2, protests
headed by first President developed into disorders, resulting in the
death of 10 individuals.

August 13, 2009
PRELATE AND VICAR WILL TRAVEL TO TROY

Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan will be in Troy, New York
this weekend where they will meet with the Board of Trustees of Holy
Cross Church
on Saturday, August 14.

On Sunday, August 16, Archbishop Oshagan will preside over the Divine
Liturgy, deliver the sermon and officiate at the Blessing of Grapes
ceremony.
BIBLE TRANSLATION CONTINUES

Archbishop Oshagan and Bishop Anoushavan will be in Montreal next week
where they will join Archbishop Khajag Hagopian and continue their
Bible
translation project.

HEAD OF MEKHITARIAN BROTHERHOOD VISITS

V. Rev. Fr. Yeghia Kilaghbian, head of the Mekhitarian Brotherhood
(Abbahayr) in Venice, visited the Prelacy on Tuesday, August 11,
where he was welcomed by the Prelate and Vicar. The Abbahayr is
currently on a visit to the United States.
Photo: From left to right: Bishop Anoushavan,
Archbishop Oshagan, V. Rev. Fr. Yeghia Kilaghbian, and Rev. Fr. Nareg
Terterian.

2009 PRELACY LINKED iN WEEKEND

The 2009 Prelacy LINKED iN weekend for young adults will take place
September 25-27, at the Holy Virgin Mary Spiritual Vineyard, Charlton,
Massachusetts, as part of the ongoing Year of the Youth activities..

Under the general theme of "Know Your Church," presentations will be
made by Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Archpriest Rev. Fr. Antranig
Baljian,
Professor Michael Papazian, and Yeretzgin Margaret Stepanian. The
weekend gathering will also feature prayer services, meditations,
bible studies,
and panel discussion.

For more information click
here (
4882/goto: 9.htm
).

LIVE TELEVISION BROADCAST FROM BIKFAYA

On the occasion of the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin, the
Noursat will broadcast services LIVE via satellite the Holy Mass
presided
over by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, from Sourp Asdvadzadzin
Monastery in Bikfaya, Lebanon, on Saturday, August 15.

For information about how to receive Noursat in your area click here (
4882/goto: 4/doc/English/cathcilnewseng.htm%234
).
DAILY BIBLE READINGS

Bible readings for today, Thursday, August 13, are: 1 Corinthians
15:34-49; Mark 3:20-30.

Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more; for some people have
no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. But someone will
ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?"
Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for
what you
sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps
of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has
chosen, and
to each kind of seed its own body. Not all flesh is alike, but there
is one flesh for human beings, another for animals, another for birds,
and
another for fish. There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies,
but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is
another.
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and
another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in
glory.

So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is
perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it
is
raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is
sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a
physical
body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, "The first
man, Adam, became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving
spirit.
But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then
the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the
second man
is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the
dust; and as is that man of heaven, so are those who are of
heaven. Just as we
have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image
of the man of heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:34-49)

For listing of the coming week’s Bible readings click here
( ).
FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

This Sunday, August 16, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of
the Assumption (Verapokoum) of the Holy Mother of God and the Blessing
of the Grapes. Although in modern Armenian the word verapokoum means
"change again," in classical Armenian it means "transport up."

According to tradition, Mary, the mother of Christ, died and was
buried by the apostles. The apostle Bartholomew, who was not present
at her
funeral, wished to visit her grave, but when the gravestone was lifted
they were surprised to find that the body had disappeared. It was
believed
that Christ had come and taken his mother to the Heavenly Kingdom.
Based on this event, the Church Fathers established the Feast of the
Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is one of the five tabernacle feast
days in the Armenian Church’s liturgical calendar. It is celebrated on
the
Sunday closest to August 15. The feast is preceded by a week (five
days) of fasting and a memorial day the day after.

Because Bartholomew was very fond of the Holy Mother, the apostle John
gave him an image of her (which she had given to John). Bartholomew
took
this image with him to Armenia to Darbnots Kar in the province of
Antsev, Vaspourakan (in Western Armenia) where a convent of nuns,
Hagyatz Vank
(Monastery for the Spirits) was built and where the icon was
kept. Most images of Bartholomew show him holding this icon.

The concept of the Virgin Mary’s Assumption is an old one as seen in
sacred prose and poetry dedicated to the Holy Mother. However, it did
not
become a basic doctrine of the church until the ninth century and it
was in the twelfth century that the feast was called "The
Assumption."
BLESSING OF THE GRAPES

In the Armenian Church the Blessing of the Grapes takes place on the
Feast of the Assumption, although there is no direct
connection. Similar to
other holidays, it coincides with a pagan era festival, which the
Church Fathers incorporated into the liturgical calendar. The hymn
Park Sourp
Khatachesi (Glory to Your Sacred Cross) is sung; Biblical passages are
recited, followed by a prayer composed by Catholicos Nerses Shnorhali
specifically for this occasion. After the prayer, the grapes are
blessed three times with Orhnestsee Bahbanestsee and then the blessed
grapes are
distributed to the faithful, many of whom refrain from eating grapes
until this blessing take place.

Certainly we can say that the Blessing of the Grapes commemoration is
a celebration of the fruitfulness of the earth. Grapes are one of the
oldest
cultivated plants in the world. According to Biblical history, Noah
planted a vineyard immediately after disembarking from the Ark
(Genesis, Chapter
9) in Nakhichevan. And, of course, the wine of the Divine Liturgy
comes from grapes.
"Bless, O Lord, the grape plants and vineyards from which these grapes
are taken and presented to the
holy church, and make them bountiful and fruitful; let them be like
good and fertile land, protect the vineyards from all kinds of
misfortunes and
destruction which come from above because of our sins, from hail, from
cold, from hot winds, and from destructive insects, so that we may
enjoy that
which You have created in this world for our enjoyment and for Your
glory, and grant that we may be worthy to eat and drink with You from
the bounty
of Your most fruitful vine at the table of Your Father’s Kingdom,
according to the just promise which You made, to the honor and glory
of Your
coexisting Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the most Holy Spirit to
whom is due glory, power, and honor, now and forever. Amen."
(From the prayer written by Nerses Shnorhali (the Gracious)
for the Blessing of the Grapes.)
Photo: St. Stephen’s Church (Watertown) marked the Blessing of the
Grapes last Sunday at Camp Haiastan in Franklin, Mass. In this
photo, left to right: Archpriest Fr. Antranig Baljian, Archbishop
Oshagan, Archpriest Fr. Arshag Daghlian (seated), and Archpriest
Fr. Aram
Stepanian. The Prelate’s sermon centered on the Andastan ceremony
(Blessing of the Harvest), explaining how centuries ago our Church
Fathers blessed
the four corners of the world and respected the earth and its
bountiful harvest. By today’s terminology they would be described as
"being green."
They were hundreds of years ahead of their time.
MONDAY IS MEMORIAL DAY
Monday, August 17 is Memorial Day. In accordance with the tradition of
the Armenian Church the day after each
of the tabernacle feasts is designated as a Memorial Day, a day of
remembrance of the dead, as well as a day of thanksgiving. For
Christians, and
especially in the Armenian Church, remembering the dead is a noble
deed. Lighting a candle, burning incense, or visiting the grave site
and placing
flowers is a way of being with loved ones who have passed on.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
August 16–Sts. Vartanantz Church, Ridgefield, New Jersey, annual
picnic and Blessing of the Grapes.
August 16–St. Asdvadzadzin Church, Whitinsville, Massachusetts,
picnic and Blessing of the Grapes.
August 16–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Assumption of the Holy
Mother of God, Grape Blessing picnic. For information: 215-482-9200.
August 16–St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, Granite City, Illinois,
annual Blessing of the Grapes picnic, following Divine Liturgy and
Blessing of the Grapes, 12:30-3:30 pm, at St. Gregory Community
Center. Delicious
shish, losh and chicken kebab dinners, Armenian pastries, and
specialty foods; raffle, games and activities for kids. Rain or shine.
September 13–Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, Worcester,
Massachusetts, 75th anniversary Holy Mass and banquet, under the
auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan.
September 13–St. Gregory Church of Merrimack Valley, North Andover,
Massachusetts, annual picnic on newly renovated church grounds, 158
Main St., North Andover. Enjoy food, music. Fellowship. For details
go to
church’s web site ( (
4882/goto:
)) or call 978-685-5038.
September 12–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia; opening of Haigazian
Armenian School.
September 13–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia; opening of Sunday
School.
September 13–Annual picnic of St. Stephen’s Armenian Church of New
Britain and Hartford at the Quartette Club, 225 Wooster Street, New
Britain, Connecticut, beginning at noon, rain or shine. Live
music. Armenian
food. Free admission.
September 19-20–Re-consecration of the altar and the newly renovated
St. Illuminator’s Cathedral in New York City on Saturday. Episcopal
Divine Liturgy and Madagh on Sunday.
September 20–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia. Lobster Fest. For
information: 215-482-9200.
September 20–St. Sarkis Church (Douglaston, New York), annual picnic
on
the church grounds, 38-65 234th Street, Douglaston, beginning at 1 pm
immediately following church services and the blessing of the basil.
Delicious
Armenian kebabs, sweets, etc., along with games, music, dancing,
tavloo, basketball, volleyball, vendors and returning by popular
demand–"Kid-Z-One," with a host of activities for children. For
information 718-224-2275.
September 21–St. Stephen’s (Watertown, MA) Armenian School/ACEC 14th
annual Golf Outing at Framingham Country Club. $170 includes golf,
lunch, dinner, and contests. For information contact Astor at
781-326-5764.
September 25-26-27–Prelacy Linked In, gathering of the youth. For
details click here (
4882/goto: 9.htm
).
September 27–75th anniversary of St. Gregory Church, Indian Orchard,
Massachusetts, under auspices of Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan. Country
Club of Wilbraham, 859 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham,
Massachusetts. Special
performances by Dottie Bengoian and the St. Gregory Sunday School
children. For information: 413-596-9242.
September 28–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Golf Outing at
Talamore
Country Club, Ambler, Pennsylvania. For information: 215-482-9200.
September 28–Holy Trinity Church (Worcester, Massachusetts), 6th
annual Golf Outing, Sterling National Country Club, Sterling,
MA. Golf, breakfast, dinner, and prizes, $130 per person. For
information send email
to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]), or telephone
508-872-9629.
October 1–Sts. Vartanantz Church (New Jersey), presents 7th annual
Golf Outing at River Vale Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey. $175
includes lunch, dinner, golf and contests. Come out and enjoy a great
day and
support the church. For information contact Mark, 201-483-3200.
October 15-18–Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, Food Festival
and Bazaar.
October 17–National Association of Ladies Guilds (NALG) annual
conference at the Prelacy offices in New York City. Details will
follow.
October 18–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Intercommunal Cultural
Celebration at Holy Trinity Church, Cheltenham, PA.
November 1–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Sunday School Halloween
Party.
November 6-7–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia. Food
Festival.
November 14–Soorp Khatch Church, Bethesda, Maryland, 45th anniversary
celebration.
November 20, 21, 22–Sts. Vartanantz Church (Ridgefield, New Jersey)
Annual Bazaar and Food Festival. Saturday night dancing with "Onnik
Dinkjian"; Sunday traditional kavourma dinner.
December 20–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia. Sunday School
Christmas
Pageant.
December 31–St. Gregory Church, Philadelphia, Seroonian Community
Center New Year’s Eve celebration.
December 31–Sts. Vartanantz Church (Ridgefield, New Jersey), New
Year’s Eve Dinner-Dance. Details to follow.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacy’s 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:info@armenianprel acy.org)

LATVIAN PRESIDENT CALLS FOR CAUTIOUS ATTITUDE TO NKR SETTLEMENT PROCESS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.08.2009 18:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "NKR conflict should be resolved through peaceful
methods and in compliance with principles of international law,"
Latvian President Valdis Zatlers said. He called on parties to refrain
from demonstrating haste as OSCE MG deals with conflict settlement
process, taking concrete steps in that direction.

"We must be alert and cautious. We don’t want the negotiations to be
fruitless," Latvian president said after a press conference with his
Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev, Trend news agency reports.

The Moscow Times, Russia
Aug 10 2009

CIS Allies Wary of Moscow After War

10 August 2009
By Nabi Abdullaev / The Moscow Times

A year after Russian troops crushed the Georgian army in South
Ossetia, Moscow has cobbled back together its ties with the West, but
in a largely unforeseen consequence of the war relations with other
former Soviet states have become increasingly strained.

The war and Moscow’s subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia as independent states halted NATO’s advance toward Russia’s
borders and demonstrated to the world the country’s decisiveness in
defending what it deems national interests. But Russian officialdom
has yet to learn how to package a convincing message for its main
foreign policy audience ‘ the West ‘ to show the legitimacy and
expediency of its moves, political analysts say.

Even now, in comments for a documentary on the conflict shown Friday
by NTV television, President Dmitry Medvedev spoke at length about his
emotions when he decided to send troops into Georgia, but he said
little about his motivations ‘ other than that the decision `helped to
defend people’s lives.’

The new administration in Washington and the necessity of Russian
cooperation on issues of vital importance to the United States have
not allowed President Barack Obama’s team to make the Russian-Georgian
conflict a major bilateral topic, said Pavel Zolotaryov, an analyst
with the Institute of USA and Canada at the Russian Academy of
Sciences.

`Georgia was a project of the previous American administration,’ he
said, referring to then-U.S. President George W. Bush’s backing of
President Mikheil Saakashvili, a U.S.-trained lawyer who came to power
after a bloodless popular uprising in 2003. `Of course, now Washington
cannot turn away from Tbilisi, an ally that sends troops to support
Americans in Iraq, but Obama’s hands are not tied.’

When Obama visited Moscow last month, the looming anniversary of the
Russian-Georgian war and continuing tensions between those countries
did nothing to hinder wide-ranging talks between the U.S. and Russian
presidents and their advisers.

Russia has also restored relations with NATO, which were abruptly
severed after the conflict last year.

The Georgian conflict proved to be a fleeting thorn in Russia’s ties
with its major partners in the European Union, too. Several diplomats
from the EU have told The Moscow Times on condition of anonymity
because of the sensitivity of the topic that their governments place
blame for the conflict on Tbilisi rather than Moscow.

And while concerns of lasting damage to relations with the West have
largely passed, Moscow has seen a burgeoning estrangement with its
most loyal allies in the Commonwealth of Independent States, a loose,
Russia-led alliance of post-Soviet states that Georgia abandoned last
fall.

None of the CIS countries ‘ including what had been Russia’s closest
allies, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan ‘ has followed Nicaragua,
the only state other than Russia that has recognized South Ossetia and
Abkhazia.

`The war has shown all other CIS countries that they are in no sense
equal to Russia, despite all the formal arrangements, and that they
should always understand that there is a limit to Russia’s tolerance
of their behavior,’ said Vladimir Zharikhin, an analyst with the
Institute of CIS Countries.

The situation has pushed CIS leaders to look for ways to affirm their
sovereignty, he said.

Last month, five CIS heads of state snubbed an informal summit in
Moscow despite being invited by the Kremlin. Previously, a no-show by
one would have caused a scandal.

Also, Belarus and Uzbekistan are stalling Russia’s latest pet project
in the region: the creation of a multilateral rapid-response military
task force.

Kyrgyzstan, now the most devoted of Russia’s allies, has hinted that
it needs additional support for setting up a new Russian military
facility on its territory, while Tajikistan has suggested dumping
Russian as an official language.

One of the positive lessons that Russia has learned from the war is
that frozen conflicts, if left unattended, risk degenerating into war,
as happened in South Ossetia, Zharikhin said.

He pointed to Russia’s postwar effort to advance talks between Moldova
and leaders of the separatist, Moscow-leaning Transdnestr republic, as
well as last month’s attempt to restart Azeri-Armenian talks in Moscow
over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh republic.

`Of course, these problems are very far from being solved, but Moscow
is at least striving to create some dynamics in the talks there,’
Zharikhin said.

He and Sergei Markedonov, a Caucasus analyst with the Institute for
Political and Military Analysis, agreed that poor informational
support for Moscow’s actions remains one of the biggest mistakes still
not addressed by the Russian leadership in the conflict or its
aftermath.

`I don’t remember any press tour to South Ossetia for foreign
journalists arranged by Russian officials. Why don’t they demonstrate
the effects of war on the republic to professionals instead of telling
us how cruel it was?’ Markedonov said.

He pointed to the outbreak of the belligerent rhetoric on both sides
as the anniversary of the war approached.

`The same [deputy chief of the Russian General Staff Anatoly]
Nogovitsyn who was Russia’s chief talking head during the war last
year ‘ in what almost everyone said was Moscow’s PR failure ‘ is doing
most of the official talking about the anniversary,’ Markedonov said.

Russia’s reluctance to allow international monitors into South Ossetia
and Abkhazia is also a counterproductive PR strategy, he said.

`If monitors go there and talk to the locals, this may not change the
general perception of Russia’s role in the conflict abroad, but at
least a new range of voices supportive of Russia’s actions will be
heard,’ he said.

YEAR AFTER S. OSSETIAN AND GEORGIAN WAR

12:10 08/08/2009
Panorama.am

Great effort has gone into commemorating last year’s war of South
Ossetia and Georgia.

Near midnight on Friday, precisely a year after Georgia began shelling
Tskhinvali, thousands of people gathered in the city’s main square,
where a Russian-made documentary was projected on a huge screen
overhead. In Moscow also people gathered to commemorate all the
victims of the war.

Georgia has reported more than 400 deaths in the war; Russia’s
prosecutor’s office has so far reported 162 and 67 Russian soldiers.

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESIDENT AND GREEK CYPRIOT LEADER MET FOR THE 40TH TIME

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
07.08.2009 01:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek
Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias met for the 40th time in the buffer
zone as part of negotiations to find a solution to the Cyprus problem.

The first round of Cyprus talks concluded after the leaders met.

The United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Cyprus
Alexander Downer, speaking after the two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting,
said important progress was recorded in the first round of talks,
turkishny.com reports.

Downer said the parties were pleased to complete the first round. The
two leaders will begin the second round of talks on Sept. 3.

Talat and Christofias started the talks Sept. 3, 2008.

Turkish Cypriots aim to complete negotiations by the end of this year
and hold a referendum at the beginning of 2010.

Cyprus joined the EU as a divided island when Greek Cypriots in the
south rejected a UN reunification plan in twin referendums in 2004;
the Turkish Cypriots in the north overwhelmingly supported it.

The promise made by EU foreign ministers before the referendums to
end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and establish direct trade
with northern Cyprus remains unfulfilled.