Author: Chmshkian Vicken

ARMENIAN CHURCH CELEBRATES ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST

Aysor
May 13 2010
Armenia

Today Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension
of Jesus Christ on the fortieth day following the Feast of the Glorious
Resurrection of Our Savior Jesus Christ.

Following His Resurrection and defeat of death, Christ remained on
earth for forty days, and continued to appear to His disciples. On the
fortieth day, Christ is seen by His disciples for the last time. He
blesses them and leaves them with instructions, after which He ascends
into heaven.

Two of the Gospel writers, St. Mark and St. Luke, testify about
Christ’s ascension. There is also an account of it in the Acts of
the Apostles.

Following a final meeting of Christ with the eleven remaining apostles,
St. Mark writes, "So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he
was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." (Mark
16:19)

St. Luke gives a little greater detail as he writes, "And he led them
out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed
them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted
from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him,
and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in
the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen." (Luke 24: 50-53)

But by far the most beautiful account of the Ascension can be found
in the Book of Acts: "And when he had spoken these things, while
they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their
sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye
men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus,
which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner
as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11)

The hymn that is sung in the Armenian Church on Ascension Day mentions
the miraculous event of Christ’s Ascension into heaven and the descent
of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.

In the Armenian Church, the day of Jesus Christ’s Ascension is also
commemorated for another reason as well. On this date in 1441, the See
of the Catholicosate of All Armenians was returned to its historical
origins. Following a resolution of the National Assembly gathered in
Vagharshapad, the Patriarchal See was relocated from the city of Sis
in Western Armenia to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Following
his vision of Christ striking the ground with a golden hammer,
St. Gregory the Illuminator had founded the Cathedral of Holy
Etchmiadzin in 303. However, less than 200 years later, in 484, the
Patriarchal See was forced to relocate, and for the next 1000 years,
settled in various cities throughout Armenia. The decision to return
the throne of the Catholicos to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
was the fulfillment of a national dream for the Armenian people.

MEDVEDEV’S VISIT TO STRENGTHEN RUSSIAN-TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT
Andrei Fedyashin

RIA Novosti
MOSCOW

When Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Turkey on Tuesday
May 11, it was clear that the main outcome of his visit would be the
establishment of a High-Level Cooperation Council (to be co-chaired
by Medvedev), the signing of an agreement on one-month visa-free
travel for tourists, and cooperation in the construction of nuclear
power plants.

The first meeting of the council, to be attended by the Russian
president, is to formalize the agreement to launch a three-stage
roadmap for strategic cooperation in the political, trade and economic
spheres and between public organizations.

Medvedev will also meet with Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The sides plan to sign a score of agreements and political documents,
which should advance bilateral cooperation to a higher level. Turkey
describes it as privileged cooperation and Russia as multifaceted
strategic partnership.

Europe is always slightly alarmed when a Russian president (or a
prime minister) goes to Turkey or a Turkish leader visits Russia. It
fears that Turkey may lean too closely towards Russia and that the
relationship could revive imperial ambitions in both Russia and Turkey.

Also, Europe sees a double danger in the fact that Russian-Turkish
political friendship is being reinforced with energy, oil and gas
deals.

Russian energy giant Gazprom supplies 63% of Turkey’s gas needs (the
third largest amount after Germany and Italy). The two countries
are building the Blue Stream gas pipeline along the Black Sea bed
and have decided to build a second line of the pipeline. Turkey
is also considering joining the South Stream project to transport
Russian natural gas across the Black Sea to Bulgaria and on to Italy
and Austria.

Russia supplies approximately $1.8 billion worth of oil and between
$1.1 billion and $1.3 billion of refined oil products to Turkey
annually.

Russia is ready to contribute to the construction of the Samsun-Ceyhan
oil pipeline, which Turkey approved in 2006. The 550-km (342-mile)
pipeline is to link Samsun, a Turkish port on the Black Sea, with
the Kirikkale refinery located 15 km (9 miles) from Istanbul, where
it will be connected to the Kirikkale-Ceyhan pipeline.

The new pipe will annually transport 50-70 million metric tons of
oil from Russia and Kazakhstan to Ceyhan on the Mediterranean.

The question of who needs the oil and gas friendship more, Russia or
Turkey, and if they would have been friends without their pipeline
projects is impossible to answer because it is difficult to say where
pipes begin and politics end.

Turkey has been cleverly using the Russian card in its relationship
with the European Union. After it was denied entry into the
organization at the EU summit in Copenhagen in 2002, Prime Minister
Erdogan went to Moscow, and Turkey has used that political option
several times since then.

The EU’s unwillingness to admit Turkey is in fact pushing it into
Russia’s embrace. Officially, Turkey is continuing its accession
talks, which it started in 2005, but France and Germany have announced
that they don’t want to see a country with 60 million Muslims in the
EU. This has put off its entry into the EU for ten years, and it is
therefore not surprising that Turkey is looking for alternatives. The
best option is to strengthen its regional political and economic
prestige, which Turkey cannot do without Russia.

Turkey’s cooperation with Russia is turning it into the oil and gas
dispatcher hub of the whole Asia Minor, southern Europe (including
the Balkans) and the Middle East and strengthening its economic role.

At the same time, Turkey has been trying to become involved in the
South Caucasus policy in the past few years. Coordination of its
positions with Russia could produce very good results there.

The South Caucasus countries – Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia –
currently have no regional leader. Azerbaijan is leaning towards
Turkey, Armenia has embraced Russia, and Georgia has been seeking
rapprochement with NATO and the United States. When these countries
lean (or are prodded) towards different supports, it usually ends
badly, as proved by the August 2008 war between Georgia and Russia
over South Ossetia.

So, if Turkey and Russia go over from coordinating their energy plans
to cooperating in the sphere of regional security, this could encourage
the region to create a common security system. Such a system should
clearly stipulate what its member countries may or may not do with
regard to their neighbors.

Since the OSCE, the EU and the UN have failed to ensure this, Russia
and Turkey could try to establish a regional forum to address this
task. In 2008, Turkey proposed a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation
Pact, which would include the three South Caucasus countries plus
two regional heavyweights, Turkey and Russia.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s and do not
necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.

OSCE PRINCIPLES UNDERLIE MADRID DOCUMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 12, 2010 – 15:05 AMT 10:05 GMT

Addressing the 120th Sessionof the CoE Committee ofMinisters
inStrasbourg, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian reminded that
a statement stipulating for peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and envisaging Karabakh people’s right to self-determination
and territorial integrity was issued by the OSCE Ministerial Council
in Helsinki.

"The principles proclaimed serve as a basis for the Madrid Document.

Azerbaijan has been renouncing it for a year, finally accepting
it with certain reservations, which exceeded the number of points
accepted. Azerbaijan keeps distorting reasons and consequences of
the conflict, using every chance to threaten with resumption of
hostilities," Minister Nalbandian emphasized.

As to normalization of relations with Turkey, he said that upon signing
the Protocols, Ankara attempted to once again set preconditions,
with Turkish parliament subsequently blocking ratification. "This
is the reason Armenian President resolved to suspend Protocols
ratification until Ankara is ready to resume the process without
preconditions. Armenia’s step was positively assessed by international;
community," he stated.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN RECEIVES MEMBERS OF THE POLISH-ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP GROUP

ARMENPRESS
MAY 12, 2010
YEREVAN

Armenian National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan received today
members of the Polish-Armenian parliamentary friendship group Lukac
Abgarovic.

National Assembly speaker expressed his condolences on the death of
the Polish president and other high-ranked Polish officials in the
plane crash.

Lukac Abgarovic expressed gratitude for the attitude of the Armenian
people during the days of the tragedy, noting that the chairman
of the Armenian NA is one of the unique political figures who in
spite of difficult weather conditions managed to participate in the
mourning ceremonies.

Positively assessing the high level of political dialogue between
Armenia and Poland as well as all the prerequisites for further
development and boosting of bilateral relations both in bilateral and
multilateral formats, NA speaker noted that as a parliament chairman
he will do everything for more development of relations. He said that
in parallel with development of economic and cultural cooperation, the
expansion of inter-parliamentary ties is in process. In this respect
Hovik Abrahamyan highly assessed the visit of the Polish-Armenian
parliamentary friendship group to Yerevan and expressed assurance that
the parties must maintain and boost the tempo of inter-parliamentary
contacts.

Head of the friendship group, Polish Senator Lukac Abgarovic said that
they are going to invite members of the Armenia-Poland friendship
group of the Armenian parliament to visit Poland. He expressed wish
to boost more not only Poland-Armenia but also EU-Armenia ties. On
his part Hovik Abrahamyan highlighted the cooperation between the
two countries in international organizations.

The interlocutors referred also to economic relations between the two
countries. Chairman of the National Assembly expressed hope that after
the presidential elections in Poland it will be possible to conduct
session of the Armenian-Polish inter-governmental commission and a
business forum over which an arrangement has been reached with the
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during his visit to Armenia.

The interlocutors also referred to the Armenian-Turkish relations
and NK conflict. The speaker said that from the very beginning
Turkey was finding reasons and linking the protocols with the NK
conflict, delaying their ratification it was breaking the process
of normalization.

As to the NK issue Hovik Abrahamyan said that NK can never be part
of Azerbaijan. The conflict must be regulated with the framework of
the OSCE Minsk Group.

Lukac Abgarovic said that Poland thinks that NK issue and establishment
of Armenian-Turkish relations are separate issues and must not be
linked with each other. He noted that finally Turkey must recognize
the Armenian genocide.

RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: REGIONAL RIVALRY BETWEEN MOSCOW AND ANKARA CONTINUES

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 11, 2010 – 12:59 AMT 07:59 GMT

Despite close economic ties, regional rivalry between Moscow and
Ankara continues, an Armenian professor said.

"This competition is a bit alleviated but persists," Ruben Safrastyan,
director of the RA NAS Institute of Oriental Studies told a
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

He emphasized that Ankara and Moscow practise different geo-strategic
approaches in the region. "While Russia tries to maintain the status
quo, which is in Armenia’s interests as well, Turkey seeks to alter
it," he said.

As to economic cooperation, prof. Safrastyan said it’s the major
component of the Russian-Turkish cooperation.

VLADIMIR HAKOBIAN PLAYS IN DRAW AT FIDE GRAND PRIX

Aysor
May 11 2010
Armenia

The grand opening of the sixth stage of the FIDE Grand Prix among
men took place on May 9 in Russia’s Astrakhan, followed by games of
the opening round next day.

Armenia’s the only chess player Vladimir Hakobian (Akopian) played
against Israel’s Boris Gelfand in round one. Playing with white
Vladimir Hakobian was about to overcome Gelfand; however, the Israeli
chess player rebalanced the situation and ended the game in draw.

The tournament is crucial to determine who will be the second qualifier
for the Candidates Matches 2010-2011, so the focus in on games
between Teimour Radjabov from Azerbaijan, Peter Leko from Hungary,
Vassily Ivanchuk from Ukraine, and Dmitry Jakovenko from Russia.

Armenia’s Grand Master Levon Aronian has already qualified, having
500 points.

MERRY-GO-ROUND LEFT 4 INJURED IN YEREVAN

Tert.am
12:36 10.05.10

A technical problem with a merry-go-round in Hakhtanak Park (Victory)
in Yerevan left 4 people injured.

According to the Rescue Service of Armenia’s Ministry of Emergency
Situations the metal chains of the merry-go-round broke apart at
about 5:30 pm on May 9.

Sirarpi Mavoyan (born in 1996) and Susanna Galstyan (born in 1997) were
taken to the 3rd Children’s Hospital in Yerevan, while Marine (born
in 1975) and Menua Vardanyans were hospitalized to the Reanimation
Division of the Michaelyan Clinic Centre.

Having received proper medical treatment Mavoyan and Galstyan were
discharged, while the health state of the Vardanyans, the doctors say,
is still ‘serious’.

RESUMPTION OF HOSTILITIES IN KARABAKH TO BE FATAL FOR BRITISH PETROLEUM

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 10, 2010 – 16:17 AMT 11:17 GMT

Political scientist Sergei Minasyan said that the resumption of
hostilities in Karabakh will be fatal for British Petroleum (BP).

"The catastrophe in Gulf of Mexico has resulted in huge losses. And
if Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline’s operation is terminated, BP
will be on the verge of bankruptcy. AIOC (Azerbaijani International
Operating Company) shareholders, including BP, are the main lobbyists
aiming to prevent hostilities in Karabakh. Baku is well aware of
this situation, thus, Ilham Aliyev’s statements are mere words,"
Minasyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC), consisting of
British Petroleum, Unocal, Exxon, Mobil, Statoil, TPAO, Delta -Hess
and INPEX, was established on September 20, 1994.

Due to an explosion at BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil platform, 20 people
out of total 126 employees working at the drilling platform at the
explosion moment are missing. According to preliminary data, 5000
barrels of oil are discharged to Gulf of Mexico per year. Currently,
the oil spill has reached the coast of Louisiana and approaches
Florida and Alabama’s coasts.

According to the U.S. laws, BP may be charged $75mln for the oil
outflow into Gulf of Mexico.

RA PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN TO PAY WORKING VISIT TO MOSCOW ON MAY 8-9

NOYAN TAPAN
MAY 7,2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Serzh Sargsyan will pay a
working visit to Moscow on May 8-9, at RF President Dmitry Medvedev’s
invitation, to attend events dated to the 65th anniversary of the
victory in World War II.

According to RA President’s press office, S. Sargsyan will also attend
unofficial meetings of CSTO member countries’ and CIS countries’
leaders.

HAYK DEMOYAN: FIRST STAGE OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROCESS FAILED AT THE FAULT OF TURKEY
Siranush Muradyan

"Radiolur"
06.05.2010 16:15

"The first stage of establishment of relations between Armenia and
turkey failed at the fault of Turkey," Director of the Armenian
Genocide Museum Institute Hayk Demoyan told a press conference today.

"Turkey preferred not to lose its main ally Azerbaijan. Besides,
Turkey’s expectations connected with the prevention of the Armenian
Genocide recognition and Karabakh settlement did not come true,"
Demoyan said.

According to the AGMI Director, opening of the Armenian-Turkish border
and establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries
could be a good starting point for a new process. "However, it cannot
be based on the Protocols signed in Zurich in October 2009," he added.