Author: Kharatian Ani

POPE MOVES TOWARDS A GREENER VATICAN

Times Online
November 26, 2008
UK

Vatican initiative to promote the protection of the environment begins
with solar panel installationRichard Owen in Rome In a move toward a
"greener Vatican" Pope Benedict XVI today (Wednesday) held his first
audience in a hall heated and lit by newly installed solar panels on
the roof.

L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, described the event as
the "first ecological audience" in the Paul VI audience hall, designed
in 1971 by the architect Pier Luigi Nervi. As the Pope addressed the
9000 faithful, 2,400 solar panels on the roof above his head converted
sunlight into electricity to light and heat the hall.

As if on cue, the skies above Rome turned clear and sunny after days
of cloud and rain. The Vatican said the solar panel project was one
of several "concrete and tangible initiatives" to promote protection
of the environment, and part of the "green culture characterised by
ethical values" promoted by Pope Benedict.

An inauguration ceremony was held the Pontifical Academy of Sciences,
attended by Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, the Governor of Vatican City,
Frank Asbeck, president of Solar World AG, the Germany company which
donated the panels, and Carlo Rubbia, winner of the Nobel Prize
for Physics.

The Vatican, one of the world’s smallest states, covering 108 acres,
aims to become the world’s "first carbon-neutral state", and is
growing a 37 acre forest in Hungary to offset its annual carbon
dioxide emissions. It has undertaken to use renewable energy for 20
percent of its needs by 2020.

The panels on the undulating 5000 square metre roof of the audience
hall will produce 300 kilowatt hours of "clean energy", supplying the
energy needs of the hall itself and nearby Vatican buildings. Vatican
officials said the panels would save the equivalent of 80 tonnes of
oil each year.

They cannot be seen from the ground and so will not affect the Vatican
skyline, officials said.

At the audience, at which the Pope was accompanied by Aram I,
Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Lebanon, the pontiff
deplored "misunderstandings among Christians". He said the Armenian
leader’s "fraternal visit" was "an occasion to strengthen the bonds
that exist and a further step in the journey toward full unity,
which is the objective of all Christians and a gift of the Lord."

Aram I also referred to "the bonds that connect the two apostolic
Churches" and the "communion of traditions and values that make it
possible to look to the journey toward full unity."

In talks with Aram 1 Pope Benedict deplored the "unspeakable suffering"
experienced by Armenians in the twentieth century, but did not use
the word "genocide", even though it had previously been used by John
Paul II.

The Armenian authorities say up to 1.5 million Armenians died in
orchestrated killings by Turks during the final years of the Ottoman
Empire.

Turkey says the killings occurred when Armenians revolted against
the Ottoman Empire in collaboration with an invading Russian army.

Aram I said "Churches, religions and states should recognise all
genocides, including the Armenian genocide, and they should commit
themselves to preventing all genocides." The Armenian Apostolic Church
dates to the sixth century, when Armenian Christians broke with Rome
over theological disputes arising from the Council of Chalcedon in
451. A joint theological commission is currently examining remaining
differences.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, told Vatican Radio that the Holy See regards
the Armenian genocide as "a fact". "The Vatican’s stance on this issue
was stated at the time during a visit to Armenia by John Paul II"
Cardinal Kasper said. "The Pope visited the genocide monument there
and used the word ‘genocide,’ although this did not please Turkey."

DISCUSSION ON SUBJECT "GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES" HELD ON INITIATIVE OF DPA

Noyan Tapan

Nov 25, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. On the initiative of the Democratic
Party of Armenia (DPA), a round table on the subject "The Global
Economic Crisis and Its Consequences" with the participation of
economists took place on November 25.

The chairman of DPA Aram Sargsyan said that the socioeconomic
policy conducted in Armenia since 1990 has been a wrong one as
the priority directions of the country’s industry and agriculture
were not specified. In his words, the privatization process was
implemented hastily in favor of sponsored individuals and to the
detriment of the people. The DPA chairman expressed an opinion that
if the market relations in Armenia had formed in accordance with the
social-democratic formula: "the market as much as possible, and the
state regulation as much as necessary", many negative consequences
such as the unprecedented polarization of the society, the incredible
corruption and the shadow economy of a dangerous size would have been
avoided on this road".

In the opinion of A. Sargsyan, it is necessary to analyze the passed
way seriously and deeply in order to get out of the current situation
and not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Besides, he underlined the
necessity of holding dicussions on the current state of the economy
and preparing the society for all possible changes.

In the words of Doctor of Economics, Professor Ashot Markosian,
"the global crisis has reached a deep pit, whereas this disease of
the global economy has not been diagnosed yet". Accoridng to him,
the financial crisis is turning into an economic one, affecting almost
all the spheres of life. A. Markosian did not subscribe to the opinion
that the crisis will not have an impact on the Armenian economy.

ARMENIA WINS 2ND CONSECUTIVE CHESS OLYMPIAD GOLD

AP
2008-11-25 21:56:02 –

DRESDEN, Germany (AP) – Armenia won its second straight gold medal
at the Chess Olympiad Tuesday by defeating China 2.5-1.5 in the 11th
and final round.

Armenia’s only win came on board four where Tigran L. Petrosian beat
Li Chao. Armenia finished the tournament alone in first place with
19 points.

Two points are awarded for each match win and one for a tie.

Israel took silver with 18 points after beating the Netherlands
2.5-1.5.

The United States took bronze on a tiebreaker after upsetting
second-seed Ukraine with a 3.5-0.5 drubbing, getting wins from Gata
Kamsky against Vassily Ivanchuk on board one, Alexander Onischuk
against Pavel Eljanov on board three, and Yuri Shulman against Zahar
Efimenko on board four. Hikaru Nakamura of the United States drew
Sergey Karjakin on board two.

The rout left the teams tied at 17 points but gave the medal to
the U.S.

"This result was without parallel, out of the blue, especially since
Ukraine had not lost a match yet in the tournament," said U.S. team
captain John Donaldson.

The results mirrored those at the 2006 Olympiad in Turin, Italy _
there, Armenia took the gold and the U.S. got bronze on a tiebreaker.

"Winning the gold already feels like something we’re getting used to,"
Levon Aronian, first board for Armenia, said with a smile.

Aronian also paid tribute to Karen Asrian, a m ember of the 2008 team
who died suddenly in June at age 28.

"He was our good friend and we were trying to play well for his
memory," Aronian said.

For the second consecutive Olympiad, top-seed Russia failed to take
a medal.

>From 1952 to 2004, it (and its predecessor the Soviet Union) never
finished below second place.

In the women’s tournament, Ukraine defeated Poland 2.5-1.5 and Georgia
beat Serbia 3-1. The U.S. beat France 2.5-1.5. Russia defeated the
Netherlands by the same score.

Those results leave Georgia and Ukraine tied for first and Poland,
Russia and the U.S. tied for third. According to the Olympiad Web
site, in case of a tie Georgia would take the gold over Ukraine,
the silver medal winner, and the U.S. would take bronze.

Americans Anna Zatonskih took the individual gold medal for second
board and Rusudan Goletiani the silver medal for third board.

During the tournament, the World Chess Federation, or FIDE, announced
that Kamsky and Bulgarian Veselin Topalov will play a match in
February in Sofia, Bulgaria for the right to challenge world champion
Viswanathan Anand of India. They will share $200,000 in prize money.

The Kamsky-Topalov match was previously scheduled to take place
almost immediately after the Olympiad in Lvov, Ukraine, for a purse
of $600,000.

In June, World Chess Federation President Kirsan Ilymzhinov personally
guaranteed the prize money for the Ukraine match. But the arrangements
fel l through after Ukrainian sponsors failed to produce the funds.

During a press conference Tuesday, Ilymzhinov defended himself and
blamed local organizers. "It’s not FIDE’s fault," he said.

But when pressed by reporters he acknowledged that he was wrong to
guarantee the prize money without insuring that Ukrainian sponsors
could deliver.

FIDE also announced that a prestigious Grand Prix tournament scheduled
to take place in Qatar next month has been moved to Elista, the
capital of the Russian Republic of Kalmykia, of which Ilyumzhinov is
also president.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT TURKEY NEXT YEAR

RIA Novosti
20:31 | 24/ 11/ 2008

ANKARA, November 24 (RIA Novosti) – Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
has accepted an invitation from his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul to
visit the country next year, the Armenian foreign minister said Monday.

"The Armenian president will be in Istanbul in October 2009,"
Eduard Nalbandyan told journalists in Istanbul, where he took part
in a meeting of foreign ministers of Black Sea Economic Cooperation
member states.

In September, the Turkish and Armenian presidents met in Yerevan,
and watched a soccer match between the national teams. The Turkish
government called the meeting between two heads of states, which have
no diplomatic relations, "historic".

The border between Turkey and ex-Soviet Armenia has been closed since
1993 on Ankara’s initiative. Turkey says Armenia must end attempts to
have the WWI massacre of Armenians recognized as an act of genocide,
and must settle its territorial dispute with Azerbaijan over Nagorny
Karabakh.

Turkey says the deaths and deportations of Armenians at the end of
the Ottoman period in 1915 were caused by civil war rather than
deliberate genocide. However, the majority of Western academics
qualify the massacre as genocide.

Armenia has said it is ready to establish diplomatic relations with
Turkey without additional conditions.

Nalbandyan said the government wants relations to be normalized,
and said that "opening the border would serve the two countries’
interests."

The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported that Turkey intends to send an
ambassador-at-large to Armenia without opening a diplomatic mission, if
Armenia agrees to create a commission to investigate the 1915 events.

Such a move would mean a de facto establishment of diplomatic
relations.

Nagorny Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan with a largely Armenian
population, declared its independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia
in 1988, and has been a source of conflict ever since. Turkey supports
Azerbaijan in the Karabakh conflict.

SARAFIAN: FOCUS ON THE DIASPORA

Hurriyet
Nov 24 2008
Turkey

ISTANBUL – Multilateral efforts to improve relations between Armenia
and Turkey is the wrong way to resolve the Armenian issue, says
respected historian Ara Sarafian, arguing that the solution lies in
the huge and influential diaspora.

Sarafian, the head of the London-based Gomidas Institute, said Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s offer to Armenia to establish a
commission of historians to resolve the Armenian issue was positive,
but Armenia was the wrong address.

Armenians argue that the death of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
in 1915 constituted genocide while Turkey says many Turks also died
in the wartime circumstances and denies there was a state-enforced
policy to kill Armenians.

Sarafian was invited to Turkey by the Bogazici, Bilkent and Sabancı
Universities and the Hrant Dink Foundation to attend a history
conference in the Mediterranean province of Adana.

Sarafian said there were two problems that would arise out of any
effort to improve relations with Armenians through closer ties with
Armenia. "Freedom of expression for historians in Armenia is limited
and the genocide issue has become a political tool," he said.

He said Turkey should continue with its plan to form a commission
of historians who would discuss the matter, but suggested Turkish
historians to meet with moderate Armenian historians in the diaspora
rather than Armenia. "The solution should start from the diaspora,"
he said.

"The members of the diaspora who still have Anatolia in their hearts
should not be ignored," he said, adding that the diaspora was not
part of Armenia but part of Anatolia. He also said Turkey needed to
fund the commission of independent historians. "I believe Turkey is
not how it used to be. It has a modern perception and wants solutions
to the problems," said Sarafian.

Armenian archives Prime Minister Erdogan’s suggestion to form a
commission also involves the opening of the state archives of both
Armenia and Turkey. Sarafian said the archives in Armenia were
inadequate. "The real documents on the genocide are in the Zoryan
archives in Boston and the Armenian Patriarchy archives in Jerusalem,"
he said.

He said the most important question was whether Armenians wanted
to overcome this chronic problem. He asked, "Will we be able to free
ourselves from this instinct of revenge and share our grief?" Armenians
should stop seeing themselves as the victims, said the historian.

"We cannot compare the Armenian genocide with the Holocaust. Those who
were banished from their land suffered a lot but survived," he said.

He also said Turkish society could not be blamed for what happened in
the past. "No one can deny the genocide but the entire Turkish nation
cannot be held responsible. Moreover, many Turks rescued Armenians
from death," he said.

The lobbies had turned the issue into a political tool, said
Sarafian. "They want to control everything and fear historians opening
a brand new page," he said. He said a language of peace should be
created between Turks and Armenians.

He still had to be careful when he undertook research in Turkey and
added, "I, as a historian, try not to display a wrong stance and
create tension. I know I need to be objective. Additionally, Turkey
is being constructive and it would be wrong to miss this chance."

He said the restoration of the Armenian Akdamar Church in the recent
past could have created an environment of dialogue but had become a
missed chance. "Armenians did not want to take that chance because
it did not suit their interests," he said.

The Armenian response, both from the diaspora and Armenia, to Turkish
calls to work together was complete silence, he said. "The diaspora
boycotted any cooperation with Turkey because it only wants to blame
and lay accusations against Turkey. Unfortunately, radical groups
within the diaspora have turned a sensitive issue, like genocide,
into a political tool.

He said it was important for future generations to free themselves
from the victim psychology, concluding his remarks by saying, "We
need to ensure our children live in peace. The revenge instinct will
do no one any good."

–Boundary_(ID_3E/91H+Y69fbL3a7qeqODg )–

Kavkas-Press, Georgia
Nov 21 2008

Armenian embassy protests against desecration of graves in Georgia

Tbilisi, 21 November: "The scandal over the desecration of the
Norashen Armenian church in Tbilisi is not abating. Numerous appeals
to the Georgian government by the Armenian embassy in Georgia, the
Georgian Eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the Armenian
public, to take measures in order to prevent such incidents have
resulted in nothing. Impunity has led to new acts of vandalism,"
Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Hrach Silvanyan has said.

He also said that another incident involving Georgian priest [name
withheld] took place on the premises of the church on 16 November. He
desecrated the graves of well-known Armenian public figures – the
Tamamshevs.

"The embassy has protested against such actions by [name withheld] on
a lot of occasions. We hope that this problem will be resolved within
the Georgian government’s jurisdiction and it will receive appropriate
legal and moral assessment," the ambassador added.

News/News 2008-11-20

CATHEDRAL OF SURB ECHMIADZIN CONDEMNED ATTEMPT OF DEFILEMENT OF GRAVES
IN TBILISI

YEREVAN, 20.11.08. DE FACTO. `’This deed does not correspond to
centuries-old friendship between our two countries”, Vahram Melikian,
spokesman for the Holy See at Echmiadzin told a Panorama.am correspondent.
To remind, the attempt of defilement of two graves of Mikhail and
Lydia Tamamshian, renowned Armenians, patrons of Tbilisi, representatives of
Tamamshev (Tamamshian) family, was made in Tbilisi on November 16. The act
of defilement was made under the guidance of father Tariel Sikinchelashvili,
a representative of the Georgian Patriarchy, who made the attempt, in his
words, `’within the frames of his private program on improvement of the
territory adjoining the Armenian church”.
According to Vahram Melikian, Armenia Eparchy in Georgia does not have
a definite status there, as the law `’On Consciousness and Religion” has
not been adopted there. `’If the law is adopted, the status of the Eparchy
will be consolidated, and it will be able to dictate its actions”, Vahram
Melikian said.

Copyright © «De facto» Information-Analytics Agency
Yerevan, Republic of Armenia, 2 Arshakuniats, 9 floor, Tel. (374+1)
545 799, 545 699 E-mail [email protected]

ARMENIA HANDS OVER BODY OF AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER

Trend News Agency
Nov 19 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Barda, 19 November / Trend News corr. Sh.Jaliloglu/ Armenia
has handed over the body of Azerbaijani soldier Orkhan Shamilov,
who died during a skirmish at the Armenia-Azerbaijan troops contact
line nearby Fuzuli region in the early morning of 16 November.

The body was handed over nearby Khangarvand village in Azerbaijan’s
Agdam region on Wednesday at 3.00pm.

Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said on 18 November that Orkhan Farhad
oglu Shamilov, a soldier of the Azerbaijani Army, died during an
exchange of fire which was commenced by the Armenian side. Shamilov,
who was on duty, attempted to retaliate, killing two soldiers of the
Armenian Armed Forces.

CHESS: ARMENIA LEADS OLYMPIAD
by Peter Parr

Sydney Morning Herald
November 17, 2008 Monday
Australia

Armenia is the only country to have won every match in the first three
rounds in both the open and womens chess Olympiads. Armenia has scored
10 wins and two draws from 12 games in the open (GM Gabriel Sargissian
and GM Tigran Petrosian each 3/3) and eight wins with four draws from
12 games in the womens division. Armenia won the gold medals in the
open at the last Olympiad in Turin 2006 finishing outright first on
game points and match points.

The nine countries leading the open Olympiad with 6/6 match points
after three rounds (11 rounds,154 teams) are in count back order
ââ~B¬" Armenia, Germany (one team), England, India, Romania, Russia,
Norway, Spain, Ukraine. Russia the top seeds beat Switzerland 2.5-1.5,
Poland 2.5-1.5 and Cuba 3.5-0.5. Second seeds Ukraine defeated Vietnam
2.5-1.5,Serbia 2.5-1.5 and Georgia 2.5-1.5.

Australia seeded 53 lost to Czech Republic (18) by 0.5-3.5 in the
first round with only GM Z.Zhao drawing with GM D.Navara 2633 on board
1. Australia lost to the much lower rated El Salvador(91) in round two
by 1.5-2.5 with GM D.Johansen winning. Australia was in 127th place
but a decisive 4-0 win in round three against British Virgin Islands
(136) has pushed us up to 93rd place with 2/6 match points.

Progress scores GM Z.Zhao 2567 0.5/2, IM D.Smerdon 2470 1.5/3,
IM S. Solomon 2470 1/2, GM D. Johansen 2446 2/2, IM G. Xie 2403
1/3. Australia plays Guernsey (128) in round four.

The six countries leading the womens Olympiad with 6/6 match points
after three rounds (11 rounds, 114 teams) are in count back order
ââ~B¬" Hungary, Armenia, Poland, Serbia, China, Georgia. The top two
seeds Russsia and Ukraine are on five match points. Australia (54)
has played three higher rated teams in the first three rounds. WM
Arianne Caoili on board one outplayed WGM Anna Sharevich 2322 of
Belarus (26) and we tied the match 2-2.

We lost to Lithuania(23) 1-3 in round 2 but our best match so far
was a 3-1 win over Argentina (29) in round three. Australia is in
58th place with 3/6 match points. Progress scores WM A. Caoili 2170
1.5/3, T. Nguyen 2101 1.5/3,WM L. Moylan 2114 1.5/2, WM B. Dekic
2103 1/2, WFM S. Oliver 1942 0.5/2. Australia plays El Salvador (59)
in round four. FM Jonathan Humphrey (AUS 2330) scored 5/11 in an IM
event in Budapest last week. Tony Truscott (1930) won the Queensland
Championship (eight players, seven rounds) scoring 5.5 points ahead
of Y.Liu (1730) 5, FM J.Sarfati (2263) 4.5 and D. Lovejoy (1875)
4. Igor Goldenberg won the Victorian Championship by defeating IM
Leonid Sandler in a long endgame in the final round. Guy West won
his last six consecutive games. Leading final scores (11 players,
10 rounds, FIDE rated) FM I. Goldenberg (2386) 7.5, IM G.West (2342),
FM E.Levi (2203) 7, IM M.Rujevic (2281), FM D.Hamilton (2209), D.Hacche
(2207) 5.5.

Final scores in the Ford Memorial at Norths, Cammeray, Sydney
(63 players, nine rounds) ââ~B¬" B.Atzmon-Simon (2114), A. Papp
(1527) 7.5: K. Hursky (2017), T. Luchtmeijer (2081), S. Garner
(1779), N. Greenwood (1491) 6.5. Top seed Roger Cook (2212) scored
six points. 32 players competed for over $3000 prize money in the
Fisher’s Ghost Grand Prix Weekender at Campbelltown. Leading final
scores: FM V. Smirnov (2309) 6, FM J. Sales (2295) 5.5: K. Thapa(2143),
J. Bolens(1996), A. Huynh(1835), A. Camer(1979) 5.

–Boundary_(ID_zBhtQFA8AVXQBSb5etkSWQ)–

BAKU RAPS FRENCH MEDIATOR’S REMARKS

AzerNews Weekly
Nov 19 2008
Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani government has issued a terse response to the French
mediator`s recent statements on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh conflict.

"There is no such notion as `the people of Upper Garabagh`, and the
separatist regime cannot join talks on the conflict," the Foreign
Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim said while commenting on the OSCE
Minsk Group (MG) co-chair Bernard Fassier`s remarks citing "the people
of Upper Garabagh" and the self-proclaimed republic`s participation
in peace talks.

Ibrahim emphasized that the population of Upper Garabagh includes
both Azeris and Armenians, and representatives of both communities
are citizens of Azerbaijan.

"After the occupation ends, they will meet their day-to-day
needs. There is no `people of Upper Garabagh`. Such statements by an
MG co-chair are unacceptable."

Fassier had said during a visit to Yerevan that the regime in Upper
Garabagh "was not estranged" from peace talks and that "the people
of Upper Garabagh will say their piece in due time." He also said
that with the current course of developments, Upper Garabagh should
contribute to reaching a solution to the long-standing dispute.

Upper Garabagh is an Azeri region occupied by Armenia since a 1994
cease-fire ended separatist hostilities that killed an estimated 30,000
people and ousted about a million Azeris out of their homes. Years
of peace talks have brought little tangible result.

Ibrahim said Fassier`s statement runs counter to the declaration on
a political settlement of the dispute signed by the Azerbaijani,
Armenian and Russian presidents in Moscow on November 2. "In that
declaration, Azerbaijan and Armenia are indicated as [the only]
parties in negotiations on the conflict resolution. It contains no
clauses on Upper Garabagh`s joining talks."

The spokesman noted that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had
co-signed the document, and any statements by a representative of the
MG co-chair country defying those of another co-chairing country`s
leader were "inconceivable."