Author: Tumanian Talar

MINISTER: ARMENIA PLANNING TO SPEND $120 MILLION IN 2010 FOR CONSTRUCTING NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY

ARKA
Jan 14, 2010

YEREVAN, January 14. /ARKA/. Armenia is planning to spend $120 million
in 2010 for construction of North-South highway, Armenian Economy
Minister Nerses Yeritsyan said on Thursday.

At its routine Thursday meeting, the cabinet ministers approved
the investment program of North-South highway construction and the
preliminary agreement between Armenia and Asian Development Bank on
a $500-million loan.

The mentioned $120 million includes the first, 60-million tranche and
a part of the second tranche of this loan that will be transferred
in 2010.

Yeritsyan said that the investment program will be implemented over
the period between 2010 and 2017.

On August 6, 2009, Armenian government approved the decision to
construct North-South highway.

The highway will give Armenia a chance to mitigate consequences of
the long-years blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey in the future.

Thanks to that, Armenia could become a transit country and join
Black-Sea ring highway.

Yeritsyan also said that this up-to-international-standards transport
corridor will simplify external and internal cargo shipment and
spur trade.

The first stage will be focused on recovery of Yerevan-Ashtarak and
Yerevan-Ararat roads, and the second stage on repair of Sisian-Kapan
section.

The minister also said that environmental and economic analysis has
already been made and possible risks have been estimated as part of
the program.

Asian Development Bank says that the project is estimated to cost
$1.5 billion.

PROTOCOLS HAVE MOVED TO PLAN B IN TURKEY, SAYS TURKOLOGIST

Tert.am
17:31 ~U 15.01.10

A number of internal issues, in particular, the Kurdish issue, the
possible supplementary elections and the Cyprus issue, make it possible
for Turkey to delay the ratification of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols,
said Turkologist Ruben Melkonyan at a press conference today.

Thus, according to the Turkologist, in the last few months, the
Kurdish issue has caused a split in Turkish policy, not to mention
in some Kurdish circles. Melkonyan shared with journalists certain
observations during his last visit to Turkey, adding that 30% of
ruling party members in Turkey’s Grand National Assembly (the Millet
Meclis) are Kurds and it is they who are pushing the Kurdish issue
in parliament.

"The Protocols have moved to Plan B, the Kurdish issue predominates,
giving a good opportunity for the Turkish side to delay the
ratification process," said Melkonyan.

The analyst also added that Turkey’s ruling party – in particular,
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan – is creating a chaotic situation
in the issue of ratifying the Protocols.

ARMENIA SENDS 36 PEACEKEEPERS TO AFGHANISTAN ISAF

Philippines News Agency (PNA)
January 10, 2010 Sunday

A send-off ceremony for Armenian peacekeepers in Afghanistan was held
in Yerevan on Saturday.

Armenia is sending 36 peacekeepers to the International Security
Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF).

Before going to Afghanistan, the force will take a three-week training
course in Germany.

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said participation in the mission
"is Armenia’s moral duty."

He also thanked Germany for its financial assistance and moral support
in "resolving the problems of stationing the Armenian troops."

SERGEY LAVROV: KARABAKH POPULATION’S STANCE MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

ArmInfo
2010-01-14 15:35:00

ArmInfo. Russia pursues no special aims in the context of assistance
to the Karabakh conflict settlement, except for achievement of an
agreement among the parties themselves, that will meet the interests
of the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples, Foreign Minister of Russia
Sergey Lavrov said at a joint press- conference in Yerevan.

According to him, OSCE MG cochairmen at the current stage try to
assist the two states’ heads to agree the principles which the further
settlement will rest on. "It means that these principles will lay
a basis for preparation of legally binding peaceful settlement. The
stance of the Karabakh population cannot but taken into account during
preparation of such an agreement", Lavrov said.

When asked whether the energy interests of Russia can be higher than
the peoples’ rights for self-determination, the minister replied:
"They cannot".

ARMENIAN SCHOOLS TO CONDUCT LESSON DEVOTED TO 1990 ARMENIAN POGROMS IN BAKU

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.01.2010 17:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Ministry of Education is organizing a special
lesson in Armenia’s comprehensive schools to provide school-children
with full information on 1990 Armenian pogroms in Baku, according
to Narine Hovhannisyan, Head of Comprehensive Education Department
at RA Ministry of Education and Science. "The lessons are scheduled
for January 13-19" she told Tuesday a news conference.

The Armenian pogrom in Baku was part of Azerbaijani authorities’
anti-Armenian program calculated to bring about the destruction of
the town’s Armenian population. The seven-day pogroms perpetrated by
Azerbaijani SSR broke out on January 13, 1990, leaving 300 Armenians
dead. The real number of victims remains unclear to date.

news.am, Armenia
Jan 9 2010

So many breakdowns in Armenian foreign policy in 2009: V. Karapetyan

13:23 / 01/09/2010There were many breakdowns in Armenia’s foreign
policy within last year and all because of regressive democracy and
opposition persecutions, ANC Foreign Relations committee head Vladimir
Karapetyan told NEWS.am.

`The major contentious process I wish to point out is incredible
excitement of Turkey in Karabakh issue, which is a result of Armenian
authorities’ breakdowns. That is their mistakes brought about the
situation, when Turkey became a full-fledged player in the solution to
the regional issues in the eyes of international community. Besides,
no breakthrough is registered in Karabakh peace process, plus the
prospects of the advantageous processes to Armenia are pretty vague,’
Karapetyan said.

Among the positive achievements of 2009, the oppositionist mentioned
raising interest of the leading international structures towards
democratization in Armenia. `This interest is so far subpar, however
positively the dialogue with Armenia on observance of human rights is
resumed. This was done in the frames of Eastern Partnership program
while being a separate course itself,’ ANC spokesperson concluded.

S.T.

OSCE Chairman-in-Office to visit South Caucasus in 2010

armradio.am
08.01.2010 14:19

As a state taking over OSCE presidency, Kazakhstan has drawn up a
schedule of multilateral and bilateral consultations, envisaging the
involvement of all organization member states, the country’s Foreign
Ministry says in a release.

`Regular consultations with the European Union, Council of Europe,
Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia
(CICA), CIS, NATO, CSTO and other international organizations will be
held in Vienna and other capital towns of OSCE partner countries.
Experience proves the significance of such approach in terms of
approximating different positions on key agenda issues, coordinating
measures and avoiding repetitions,’ says the statement.

According to the Ministry’s release, Kazakh Foreign Minister and
Secretary of State Kanat Saudabayev, organization’s incumbent
President, is scheduled to visit the South Caucasus, Balkans¸ Eastern
Europe and Central Asia in 2010. Visits will be aimed at mitigating
crisis situations, settling conflicts or ensuring coordination of
state parties’ efforts in specific spheres.

On January 1, 2010, Kazakhstan took over OSCE presidency, replacing Greece.

Hurriyet, Turkey
Jan 7 2010

Armenia clears way for new nuke plant

Thursday, January 7, 2010
YEREVAN ` Daily News with wires

Armenia cleared the way for a new nuclear power plant, despite green
groups’ objections that its location could put the capital, Yerevan,
at risk. Earlier this month, the government approved the creation of
Atomstroyexport, a Russian company that will own the station.

`Today we are making a political decision, we are giving our agreement
to the creation of a joint venture with our Russian partners,’ said
Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian on Dec. 3. Armenia plans to finish the
new generating unit by 2016, and it will replace the Metsamor plant,
which produces 40 percent of the country’s power but is nearing the
end of its life. Without the nuclear plant, Armenia would be largely
dependent on gas imported from Russia or Iran.

`The new nuclear power station will secure Armenia in terms of its
energy system. A nuclear reactor is necessary as an energy resource
that can ensure the self-sufficiency of the country,’ said Sevak
Sarukhanyan, an economist and deputy director of the Noravank think
tank. Sarkisian said the new station was crucial to efforts to revive
Armenia’s economy, which has suffered both from the post-Soviet
collapse and the blockade imposed by Azerbaijan and Turkey. `If we do
not build the nuclear power station now, of course, our competitive
position will significantly worsen,’ he said.

The construction of the plant will take five or six years, and it
should have a working life of 60 years, which will guarantee Armenia’s
electricity supply for long into the future. Ecological groups,
however, remain strongly opposed to the plans. Hakob Manasaryan, head
of the Union of Greens, said the government did not explore other
energy options in its rush to approve a new nuclear plant. He worried
that Armenia, which is prone to earthquakes, could see a disaster such
as the one that struck Ukraine’s Chernobyl reactor 23 years ago.

`I have the impression that the officials are thinking only of the
next 15 or 20 years. A new structure, with a capacity of 1,200
megawatts should be at least 100 to 150 kilometers from big cities.
The existing Metsamor station, located just 20 km in a straight line
from the capital, does not even meet this condition,’ he said. `There
is not one safe working reactor. Of course it is good if it is
super-modern, which means, it is less dangerous, but who can vouch for
that? And with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts, the consequences of the
risk could be more significant. The construction of a new reactor in
the same place [as the Metsamor plant] is even more dangerous.’

But Areg Galstyan, deputy energy and natural resources minister, said
new reactors were built to far higher safety standards than
Chernobyl-type nuclear power stations, mentioning that the ecologists
had nothing to worry about. The Metsamor power station sits in the
Ararat Valley, in the very heart of Armenia, and is surrounded by the
towns of Armavir, Echmiadzin and Metsamor. Its first unit started
producing power in 1976, and the second in 1980.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

TANER AKÇAM, TURKISH DISSIDENT SCHOLAR AND HISTORIAN TO LECTURE AT ANTELIAS

Taner Akçam, author of A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide an the Question
of Turkish Responsibility, will be visiting the Armenian Catholicosate at
Antelias on the 3rd of January. He has been one of the first Turkish
intellectuals who through his publications and lectures has stressed the
necessity of the official recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the
Turkish Government.

Mr. Akçam was Visiting Associate Professor of History at the University of
Minnesota and in 2008, he was appointed to the Chair of ‘Armenian Genocide’
Studies at Clark University, Worcester, MA irrespective of local Turkish
opposition. Four years ago, when HH Aram I was invited to lecture at the
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota, Dr.
Akçam expressed the desire to visit the Catholicosate of Cilicia, a victim
of the Genocide.

The Turkish Historian’s visit will last for five days, when he will be
giving lectures and meeting Armenian intellectuals as well as University
students. His first lecture will be on Monday, 4th of January at 7:00 pm at
the Catholicosate on The Turkish Recognition of the Armenian Genocide and
Turkish National Security.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

WD Newsletter
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd. Burbank, CA 91504
Tel: (818) 558-7474 Fax: (818) 558-6333
E-mail: [email protected]
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Western Diocese e-Newsletter

Dear Reader

*Primate’s New Year’s Message*

God’s biggest and most precious gift to us is our life. We are called
to transform ourselves by living in God’s will and by devoting our
life to Him. We should not be indifferent to our God-given life, but
transform our life into a spiritual journey in the path of God’s
commandments.

Our sincere wish is that each of us begins the New Year with this
understanding of faith. To begin our days with prayer, so that our
life is filled with God’s love; to transform through divine love our
human weaknesses into a source of inspiration for others.

The New Year is significant for Christianity because it marks the
birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Christmas is the expression of
God’s infinite and immeasurable love for mankind. Indeed, if the Son
of God came down from Heaven, took human form and humbly dwelt among
people, as an expression of utmost sacrifice, we too are called to
sacrifice no less than the widow, whose example Christ pointed out to
those who were devoid of spirituality as an invitation of
awakening. `Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all
of them; for they all contribute out of their abundance, but she out
of her poverty put in all the living that she had.’ (Luke 21 1-4).

Human beings have the moral obligation to live a creative life in
which total dedication is a prerequisite. All of us, whether parents,
professionals, educators, leaders or students, should emulate the
example of the poor widow in order to make our lives meaningful. All
our duties are entrusted to us by God; they are God’s work and we are
obliged to perform them with complete understanding and sacrifice.

Let us resolve to live the year 2010 in ways that would transform the
shortcomings of last year. Indeed, in order to turn our God-given life
more beautiful and fulfilling, we need to entrust our life to God with
complete devotion and full faith.

January 1, 2010

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian

Primate

The Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, providing
spiritual guidance and leadership to the Armenian Apostolic community,
is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization comprised of more
than 50 churches in 16 western states. It was established in 1898 as
the Diocese of the Armenian Church encompassing the entire United
States and Canada. In 1927 the Western Diocese was formed to
exclusivly serve the western United States.