Author: nina hovnanian

HEAD OF UNION OF ARMENIANS IN RUSSIA WELCOMES ARMENIA’S UPCOMING MEMBERSHIP IN CUSTOMS UNION

YEREVAN, October 10/ARKA/. Ara Abrahamyan, a Russia-based wealthy
businessman of Armenian origin, who is also chairman of the Union of
Armenians of Russia, welcomed President Serzh Sargsyan’s announcement
that Armenia will join the Russia-led Customs Union.

Speaking at a news conference in Yerevan today he commended president
Sargsyan for these decisions, but stressed that in the accession
process Armenia must be guided in the first place by its own interests
and agree to the proposed conditions only if they meet its interests.

Abrahamyan downplayed arguments that the decision was hasty, saying
this issue had been discussed and debated over the last few years.

Before president Sargsyan’s announcement Armenia was supposed to
initial an association agreement with the European Union at an Eastern
Partnership summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in late November. -0-

– See more at:

ARMENIAN CHURCH IN PROVIDENCE TO BEGIN CELEBRATION OF 100TH ANNIVERSARY

14:57 10.10.2013

Saints Sahag & Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church, the oldest Armenian
church in Rhode Island and one of the oldest in the United States, is
set to begin a celebration of its 100th anniversary year this month
starting with a performance at Rhode IslandCollege by the 60-member
SHUSHI Armenian Dance Ensemble on October 20, the Providence Journal
reports.

The name of the 60-member ensemble may be deceiving. Although the
group takes its name from Shushi, the capital city of Nagorno Karabagh,
the group is based in New Jersey and made up almost entirely of young
Americans born in the United States.

Why Shushi? Because when the ensemble was created in 1993, the city
had just been liberated.

The Rev. Shnork Souin, the pastor of Saints Saghag and Mesrob,
said it is especially fitting that the Shushi dance ensemble will
be performing here because Rhode Island became the first political
entity to recognize Nagorno Karabakh’s independence, followed
by Massachusetts, Louisiana, Maine, and Fresno City, Calif. Its
independence has yet to be recognized by the United States.

Located on Jefferson Street, the church has a large, blue neon cross
that is visible to motorists on northbound Route 95. It owes its
origins to the waves of immigrants who began to move to Providence
to escape persecution and genocide some 100 years ago.

The Canadian-born pastor says the church – with 450 voting members
and roughly 4,000 adherents – include faithful whose families hail not
only from Armenia but Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Canada, Baku and
Russia, as well as “blond, blue-eyed” American converts to the faith.

The church’s name comes from the names of St. Sahag, one of the early
church fathers, who commissioned St. Mesrob, one of the church’s
“brightest monks” to create an Armenian alphabet so that the holy
scriptures could be translated into Armenian.

In addition to the Oct. 20 performance, the Armenian Church is
planning to hold a Christmas concert at Annunciation Greek Orthodox
Church in Cranston on Dec. 1. It will feature a first-time visit to
Rhode Island by the Erevan Chorale and Orchestra from Holy Trinity
Armenian Church in Cambridge, Mass. Saints Sahag and Mesrob composer
Konstantin Petrossian will be the conductor.

The major celebration will be next year, on the weekend of June 14-15,
when Bishop Khajak Barsamian, the spiritual leader of the Armenian
Church in America’s Eastern Diocese, will visit the church, and a
banquet featuring a symbolic passing of the torch from the elderly
members of the community to youth members, from one generation to
another, will be held.

KARABAKH TELECOM IN EXPANDING ITS INTERNET SERVICE IN ARTSAKH VILLAGES

Today – 10:54

Karabakh Telecom has presented a press-release which especially says:

“Karabakh Telecom is pleased to announce that over the past few weeks,
it has expanded its Over The Air (OTA) network to provide internet
service to a number of villages in Artsakh.

Throughout the months of September and October 2013, after the
successful completion of the network expansion and extensive testing
Karabakh Telecom is now able to provide Wi-Fi based internet service
to the following villages and communities:

~U Kovsakan Town and Aygehovit Village in Kashatagh Region, ~U Gishi
and Avdur Villages in Martuni Region, ~U Shosh, Lusadzor, Noragyugh
and Khnatsakh Villages in Askeran Region, ~U Tumi, Mets Tagher,
Tsakuri, Togh, Taghaser and Taghoud Villages in Hadrout Region, ~U
Chapar and Vank Villages in Martakert Region, ~U Achapnyak and Nor
Aresh districts of Stepanakert.

In order to assist the people of Artsakh, Karabakh Telecom
representatives visited these villages and communities and explained
to the residents the details of the Internet service. A large number
of village residents signed contracts on the spot and to the delight
of everyone the Internet service was immediately activated.

At the same time and on the occasion of back to school, Karabakh
Telecom is pleased to have assisted the children of Artsakh schools,
by donating mobile telephones equipped with prepaid SIM cards as
well as commemorative KT souvenirs. This year, the students of the
graduating classes of the following villages, were the recipients of
the free mobile phones:

~U Drakhtik village in Hadrut region ~U Eghtsahogh Village in Shoushi
region ~U Chldran Village in Martakert region ~U Nakhidjevanik Village
in Askeran region.

During the ceremonies which were held at each school, an enthusiastic
group of youngsters, showed their appreciation with cheers, smiles,
singing and dancing and by reciting poetry”.

ARMENIA TO RUSSIA: LIFT TEMPORARY BANS ON ARMENIAN FISH IMPORTS

12:17, October 10, 2013

Armenia’s Food Safety Inspectorate (FSI) says it has filed a requested
with Russian authorities to lift a temporary ban on the imports on
fish and fish products from two companies based in Armenia.

On September 26, Hetq reported that Russia’s Federal Service for
Veterinary and Photsanitary Surveillance had placed restrictions on
the imports due to health and safety reasons.

The FSI, part of the Ministry of Agriculture, has stated that it
conducted sample inspections of the two companies, Konstantin and
Sisters Ltd. and GOS CJSC, and that after uncovering several food
safety law violations it directed the companies to resolve the
problems.

The FSI claims the companies “cleaned up their act” and that they
now are in compliance with Armenian health and safety regulations.

Their findings have been forwarded to their Russian counterpart in
order that the bans be lifted.

OSCE MINSK GROUP MAY BREAK TACIT AGREEMENT ON STATUS QUO AFTER ILHAM ALIYEV’S RE-ELECTION AS AZERBAIJAN’S PRESIDENT

13:07 ~U 10.10.13

After Ilham Aliyev has been re-elected for a third presidential term,
the processes related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will show upward
tendencies, and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ may break their tacit
agreement that the status quo is the lesser evil than a war.

It its turn, it will cause a revision of the “realpolitik,” Chairman
of the Political Scientists’ Union of Armenia Hmayak Hovhannisyan
told Tert.am.

“France and the United States have much more serious reasons than
Ilham Aliyev’s re-election, namely, speeding up the process, as at
the most significant periods of Serzh Sargsyan’s presidency, when
the West-highlighted problems were being dealt with, the unsettled
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict proved a serious obstacle to the West.

Specifically, with respect to the establishment of Armenian-Turkish
diplomatic relations and re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish border,
Azerbaijan, pleading the unsettled Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, was
able to persuade Turkey into suspending the ratification of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols and removing it from the Parliament agenda.

Hovhannisyan noted that the West’s second “encounter” with the
unsettled Nagorno-Karabakh problem was after the initialing of an
Armenia-EU Association Agreement failed, whereas the Agreement was
of paramount importance for the West.

Miscalculations by Armenian political scientists may be the cause of
the failed consensus.

In the second case, Hovhannisyan accounts for the failed consensus
by Armenian political scientists’ miscalculations.

Moreover, they do not hide the fact that it is aimed at them. “On the
one hand, the West has for the second time made sure that its programs
related to Armenia fail because of the unsettled Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. On the other hand, Armenia keeps on making statements on
Nagorno-Karabakh’s security. So they have laid more emphasis on the
fact that the unsettled Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an impediment
to Armenia’s integration into Europe.

According to Hovhannisyan, it was not a trilateral consensus –
between the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing nations, France, Russia and
the United States. Rather, it was a consensus between five nations,
including Turkey and Azerbaijan. Some Russian political scientists
pointed out that fact.

Nagorno-Karabakh officials warned against Nagorno-Karabakh’s
involvement

In this context, Hovhannisyan does not consider the statements
a coincidence.

“They said ‘do not write that Nursultan Nazarbayev stated
Nagorno-Karabakh was not to be admitted to the Customs Union’,”
he said. Those were the Armenian side’s ideological blunders.

US President Barack Obama is the “first swallow” of the failed
“realpolitik.”

Hovhannisyan does not regard as a coincidence the fact that it was
immediately after Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement on
Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union on September 3 that the US
president stated his readiness to spare no efforts for the stalemated
negotiation process to be resumed, speeded up and produce results.

It should be remembered that an Armenian-Azerbaijani presidential
meeting is to take place before the end of this year.

Manvel Sargsyan: What can be preserved without any solution?

Manvel Sargsyan, Director of Research Armenian Center for National
and International Studies, told Tert.am that he shares the opinion
on tendencies to more active negotiations. The first factor is the
agreement on an Armenian-Azerbaijani presidential meeting late this
year. Maintaining the status quo as an end in itself is to the benefit
of both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Why should we think of preserving what we have now if there are no
solutions? Do the people want to find solutions? The question arouses
serious doubts.”

The Armenian side is unwilling to deal with the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. “We can have more than a status quo. This problem must
be resolved. The people have been living in danger for 20 years,”
Manvel Sargsyan said.

PRESSE ARMENIENNE : REVUE DU 9 OCTOBRE 2013

Publie le : 10-10-2013

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
presente cette Revue de Presse parue sur le site de l’Ambassade de
France en Armenie le 9 octobre 2013.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

9 octobre 2013

Revue de la presse armenienne du 9 octobre 2013

I. Politique interieure

1. L’amnistie entre en vigueur/Au jour du 8 octobre, 278 detenus
ont ete remis en liberte. Environ 600 beneficieront de mesures
d’elargissement, tandis que les autres verront leur peine raccourcie.

La presse signale la liberation de Margar Ohanian, ancien chef de
la Police routière, condamne a six ans de prison pour detournement
a grande echelle. La presse d’opposition est dans l’attente de la
liberation de l’activiste du CNA, Tigran Arakelian, considere comme
” prisonnier politique “.

2. Les Ministres en uniforme militaire/L’ensemble de la presse rend
compte du Conseil des Ministres auquel tous les membres du Gouvernement
se sont presentes en tenue de camouflage a l’occasion des exercices
militaires ” Reaction – 2013 “, qui se tiennent actuellement en
Armenie. D’après un bref communique du Gouvernement, les Ministres
ont presente au PM les eventuelles menaces a la securite du pays et
les mesures en cours en vue de les eliminer. Suite au Conseil des
Ministres, les membres du Gouvernement se sont rendus a l’unite ”
Baghramian ” de la region d’Armavir pour suivre les man~uvres. Des
armements tels que des missiles SCUD, 8K14-1, C-300, des systèmes
OCA, des drones de production armenienne ont ete utilises lors de ces
an~uvres. Trois quotidiens, Jamanak, Joghovourd et Hraparak, tout
en qualifiant le Conseil des Ministres de ” show “, s’interrogent
sur ces preparatifs, ” assurance contre une nouvelle guerre ou au
contraire prelude a son declenchement ? “.

3. L’accès de la population armenienne a l’Internet atteint 56,9%/A
Erevan, l’accès a l’Internet s’elève a 60,5% de la population et a 48%
dans les regions./Arminfo

II. Relations exterieures

1. Rencontre Nalbandian-Ashton a Bruxelles/Recu par la Haute
representante pour les affaires etrangères et la politique de securite
de l’UE, le chef de la diplomatie armenienne a affirme que l’Armenie
souhaitait poursuivre la cooperation avec l’Union europeenne dans
toutes les directions possibles, en se basant sur les acquis et
progrès accomplis au cours des dernières annees. Un communique
du MAE souligne que l’Armenie cherche ” une cooperation etroite,
profonde et continue qui saura prendre en compte sa participation
dans d’autres processus d’integration dictes par ses interets “. ”
L’Armenie, soutenue par l’Union europeenne, a adopte un important
train des reformes. Nous sommes determines a poursuivre cette voie en
matière de democratisation, droits de l’Homme, renforcement de l’Etat
de droit, bonne gouvernance, amelioration du système judiciaire et
lutte contre la corruption “, a declare le Ministre armenien. Pour sa
part, Mme Ashton a indique que l’UE restait determinee a approfondir
les relations avec l’Armenie dans tous les domaines compatibles avec
son adhesion a l’Union douanière. Le commentateur d’Aravot en deduit
l’idee que Erevan, ayant detruit d’un revers de main ” une grande
villa “, essaie maintenant de fabriquer a la hâte ” un cabanon “. /
Hayots Achkhar, Haykakan Jamanak

III. Questions regionales

1. Après l’adhesion a l’Union douanière, l’Armenie recevra le gaz
russe au prix en cours sur le marche russe/C’est ce qu’a declare, lors
d’une conference de presse, le Ministre de l’Energie et des ressources
naturelles, Armen Movsissian, precisant qu’au prix en vigueur en
Russie s’ajoutera le coût de transport et que la facture pour le
consommateur armenien se maintiendra par consequent au niveau present.

Le Gouvernement armenien avait negocie de sorte que le prix du gaz
russe reste inchange sur une periode de cinq ans, mais l’adhesion de
l’Armenie a l’Union douanière annule cette disposition, en alignant le
prix du gaz fourni a l’Armenie sur celui du gaz domestique en Russie.

/Rapporte par l’ensemble de la presse

IV. France/Armenie/Ukraine

1. Le film ” Paradjanov ” du realisateur/acteur Francais d’origine
armenienne, Serge Avedikian, et du realisateur ukrainien, Olena
Fetissova, presente aux Oscars/ Le film est presente par l’Ukraine
dans la categorie ” Meilleur film etranger “. Serge Avedikian est
aussi le principal protagoniste du film, jouant le rôle de Paradjanov.

/Haykakan Jamanak

Redaction : Meri Hakobian

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Ambassade de France en Armenie

L’AMNISTIE DES PRISONNIERS DE L’ARMENIE A COMMENCE

ARMENIE

Mardi soir 600 detenus avaient quitte 12 penitenciers du pays en
vertu de l’amnistie declaree a l’occasion du 22ème anniversaire de
l’independance de l’Armenie. L’ancien chef de police de la route
Margar Ohanian, en prison depuis 2011 pour detournement d’essence
alloue a la police de la route, est parmi ces ” chanceux “.

L’amnistie s’applique egalement a Tigran Arakelyan membre du Congrès
National Armenien et vu par l’opposition comme un prisonnier politique,
condamne a six ans d’emprisonnement.

Nikolay Arustamyan du ministre de la Justice a declare a la presse,
qu’en plus des 600 detenus liberes l’amnistie s’applique a 1000 autres
detenus dont les peines restantes seront reduites.

L’amnistie s’appliquera egalement aux personnes condamnees a une peine
de substitution (amendes, le service communautaire / travail penal).

Dans l’histoire de l’Armenie independante c’est la 9ème amnistie, qui,
par rapport aux autres, couvre la plus grande portee des articles du
code penal, mais ne s’applique pas aux condamnations pour atteinte a
la vie, la trahison de l’Etat, usurpation du pouvoir, l’espionnage,
le sabotage, les crimes de caractère sexuel, le trafic de drogue.

L’amnistie devrait grandement soulager la surcharge dans les
penitenciers. Nikolay Arustamyan a dit que ces institutions sont
construites pour recevoir 4100 personnes, alors qu’il y a actuellement
4700 detenus. La question de la surpopulation a ete soulevee a
plusieurs reprises par des militants locaux des droits de l’homme et
le bureau de l’Ombudsman.

En reference aux revendications que l’amnistie a ete declaree pour
resoudre ce problème meme de la surpopulation des prisons, Nikolay
Arustamyan a dit : ” L’annee prochaine, nous aurons un nouveau Code de
procedure penale et les emprisonnements comme moyen punitif sera moins
pratique ce qui devrait faire baisser le nombre des condamnes et que
nos tribunaux vont commencer a pratiquer des peines de substitution.

Et puis le penitencier d’Armavir devrait commencer a fonctionner
en Janvier 2014 et la question de la surpopulation va se resoudre
independamment “.

Le nouveau penitencier est concu pour recevoir 1200 condamnes, mais
l’annee prochaine, il sera pret a recevoir seulement 400 personnes.

Outre la question de la surpopulation, Nikolay Arustamyan a dit que
l’amnistie est une aide economique pour le pays, car les depenses pour
garder les detenus seront reduites (l’Etat attribue 4395 drams (10,70
$) par detenu et par jour). Nikolay Arustamyan assure que le nombre
de crimes recurrents n’a pas augmente depuis la dernière amnistie.

Il a precise qu’après une amnistie similaire en 2011 il y a eu 5,8
pour cent de recidive ” cequi, par rapport a l’Europe, est un petit
chiffre “.

Par Siranuysh Gevorgyan

ArmeniaNow

jeudi 10 octobre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

L’EGLISE ARMENIENNE DE MRENI DANS LA REGION DE KARS, INSCRITE AU WORLD MONUMENTS FUND

PATRIMOINE ARCHITECTURAL ARMENIEN

A la frontière armeno-turque mais se trouvant aujourd’hui dans la
province de Kars en Turquie, l’eglise armenienne de Mreni, a ete admise
dans la liste des 67 monuments en peril presentes par 41 pays auprès
de la World Monuments Fund-WMF. L’eglise de Mreni qui est actuellement
en danger de disparition, fut construite en 638. Elle est consideree
comme l’un des joyaux du patrimoine mondial de l’art architectural
et un chef-d’~uvre de l’Age d’or de l’architecture armenienne.

Krikor Amirzayan

jeudi 10 octobre 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

TRAITER AVEC L’ARMENIE ” N’EST PAS A L’ORDRE DU JOUR DE L’AGENDA EUROPEEN ”

Europe

Selon des responsables du gouvernement lituanien, l’Union europeenne
n’est pas prete a conclure un accord d’association avec l’Armenie
lors du prochain sommet en Lituanie, malgre les espoirs mis en avant
par Serge Sarkissian la semaine dernière a Strasbourg.

Se faisant l’echo des declarations des dirigeants europeens a
Bruxelles, ils disent que les 28 nations n’ont ni le temps, ni
l’enthousiasme de renegocier l’accord avant le sommet de novembre.

De hauts responsables lituaniens, qui avaient participe aux efforts
de l’UE visant a approfondir les liens avec les ex-republiques
sovietiques dans le cadre du programme de Partenariat oriental,
ont clairement affirme que ni accord d’association, ni aucun
autre document juridiquement contraignant ne sera a l’etude lors
du sommet de Vilnius. S’adressant a des journalistes armeniens
sous anonymat, ils ont affirme que l’UE a trop peu de temps pour
changer radicalement l’accord elabore après plus de trois annees de
negociations intensives. Ils ont exprime un sentiment de frustration
et de deception par la decision de l’Armenie de rejoindre l’Union
douanière.

Ils ont de plus indique qu’il est peu probable que la presidence
lituanienne de l’UE suggère des modalites alternatives a l’Armenie. ”
Nous ne sommes pas venus avec de nouvelles propositions ou de solutions
“, a revele l’un d’eux.

Un autre fonctionnaire lituanien, le ministre adjoint des Affaires
etrangères Andrius Krivas, a declare : ” Nous sommes ouverts pour
rechercher de nouveaux moyens et formes pour continuer le très bon
rapport que nous avons eu avec l’Armenie jusqu’a present. Mais ce
sera une tâche pour la prochaine etape du partenariat oriental,
après le sommet de Vilnius. ”

Le gouvernement lituanien, ardent promoteur du Partenariat oriental,
favorise egalement l’engagement avec l’Armenie, notamment sur
l’obtention de visas pour les armeniens pour se rendre en Europe.

Certains responsables pensent qu’Erevan n’avait d’autre choix
que de s’incliner devant la pression russe en raison de sa forte
dependance militaire envers Moscou resultant du conflit non resolu
du Nagorno-Karabakh. Un fonctionnaire a suggere que l’Armenie a
ete ” trop naïf sur la Russie ” quand il a entame des pourparlers
d’association avec l’UE en 2010.

Mais Petras Austrevicius, un vice-president du parlement de la
Lituanie, a ete beaucoup plus critique, en disant qu’il allait a
l’encontre de ce qu’il a appele les deux principes cles de l’UE :
” la transparence et la previsibilite “. ” Je ne dirais pas que c’est
une facon très europeenne d’elaboration des politiques “, at-il declare
a Vilnius. ” C’est plus caracteristique de la facon dont les choses
sont faites a l’est de l’Europe. ”

” C’est certainement a l’Armenie de decider, mais je ne comprends pas
les raisons pour lesquelles Serge Sarkisan change de cap “, a ajoute
Austrevicius, membre du parti d’opposition, le Mouvement liberal.

Ancienne republique sovietique qui a rejoint l’UE et l’OTAN en 2004,
la Lituanie a elle-meme ete sous la pression russe au cours des
dernières semaines. Lundi, la Russie a interdit les importations de
produits laitiers de plusieurs millions de dollars de la Lituanie et
a annonce son intention d’imposer des contrôles plus stricts sur la
viande et le poisson importe de la Lituanie, apparemment en raison
de problèmes de securite. Les dirigeants lituaniens ont rejete les
allegations russes, affirmant que les restrictions commerciales
pourraient etre liees au sommet de Vilnius sur le partenariat oriental.

jeudi 10 octobre 2013, Claire ©armenews.com

TURBULENT TIMES FOR ARMENIA’S ANCIENT CHURCH

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #704
Oct 9 2013

Bishops gathered for rare assembly have some difficult issues to talk over.

By Armen Karapetyan – Caucasus

The Armenian Apostolic Church has held its first general synod for
almost six centuries, but the event has been rocked by scandal.

The council, held on September 24-27, was the first to take since
1441. It brought together senior clerics from the Mother See of
Etchmiadzin in Armenia, the see of Cilicia in Lebanon, and the
patriarchates of Jerusalem and Constantinople, which together have
ten million worshippers.

The synod adopted a measure paving the way for the collective
canonisation of all those killed in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 in what
is called the Armenian Genocide, and also discussed matters such as
liturgy, education and the church’s social mission.

Observers suspected that behind closed doors, the assembled bishops
and archbishops spent more of their time on the scandal and controversy
that have sown divisions in Armenia and in the diaspora.

The Armenian Apostolic Church is the oldest in the world, and
has survived persecution and massacres over its many centuries in
existence, remaining a core part of national identity. The current
upheavals, though, are seen as unprecedented.

At the end of May, the Yerevan newspaper Hetq published an article
accusing a senior cleric, Archbishop Navasard Kchoyan, of teaming up
with Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and businessman Ashot Sukiasyan
to create an offshore company that would receive several million US
dollars in allegedly embezzled funds.

After the article came out, Sukiasyan wrote to the newspaper claiming
sole responsibility for the scheme. Archbishop Kchoyan and Prime
Minister Sargsyan have both denied any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors have opened a criminal case, meaning that prosecution is
a possibility. Sukiasyan has left Armenia.

Archbishop Kchoyan is an eminent figure in the Armenian church, and
some have seen him as a possible successor to the Catholicos of All
Armenians, Garegin II

Armen Badalyan, an analyst at the Centre of Political Studies in
Yerevan, said the case showed how the church had become intertwined
with the political and business groupings that run Armenia.

“In its attempts to find a justification for its existence, this…

government has adopted the church as an ally. In return, high-ranking
clerics have been accorded privileges,” Badalyan told IWPR. “The
result is that instead of concentrating on society and assisting with
its problems, the church is focused on the government.”

Stepan Danielyan, head of the Cooperation for Democracy centre and
editor of the website, said the church establishment
was bogged down in controversy, with some clergymen engaging in
business and supporting the political authorities.

“The church is continuing to lose influence. When Armenia became
independent with the collapse of the Soviet Union, a great deal
was expected of the church, but those expectations have not been
fulfilled,” he told IWPR. “The church continues to ignore the things
most people are worried about – vitally important social, economic
and political problems and endless corruption scandals.

Another divisive matter likely to have come up at the September synod
is the resignation of Archbishop Norvan Zakaryan, the church leader
for the large Armenian community in France.

In July, Archbishop Zakaryan wrote to Catholicos Garegin to accuse
him of mistreating him.

“You gain pleasure from humiliating me and blackening my name. You
are probably not even aware that you are hurting people’s feelings,”
he wrote.

The archbishop went on to offer his resignation, which the Catholicos
duly accepted.

At the beginning of August, Nurhan Manukyan, Patriarch of Jerusalem,
entered the fray, criticising Catholicos Garegin for allowing
Archbishop Zakaryan to resign.

“A healthy generation cannot grow up in an atmosphere of fear and
threats. This will harm our people and our church, which is – more
than ever before – in need of educated, honest and pure priests,
not boot-lickers,” the patriarch wrote.

The Catholicos has yet to respond publicly to the letter, but his
spokesman Vahram Melikyan denied that he was authoritarian in style.

“The gathering of bishops at the end of September is solid evidence of
how the church tries to resolve its problems by taking all opinions
into account,” Melikyan said at a news conference. “It’s inevitable
that there should be differences of opinion within the church,
but that does not mean there are separate factions in the church or
anything like that, or that there’s some battle between them.”

Armen Karapetyan is a freelance journalist in Armenia.