Author: Tavakalian Edgar

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Karine Abalyan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

October 16, 2009

____________________________________________ ___

ARMENIAN CHURCH AT HYE POINTE MOVES FORWARD WITH CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), visited the Armenian Church at "Hye Pointe" in
Bradford, Mass., last weekend, where the community is moving forward with
the building of a new church.

The Rev. Fr. Dajad Davidian celebrated the Divine Liturgy, with Archbishop
Barsamian presiding.

In his sermon, the Primate spoke about the Feast of the Holy Translators and
the contributions of St. Mesrob Mashdots and his students to the
preservation of the Armenian Christian faith. "The marriage between our
nation and the Christian religion was the first such union in history,"
Archbishop Barsamian said. "And its offspring is the Christian culture we
honor this month."

The message was particularly significant at Hye Pointe, where parishioners
are working to strengthen their community by merging the parishes of Holy
Cross Armenian Church in Lawrence, Mass., and St. Gregory the Illuminator
Armenian Church in Haverhill, Mass.

Following services – which are currently held at the St. Gregory Church –
the Primate joined parishioners for a reception and an open forum to discuss
the project’s progress. Later, Archbishop Barsamian visited the construction
site of the new church in Bradford, Mass.

After establishing a joint parish, called the Armenian Church at Hye Pointe,
in 2002, the community sold Holy Cross Church and last year began
construction of the new house of worship. Organizers are now preparing to
sell the St. Gregory Church building and are working to strengthen the
fundraising effort.

On October 8, 2007, His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, blessed the cornerstones of the new church.
Building plans also include the erection of an adjoining cultural hall and
Sunday School facility.

Items from each of the older churches – including pews, paintings, stained
glass windows, and chandeliers – will be incorporated into the design of the
new church. By the spring of 2010, the community hopes to begin construction
of the cultural hall and Sunday School classrooms.

"We still have a lot of work ahead of us," said parish council chair Scott
Sahagian. He added that "things are looking very promising. People’s spirits
are uplifted."

Also at Hye Pointe last weekend, Archbishop Barsamian and James Kalustian,
treasurer of the Diocesan Council and the council’s liaison to the parish,
met with members of the parish council and parish delegates to discuss
fundraising strategies, options for pastoral support, and the prospective
sale of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church.

"It was a very engaging visit," Mr. Sahagian said.

###

Photos attached.

Photo 1: The Blessing of Grapes ceremony was held last August at the
construction site of the Armenian Church at Hye Point in Bradford, Mass.

GDF SUEZ PLANS TO JOIN NABUCCO PROJECT

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.10.2009 12:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ GdF Suez French energy company is ready to consider
the possibility of making long-term investments in Nabucco project,
stopping discussions over participation in South Stream, BFM.ru quotes
GdF Suez President Gérard Mestrallet as saying.

"Political difficulties are overcome, and that enables us to revise our
approach to making long-term investments in the project." Mestrallet
said, commenting on country’s readiness to join Nabucco.

"As far as South Stream is concerned, there no need to make investments
there. We can’t be present everywhere," Mestrallet stated firmly.

Thus, GdF Suez declares of its intention to join Nabucco, a 3.3
km. gas main connecting Central Asia with EU countries via Azerbaijan
and Turkey (passing round Russia).

French company considered such possibility two years ago, however
political circumstances prevented realization of its plans. After
French Parliament’s recognition of Armenia Genocide in 2008,
Turkey imposed a secret veto on French company’s participation
in Nabucco. Thereafter, GdF Suez was interested in South Stream,
a project realized by Gazprom and Italian Eni.

Komersant refers to the recently signed memorandum between Armenia
and Turkey. Besides, French President Nicola Sarcozi last week met
with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul and expressed hope that
his country would soon be able to join the project.

International GmbH, operator Nabucco Gas Pipeline, also expressed
support to French company’s initiative. "We welcome French people’s
interest in our project. Nabucco will be open for a seventh partner,
and that may also receive shareholders’ support in case of having
significant benefits." However, GdF Suez representative said that
company is not conducting negotiations for now.

NAREGATSI ART INSTITUTE TO HOST A MEETING WITH SCULPTOR ARTO TCHAKMAKTCHIAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.10.2009 19:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 16, Naregatsi Art Institute will host
a meeting with a sculptor, painter and member of the Royal Canadian
Academy Arto Tchakmaktchian.

"A work of art constitutes a constant effort to project beyond
time: to rejoin the infinite with the help of finite means. The
real value of a work of art is in its internal intelligibility that
does not necessarily need to be explicit in its affirmations. Man’s
condemnation to temporality makes him strive to transcend it by virtue
of his creative impulses," the artist explains.

Arto Tchakmaktchian was born in 1933 in Egypt. He started clay
modeling at 12. In 1948, he entered Panos Terlemezian Art School to
study sculpture and paintings.

In 1969, he was awarded with Armenian Youth Union golden medal for his
"Mother" and "Arno Babajanyan" sculptures.

The artist’s works were exhibited in Sofia, Moscow, St. Petersburg,
Oxford, Montreal, Paris and Bochum.

BORDER OPENING IN TURKEY’S INTERESTS: RUSSIAN EXPERT

News.am
14:10 / 10/15/2009

"Azerbaijani position in Turkey is extremely strong and both nations
are very close, thus, I do not think that Erdogan administration
will take a risk of the Protocols’ ratification," said Alexander
Sotnichenko, the expert of St. Petersburg Modern Middle East Research
Center. "On the other hand, Turkey is pressurized by the West and
again all leads to Karabakh issue," the expert stated.

According to him, Ankara will try to hold consultations with Azerbaijan
and the border opening is just a matter of time. "If it proceeds from
Turkey’s interests, and apparently it so, the border opening is a
matter of time. In principle, powerful Turkish economy will take over
the Armenian weak one and possibly this will assist the solution to
the Karabakh problem. But Armenia is likely to toughen its stand,"
Sotnichenko concluded.

ARF: VISIT OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO TURKEY NOT JUSTIFIED

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.10.2009 18:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "There are no enough prerequisites for RA President
Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to Turkey, since after signing the protocols
in Zurich, the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that the
Turkish side will not open the border until the Nagorno-Karabakh issue
is not solved, " Vahan Hovhannisyan , head of the ARF parliamentary
faction said.

According to Vahan Hovhannisyan, Armenian President had to declare
that he would not go to Turkey, since the border is not open and the
sides are not even close to the opening of the border.

Speaking about the signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols in Zurich,
Vahan Hovhannisyan stressed that the process of normalization of
relations between Armenia and Turkey has been artificially accelerated,
preventing the Armenian side from maneuvering.

When asked by reporters what steps should take the Armenian side, if
borders open or normalization process suspends, Vahan Hovhannisyan
answered that in the first case, the Armenian leadership should
immediately implement the personnel changes in the management systems
and undertake legislative reforms to make Armenia’s economy more
competitive. In the case of suspension of the normalization process
of relations with Turkey, these reforms should be implemented, as
well as measures to implement in the shortest terms programs of the
Iran-Armenia railway construction.

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE REMAINS UNCHANGED

/nikol-pashinyan
07:10 pm | October 13, 2009

Politics

The first instance court of Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash districts
took the decision yesterday to appoint the date for Nikol Pashinyan’s
trial. Pashinyan is charged with part 1 of Article 316 and Part 1 of
Article 225 of the RA Criminal Code.

According to the decision, the open-door trial has been scheduled for
October 20 at 12 p.m. at the #1 hall of court sessions in the 24/1
building located on Arshakunyats Avenue in Yerevan (first instance
court of the Shengavit district).

By the above mentioned decision, imprisonment was the precautionary
measure chosen for Nikol Pashinyan and that measure remains unchanged.

ROA FORMER DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER OPPOSES PROTOCOLS
Inga Martinyan

20 09/10/14 | 14:44

Politics

Vahan Shirkhanyan, a member of the Social-Democrat Hnchak Party’s
Central Board and former RoA Deputy Defense Minister, stated at a press
conference today that the party had always been opposed to signing
any protocols with Turkey since it saw dangers looming on the horizon.

"Armenia has had 4 playing cards since independence – the diaspora,
the Genocide, Russian bases and Artsakh. We lose the first three by
these protocols and if they are ratified we will lose Artsakh as well,"
noted Mr. Shirkhanyan.

The historian also argued that the protocols also threatened
Armenian-Iranian relations.

Republican Party MP Hamlet Haroutyunyan didn’t share the views of the
former Armenian deputy defense minister. "Armenia has already solved
its internal problems and must now break-out of the diplomatic blockade
it finds itself in. Establishing relations with Turkey is expressly
directed at this issue. These protocols are in our favour and include
no causes for concern regarding the Genocide or Karabakh. We must be
realistic and accept the fact that if we were to demand that Turkey
recognize the Genocide and Artskah before we establish relations,
Ankara wouldn’t do it in the next 100 years," he argued.

Vahan Shirkhanyan countered by saying that had Armenia not changed its
plicy towards Armenia, Turkey would have taken those steps because
that what was being demanded of it by many nations, the European
Union and President Obama.

Mr. Shirkhanyan asked his Republican Party counterpart what would
Armenia derive from the opening of the border and stated that he
had his suspicions about the protocols since we haven’t seen the
signed copies.

Hamlet Haroutyunyan answered by saying that when two nations establish
diplomatic relations there are mutual benefits involved.

He added that during the term of the first president of the RoA
we scored a victory in Karabakh and that during the presidency of
Kocharyan we saw the internationalization of the Genocide issue. During
the term of the current president we will break free of the diplomatic
blockade we find ourselves in, concluded MP Haroutyunyan.

TURKMENISTAN: MORE EMPTY TALK ABOUT THE RESUMPTION OF GAS EXPORTS TO RUSSIA?
Regis Gente

Eurasia Insight
ticles/eav100909d.shtml
10/09/09

Turkmenistan has proven a fickle energy-export partner for all foreign
companies trying to do business there. Yet, a Kremlin spokesperson’s
recent statement that Russia would resume natural gas imports as
soon as the end of October, confirms that hope springs eternal when
it comes to the question of Ashgabat and energy.

Turkmen gas exports to Russia stopped in April following a pipeline
explosion. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Since
then, the two sides have haggled about the export price. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

On October 7, Natalia Timakova, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s
press secretary, announced a political agreement had been reached
on the resumption of gas supplies. A Turkmen gas expert subsequently
confirmed Ashgabat’s desire to resume exports by the end of October.

There was only one thing missing from these expressions of optimism:
the Kremlin-controlled conglomerate Gazprom and the Turkmen government
still haven’t agreed on a price. As Timakova admitted, Gazprom is
still working to hammer out the "technical details."

The absence of a pricing agreement is causing many regional observers
to adopt a ‘we’ll-believe-it-when-we-see-it" attitude.

"I think that Natalia Timakova is too optimistic. Her statement
came because she wants to present her boss as an effective
politician. Problems between Gazprom and Turkmenistan have not yet
been resolved, and they will still be much to argue about the price
of Turkmen gas," said Igor Ivakhnenko, Caspian Editor of the RusEnergy
newsletter.

Although it would seem much work remains to be done to bridge
the pricing gap, both sides need the exports to resume, experts
believe. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to a pricing agreement remains
the mindset of Turkmen leaders. With energy exports playing such
a central role for government revenue, Ashgabat seems reluctant
to adapt its earnings expectations to the post-global financial
crisis environment. Gas prices on world markets have plummeted over
the past year. Turkmen officials, however, continue to hold out for
top-dollar. Meanwhile, Gazprom had been taking a financial beating on
a fixed-price agreement with Ashgabat, which obligated the Russian
firm to pay "European" prices for Turkmen energy. These days, the
Russian firm is in no mood to keep paying a premium price.

Gazprom’s preference now appears to be basing the purchase price on
a floating rate as determined by a fixed pricing formula. Ashgabat
appears to be holding out for a fixed price, however.

"For the Turkmen, it is not an easy task to base their income on a
formula for calculating the price. It requires specialists, highly
qualified, who follow every day very carefully the up and down of
the market. It’s very precise work, and I’m not sure that my country
has people with the skills," explained Annadurdy Khajiyev, a Turkmen
economist living in exile in Bulgaria.

In addition to the purchase price, recent statements made no
mention of export volume. Some experts believe that Russia is now
willing to import only up to 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas
per year, whereas under the old agreement Gazprom was purchasing 90
bcm annually. If the two sides agree to search for a fixed purchase
price, Ivakhnenko believes Russia would want to pay between $180-$200
per thousand cubic meters (tcm), while Turkmenistan would seek
$250-$270/tcm. That’s a big difference to reconcile.

For now, officials in Moscow appear content to wait, if
necessary. Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has hinted
that he is willing to export substantial amounts of gas via US-
and EU-controlled export routes. But some experts believe that
Berdymukhamedov is bluffing. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive].

"Moscow knows that in absence of any status for the Caspian Sea,
the Turkmen will not be able to sell their gas to the West via the
Caucasus [i.e. via the planned Nabucco pipeline network]," Khajiyev
said. "This question of the Caspian status is far from being solved."

Editor’s Note: Regis Gente is a freelance journalist, covering Caucasus
and Central Asia.

ARMENIANS OF GEORGIA: NEW FLASHPOINT LOOMING IN THE CAUCASUS?
By Alexander Jackson,

APA
12 Oct 2009 14:50

Published in the framework of cooperation between APA and Caucasian
Review of International Affairs

Caucasian Review of International Affairs

As Turkey and Armenia prepare to open their mutual border and begin a
thaw in their relationship, there are fears that a recent spat between
Tbilisi and Yerevan could heighten regional tensions once again.

In early September, Armenia’s President Serzh Sarkisian set out plans
to improve the situation of Georgia’s ethnic Armenians. He called
for the preservation of Armenian national monuments in Georgia,
registering the Armenian Apostolic Church and – most importantly –
recognising Armenian as an official language in Georgia.

The series of measures followed a visit by Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili to Yerevan in June, when Georgia’s Armenians formally
called on President Sarkisian to raise their demands – for greater
cultural and political rights – with President Saakashvili (RFE/RL,
June 18). Not wishing to antagonise a vital ally when the ‘Turkish
thaw’ still seemed distant, President Sarkisian quietly ignored the
demands. Indeed, he actually praised the Georgian leader for his
efforts at improving the social and economic welfare of Javakheti,
a region mostly populated by ethnic Armenians in southern Georgia
(RFE/RL, June 25).

The package of measures which President Sarkisian proposed in September
therefore came as something of a surprise to Tbilisi. Georgian
officials reacted with scorn – State Minister for Reintegration Temur
Iakobashvili remarked that he was "very glad that Armenian language
is the only state language in Armenia", but that it would not be
adopted in Georgia (Georgia Times, September 3).

Analysts have linked the timing of the move to the Turkish thaw. The
imminent opening of the Turkish-Armenian border (if both parliaments
ratify the move, which is still not certain) mea s position as
Armenia’s only easy transport corridor to the West is at risk. With
the option of moving goods west through Turkey, rather than north-west
to Georgia’s coast and then across the Black Sea, Tbilisi’s vital
role as an economic lifeline for Yerevan will be lost.

This increases Armenia’s bargaining position regarding Georgia,
and particularly the Armenians of Javakheti. The issue has been a
matter of contention for years between the two sides. The Javakheti
Armenians complain that their cultural and political rights are
being ignored by Tbilisi, and frequently appeal to Yerevan for
aid. Unwilling to irritate Georgia, Armenia has so far been muted in
its response. Tbilisi, for its part, fears that any movements towards
‘autonomy’ could turn Javakheti into another Abkhazia or South Ossetia
– a rebel region outside the control of the central government. The
Georgian government is fully aware that it rules over a fractured
patchwork of different ethnic groups, all of which could – in theory –
revolt against Tbilisi’s control.

The Abkhazia/South Ossetia parallel is instructive for another
reason. Georgia, perhaps understandably, sees the hand of Russia
behind every call for autonomy in Javakheti. A large Russian military
base was located in the region until 2007, and Armenia is Russia’s
strongest ally in the South Caucasus. Both factors created suspicion
that Russia is using its regional influence to stir up opposition to
Georgian rule in Javakheti.

There have been numerous protests against Georgia’s rule in
Javakheti. In April 2005, several thousand Armenians protested
against the planned closure of the Russian military base (Central
Asia-Caucasus Analyst, April 6 2005). The base, a Soviet legacy,
brought much-needed employment and economic assistance to the region.

Is Moscow behind protests against Georgian rule? It should not be
ruled out. Georgia has sometimes arrested local Armenian activists,
accusing them of stirring up separatism on behalf of foreign powers,
presumably Rus ed-up charges. Georgia can also dismiss demands to
improve the social and economic conditions in the region, by claiming
that every complaint and call for autonomy is a ‘Russian plot’.

It is unclear whether the government in Yerevan would attempt to
provoke Georgia on Russia’s behalf. Armenia now needs as many friends
as possible, especially whilst its cold war with Azerbaijan continues,
and will not actively provoke Georgia. Georgian territory remains
the shortest route to Russia, particularly for vital gas pipelines,
which will still be needed for years, until Armenia’s energy needs
can be met by Turkey and Iran.

The real explanation behind Armenia’s criticisms of Georgia is
domestic. With the Armenian diaspora increasingly coming to view
President Sarkisian as a ‘traitor’ for his rapprochement with Turkey,
he urgently needs to shore up his credentials as an Armenian patriot.

What better way to do so than to issue a low-risk criticism of
Georgia? The package of measures he proposed does not contain
recommendations for improving the region’s economic situation, its
most urgent priority. The measures are cultural – church, history,
and language, all important signifiers of Armenian identity. Javakheti
is viewed by Armenian nationalists as part of ‘Greater Armenia’,
which they believe should be united in a single state, so being seen
to support Armenian identity there acts as ‘compensation’ for peace
with Turkey.

Nonetheless, the issue of Javakheti remains tense. It will only become
more important for Armenian identity as the historical animosity
towards Turkey begins to fade. It could become a lightning rod for
Armenian nationalists, provoking a counter-reaction from Georgia,
and creating a new flashpoint in the Caucasus.

CRITICS SAY SWISS COMPROMISED NEUTRALITY FOR U.S.
By Deborah Ball

Wall Street Journal
October 13, 2009

BERN — Switzerland’s vaunted ability to stand above the fray of
global politics is under pressure on the heels of several international
dustups in which critics say the famously neutral country has conceded
too much to others, especially the U.S.

Neutrality has been the central ideal of Swiss foreign policy since the
16th century, guaranteeing the safety of a small country surrounded
by larger powers often at war. The country’s ability to parlay that
notion into a key role on the world stage was on display again over
the weekend, when Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey met
with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Zurich to sign a
historic pact reopening diplomatic ties between Turkey and Armenia,
a deal the Swiss helped to broker.

But in recent months, that diplomatic role has taken a back seat to
a spate of incidents in which Switzerland was perceived to be on the
losing end of confrontations with the U.S.

[swiss neutrality and hillary clinton] Agence France Presse/Getty
Images

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, left, with Swiss Foreign Minister
Micheline Calmy-Rey in Zurich this month.

In August, under pressure from the Obama administration, it agreed to
hand over details of thousands of bank accounts at Swiss banking giant
UBS AG held by Americans suspected of dodging taxes. The concession
marked a major breach in Switzerland’s much-cherished bank secrecy.

Last year, the Swiss government destroyed documents involved in a
case of two Swiss engineers suspected of having helped the Central
Intelligence Agency thwart attempts by Libya and Iran to develop
nuclear weapons. A Swiss parliamentary commission later said the
Swiss government acted under pressure from Washington.

Then, the Sept. 26 arrest of director Roman Polanski in Zurich led some
to accuse the Swiss of jumping to arrest the Oscar-winning director
in order to win points with the U.S. Mr. Polanski has been wanted
in Californ 1978 for raping a 13-year-old girl and then fleeing the
country before he was sentenced.

"I have the impression that Switzerland acted as the right-hand
man for American justice," said Toni Brunner, the head of the
conservative Swiss People’s Party. "Taking orders from foreign bosses
is dangerous." The Swiss government has denied any connection, saying
it simply respected an extradition treaty with the U.S.

Meanwhile, Switzerland is locked in a yearlong standoff with Libya
over the fate of two Swiss businessmen held hostage in the North
African country after Geneva police arrested Moammar Gadhafi’s son
Hannibal for allegedly beating two servants.

Switzerland’s allies have been conspicuously silent about the
incident. In August, Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz traveled to
Tripoli to apologize personally for the arrest, but failed to secure
the release of the two men.

It is a tough turn of events for a country that, during the Cold War,
carved out a special status far exceeding its size by serving as a
frequent host for talks between the East and West. With the end of
the Cold War, however, Switzerland, with a population of less than
eight million, risked seeing its influence wane.

In response, since 2003, Ms. Calmy-Rey, the foreign minister, has
pursued a policy dubbed "active neutrality," under which Switzerland
acts not only as a host for talks, but also offers to mediate in
intractable international conflicts. In return, Switzerland hopes
that such efforts let it punch above its weight in relations with
big powers such as Russia and the U.S.

"We are too small to harm other countries, and so we can transform this
into an advantage," said Michael Ambuhl, Switzerland’s top diplomat.

The Swiss say that mediation activities have given it high-level
access that has helped to quickly defuse other problems. The fact
that Ms. Calmy-Rey and Mrs. Clinton have already met three times this
year "is remarkable relative to other countries of similar size,"
said Mr. Ambuhl. Ms. Calmy-Rey has said that such contacts hel olve
the UBS case relatively quickly.

Recently, the Swiss also lobbied successfully to hold the high-profile
talks on curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions in Geneva, rather than
Istanbul, as originally proposed. It beat out Sweden to mediate
the conflict between Georgia and Russia, and Switzerland represents
Georgia’s and Russia’s interest in the other’s capital. For decades,
Swiss embassies have represented U.S. interests in Cuba and Iran, most
recently working to try to free three American hikers detained in Iran.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Bern had no comment on the
state of U.S.-Swiss relations.

Some say active neutrality has its limits. "The problem is that
Switzerland is such as small country," says Andreas Ladner, a
political-science professor at the University of Lausanne. "If the
U.S. decides to increase the pressure, the situation for the Swiss
is difficult."

Write to Deborah Ball at deborah.ball@w