Author: Chatinian Lara

AZERBAIJANIS IN GEORGIA SAY ARMENIANS RESORT TO PROVOCATION

Today.Az
itics/54469.html
Aug 7 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijanis living in Georgia says that Armenians began provocation
on anniversary of August events.

"Armenians living in Kvemo Kartli state that water line of the village
Damia is blocked. Despite the Armenian village of Damia is meant
for 170 families, roughly 70 families live there. Authorities of the
region got familiar with water reserves in the village and found out
that there in a storage of 200 tons now. Nobody blocked water. It is
Armenians’ another provocation," Chairman of Geyret People’s Movement
of Georgian Azerbaijanis Alibala Asgarov said.

Recently Armenian villages of Kvemo-Kartli region of Georgia sent an
appeal to political and social elite of Armenia. They complained
of anti-Armenian policy in Georgia and aggressive attitude of
Azerbaijanis.

Complaints said the water line in the village Damia is blocked. They
charged Georgian and Azerbaijani officials with this problem. Armenians
living in Georgia, asked the Armenian authorities to keep a close
eye on the current situation in Kvemo Kartli where Armenians live.

Hostilities were launched in the territory of unrecognized republic of
South Ossetia on August 8, 2008. Georgian troops entered the capital
of South Ossetia – Tskhinvali. Afterwards, Russian troops occupied
the city and drove Georgian military men back to Georgia. Russia
recognized independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, official parts
of Georgia on August 26 and established diplomatic relations with
them on September 9.

Asgarov said Armenian villages in Kvemo Kartli are situated in isolated
mountaineous territory. There are no Azerbaijani settlements near them.

"Large water storage has been built in every Armenian village with
the help of international donor organizations. Moreover, irrigation
system of Azerbaijani villages stretches through the Armenian villages
which creates a problem in irrigation," chairman of the movement said.

He explained activity of Armenians with upcoming anniversary of August
events. "Armenians want to be at the center of the anniversary of
the August events. They think that the Azerbaijan-Georgia unity is
strengthened and force Armenians out the territory. It is a lie. It is
typical Armenian illness. Provocation runs in their blood. Armenian
provocation is a protest against the Georgia-Azerbaijan solidarity
", he said.

Asgarov said that despite Georgian Azerbaijanis have serious problems
with drinking water, they did not apply to state agencies. "Roughly 55
of 60 villages of Marneuli region where Azerbaijanis live are short of
drinking water. We do not apply to official agencies, because global
warming is the cause. We do not politicize this problem", Asgarov said.

According to unofficial reports, roughly 500,000 Azerbaijanis live
in Georgia mainly in Kvemo Kartli (Borchali). Georgians make up 70
percent of population. Roughly 380,000 Armenians, 350,000 Azerbaijanis,
207,000 Russian, 150,000 Ossetians, 100,000 Abkhazians, 80,000 Greeks
(80 thousand), as well as Kurds, Assyrians, Udine, Avars and Kistins
live in Georgia.

Volkswalk scheduled for Ada village this weekend

MLive.com (Michigan Live)
August 05, 2009

By Jan Holst

Volkswagen, if translated literally, is "the people’s car." So says
Don Vartanian, who is bringing Volkssport, or the people’s sport, and
a Volkswalk to Ada.

The sport, which is traditional in Europe, is coming to Ada Township
this weekend. The people’s walk is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
Sunday, Aug. 9, and is free and open to the public. The starting point
for the walk is the shelter across from the Township Park offices at
Ada Park.

Stopping or checkpoints include the Covered Bridge, Red Barn at
Averill Museum and O’Brien’s Market and Deli, on Fulton Street. All
ages are welcome, but organizers request that children under 12 be
accompanied by an adult. "Walkers will need to cross some streets and
we need to make sure everyone is safe," said Vartanian, who operates
Volksmarches from offices in Dearborn Heights and Indiana.

Event volunteers will be at checkpoints and free refreshments and
water will be given to participants. Walkers are welcome to complete
the 5K or 10 K walk at their leisure and may build in a lunch or ice
cream stop at O’Brien’s or one of the many village eateries, said
Vartanian.

"The idea is to have a fun, physical, and educational experience," he
said. "Most people need a reason to get out and walk every so
often. These events are basically low cost entertainment."

The sport of walking through communities can catch on and Vartanian
expects some club walkers to drive from out-of-town or state to attend
the Ada event. "We have one group that is trying to walk 12 trails
that have covered bridges, and if they complete this one, they will
get credit for a covered bridge walk," he said.

The local landmark is one reason the group chose Ada for a people’s
walk. But getting veteran walkers to come to town is not the goal, he
said. "The real purpose is to introduce our sport to area residents."

New community walks generally draw from 30 to 50 people, but "there
really is no telling how many will come out," he said.

Those wishing to participate may start at anytime after 11 a.m. and
choose from the two trail options. The local museum will be open and
free to walkers. Contact Ada Park offices, 676-0520 or the American
Volkssport Association at for more information.

/index.ssf/2009/08/volkswalk_scheduled_for_ada_vi. html

AFTERMATH OF WAR

The Times
August 7, 2009
UK

Neither Russia nor Georgia won last year’s conflict, which has
paralysed the region

Recommend?

A year after the summer war that erupted in the Caucasus while the rest
of the world was watching the Beijing Olympics, Russia and Georgia are
on high alert. Each side accuses the other of stoking the tensions,
deliberate provocations and seeking to relaunch hostilities. Each
seeks to blame the other for starting the fighting and to justify
its own actions as self-defence. And each is now seeking, by vigorous
propaganda, to overcome the lasting damage that the war has left on
its image and on the trust in its leadership.

In the uneven contest, Russia initially won a swift victory. Moscow,
increasingly angered by Georgia’s overt hostility to its larger
neighbour, its pro-American stance, attempts to join Nato and series
of diplomatic snubs, set an ambush into which Georgia blundered. Daily
incidents provoked by separatists in South Ossetia goaded President
Saakashvili into a rash attempt to seize back control of this region
as well as Abkhazia, which had also thrown off rule by Tbilisi. The
Russians, however, were waiting. Their troops poured across into South
Ossetia, pushed back the Georgians and then occupied swaths of Georgian
territory. The fighting ended with a tense stand-off, mediation by
France and a subsequent Russian withdrawal to the two enclave s.

The aftermath was bitter. Nato froze relations with Moscow. The US
returned to the language and postures of the Cold War. President
Medvedev’s attempt to distance himself from his predecessor and
warm up relations with the West were stillborn. But Moscow gained
its aims. Other former Soviet republics chafing at Moscow’s attempt
to circumscribe them were intimidated. South Ossetia and Abkhazia
were effectively detached from Georgia. All talk of a swift Nato
entry for Ukraine and Georgia was quietly dropped. Confidence in Mr
Saakashvili’s political judgment was shaken, in Georgia and abroad.

Georgia also believes that it won a political victory. It forced
Washington to send warships to its coast in symbolic solidarity. It
rallied Western opinion against Russian bullying and won the sympathy
of others in the region. It united a fractious country behind President
Saakashvili. And it won assurances that the West would respond swiftly
to any fresh attack from Russia.

In truth, however, the war has been a disaster for both
countries. Russia has found it hard to shake off the image of a
bully and an aggressor. A solution to other "frozen conflicts" —
disputes such as Nagorno-Karabakh and Transdniestria left over from
the break-up of the Soviet Union — now looks farther away than
ever, bedevilled by mistrust of Moscow. And the vaunted attempt by
the new US Administration to press=2 0the reset button in relations
with Russia seems to have done little to warm up the poor relations
between Russia and its Western neighbours.

For Georgia, the cost of Mr Saakashvili’s hotheaded naivety has been
high. Political opposition has challenged his leadership and led to
accusations of human rights violations and electoral fraud. The country
faces a bill of at least $1 billion in reconstruction. Regaining South
Ossetia now looks a lost cause, as does Nato membership. The wounds
are raw, and the region remains volatile. United Nations monitors have
been forced to withdraw, but peace is nowhere in sight. The world was
caught unprepared by the conflict. But it was one that both sides lost.

"APARTMENT PURCHASING CERTIFICATE" PROGRAM IN PROCESS IN SHIRAK

ARMENPRESS
Aug 5, 2009

GYUMRI, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS: "Apartment Purchasing Certificate"
program for the homeless families in the rural settlements of the
Armenian province of Shirak is in process. The program is being
implemented in those communities of the province which have less
than 10 homeless families. In such like 30 communities 110 homeless
families have been registered of which 100 presented applications
for being involved in the program.

Head of the Shirak governor’s urban department Albert Margaryan told
Armenpress that a month ago 19 beneficiary families of the program
received certificates and other 14 will receive them in the coming
days.

"Works having disputable issues are being discussed at a session
of a special commission. Mainly works of families having partially
constructed buildings and those who have lost their apartments
in different settlements are being postponed. By the way with the
July 23 decision of the government it is allowed to get apartment
compensation in the last place of settlement. There are such nine
families in Shirak the issues of which will be discussed in the coming
session of the commission," A. Margaryan said.

ANAND JOINT THIRD; ARONIAN WINS

Hindu
Aug 4 2009
India

NEW DELHI: Dethroned champion Viswanathan Anand and Germany’s Arkadij
Naiditsch drew all four games and shared the third spot in the 14th
Grenkeleasing rapid World championship played as part of the Chess
Classic of Mainz in Germany on Sunday.

While the third place playoff proved a tame affair, Armenia’s Levon
Aronian easily stopped debutant, Russian youngster Ian Nepomniachtchi
3-1 after winning the first two games of their four-game final.

Anand, a 11-time winner who failed to reach the final for the first
time in a decade after finishing third in the four-player preliminary
league, did not press too hard in any of the four games on Sunday.

In the first game, Anand played white and settled for a draw in just
26 moves of Two Knights Defence. The remaining three games were fought
on three different variations of Ruy Lopez, with the games ending in
draws in 34, 23 and 27 moves, in that order.

"Well, as there is not that much at stake in the match for third place,
it is very difficult to motivate oneself," said Anand.

Meanwhile, in the Ordix Open rapid tournament played alongside,
K. Sasikiran finished 51st with 7.5 points from 11 rounds. The world’s
biggest rapid contest attracted 694 players. Azerbaijan’s Shakhriyar
Mamedyarov won with a record score of 10 points.

BAKU-KARS RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION TO END IN 2012

Asbarez
ay-construction-to-end-in-2012/
Aug 3, 2009

BAKU (Combined Sources)-Georgian and Azeri officials Monday said that
despite some delays, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which was slated
to be operational by 2010, will be completed by 2012.

The railway, a joint project between Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan,
envisions linking the three countries and provide a transport route to
Turkey from Central Asia and Asia. The proposed project was initiated
when US and European countries refused to finance similar projects,
citing the exclusion of Armenia from the route.

Construction of the railway began in November 2007, with Turkey and
Azerbaijan both funding the route in their respective countries
and Azerbaijan providing a $200 million loan to Georgia for the
construction of the 29-kilometer that will stretch through Georgia.

Bidzina Bregadze, Director of Georgia’s Marabda-Kartsahi Railway
Company said that recent events in Georgia, including last year’s
war with Russia had impeded the transfer of funds and slowed down
the process.

There also appeared to be technical problems forcing the rail link
to be rerouted since an original tunnel site was identified as an
avalanche route and deemed dangerous.

The 76-kilometer railway is estimated to cost $600 million.

The Georgian stretch of the railroad will go through the
predominantly-Armenian region of Akhalkalak in Samtskhe Javakheti.

AHMADINEJAD TAKING OATH OF OFFICE TODAY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
03.08.2009 15:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will
take the oath of office before parliament in today, following his
hotly-disputed re-election The hardline Ahmadinejad will be sworn in
as the 10th president of the Islamic republic after being confirmed by
supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and will unveil his new cabinet
within two weeks. Ahmadinejad’s victory in the June 12 presidential
election unleashed a wave of protests unprecedented since the 1979
Islamic revolution, with his defeated rivals complaining that the
vote was rigged.

ReArmenia International Animation Film Festival to be held in October

armradio.am
01.08.2009 16:22

ReArmenia International Animation Film Festival will take place in
Armenia from October 3 to 6, following which it will move to Shushi
(Artsakh) to present the best films.

ReARmenia has received applications for participation from a number of
countries, including France, Russia, the United States, England,
Germany, Lebanon and Syria. The deadline for submitting applications
is
August 10.

ReAnimania’s goals are to facilitate the development of animation art,
educate a new generation of world class animators and provide a forum
for presenting works of Armenian animators in the international arena
as well as introduce examples of the world’s finest animated films to
the Armenian audience.

ALBERT STEPANIAN BECOMES CHAMPION OF ARARAT COMPANY’S LONG BACKGAMMON

NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY
JULY 31, 2009
TALLIN

Ararat Armenian Cultural company’s first official open championship
of long backgammon took place in Tallinn on July 25. After the
elimination tournament four best participants became semi-finalists,
Albert Stepanian, Grigor Hayrapetian, Andranik Alexanian, and Avetik
Hayrapetian.

According to the Yerkramas Russian Armenians’ newspaper, the
semi-finals and finals proceeded with strong struggle where the winners
and the leader of the company were defined with final decisive throwing
of dice.

As a result, Albert Stepanian became the champion of Ararat company’s
long backgammon. The winner was awarded a cup, a gold medal, 4500
Estonian kroons (300 euros) monetary prize, as well as other prizes
given by the sponsors. Grigor Hayrapetian won the silver prize (a
medal, 1500 kroons, prizes of the sponsors). The third prize was
Andranik Alexanian’s (a medal, 1000 kroons). Avetik Hayrapetian was
also awarded a medal (4th place). Nina Dmitrievich (the best result
among the women) and Ruben Hayrapetian (the best result among the lads)
were awarded special prizes.

THIRTY-FIVE ITEMS ADDED TO UNESCO’S MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
31.07.2009 17:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Thirty-five items of documentary heritage of
exceptional value have been added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World
Register. This brings the total number of inscriptions since 1997
to 191.

The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, announced the
inscription of these items on the recommendation of experts during
a 3-day meeting of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of
UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme which continues to 31 July in
Bridgetown, Barbados.

The Director-General also announced the winner of the 2009
UNESCO/Jikji Prize: the National Archives of Malaysia in recognition
of its outreach, educational and training programmes in the area of
preservation within the Asian region.

The Memory of the World Register features documentary heritage
identified by the International Advisory Committee and endorsed by
the Director-General of UNESCO as corresponding to the selection
criteria for world significance.