Author: Tumanian Talar

HE DOES NOT KNOW TO GO OR NOT TO GO
Hakob Badalyan

mments&pid=14965
18:26:47 – 20/08/2009

Recently the Armenian political thought, partly also the public
curiosity is obsessed with one question, whether Serge Sargsyan will
go to Turkey or not. In this connection, everyone knows what Serge
Sargsyan has said about it: "I will go if the Armenian-Turkish border
is opened, or in case we come closer to its opening."

This expression is evidence to Serge Sargsyan’s uncertainty and
confusion about the Armenian-Turkish relations and the future of the
so-called football diplomacy rather than Serge Sargsyan’s staunch
stance. Perhaps Serge Sargsyan has no idea what this relation is going
to take him in the future, and therefore he wants to reserve his ticket
to go to Turkey, using the expression "close to opening the border".

Meanwhile, when the football diplomacy was being undertaken, he stated
that Armenia’s "arsenal" is not limited to the invitation to Abdullah
Gul after the decision on relations with Turkey. Serge Sargsyan said
Armenia has other ideas to use in the process of establishment of
relations with Turkey. Where are those ideas? Why is Armenia not
taking any steps so far besides the invitation to Gul and April 22
midnight statement?

The answer is more than obvious. The football diplomacy for the
regulation of the Armenian and Turkish relations has never been
Armenia’s competence. Therefore, Armenia cannot have independence in
this process. It is not accidental that Serge Sargsyan gave the start
of the process of improvement of the Armenian and Turkish relations,
that is the invitation to Gul in the capital of Russia. Besides,
perhaps it is not accidental that Serge Sargsyan expressed most of his
"pro-initiative" ideas outside Armenia, during foreign visits. Also it
is not accidental that during the presidential campaign Serge Sargsyan
did not reveal his intention to reach a "breakthrough" in the Armenian
and Turkish relations to check the moods and expectations regarding
this issue.

Ostensibly, Serge Sargsyan himself does not know whether he is leaving
for Turkey or not. Most probably, however, he will have to go. So
is the logic of not only the improvement of these relations but also
imitation of improvement. The process has lost its primary interest
in great powers and geopolitical centers, especially in the context
of escalation in Afganistan and Iraq, but given its geopolitical
potential, it will not be "archived" because it may become useful to
the solution of certain problems in Afganistan and Iraq.

Hence, there is little probability that Serge Sargsyan will take up
the responsibility for cancelling the football diplomacy. What is he
going to explain to the geopolitical centers for which he has been
delivering so "constructive" and "pro-active" speeches over the past
year and a half?

ALEKSANDER LEADS AT ABU DHABI CHESS TOURNAMENT
By Yasir Abbasher

GulfNews
August 20, 2009, 23:05

Chess

Abu Dhabi Russian Grand Master Rakhmanov Aleksander entered the final
round of the Annual Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival as the sole
leader. He has the best chance of winning the title if he succeeds in
beating GM Aleksandrov Aleksej of Belrus in the final and ninth round.

Aleksander has seven points from eight rounds while Aleksej has
6.5 points.

Meanwhile, Armenian GM Anastasian Ashot is also on the favourites’
list with 6.5 points and will face Ukrainian GM Drozdovskij, with
six points, in the second top match of the final night.

In the eighth round, Aleksander beat Egyptian GM Bassem Amin while
Aleksrj defeated Indian international master (IM) Laxman R.R. Ashot
drew with Russian GM Ovetchkin Roman. Drozdovskij also drew with
Armenian GM Andriasian Zaven. At the same time, it was announced that
etisalat will be the official sponsors of the team of the Abu Dhabi
Chess and Culture Club (ADCCC) during the competitions held in the
Ramadan Olympics organized by the Abu Dhabi Armed Forces Officers Club
(AFOC).

Hussain Abdullah Khory, the Financial Directors of the ADCCC, told
Gulf News that his club is grateful to etisalat for supporting chess
in general and the club’s team in particular during such a big event.

"We are grateful to etisalat for their continuous support and
encouragement and I am looking forward to achieving good results in
the competition that will feature some of the top chess players in the
UAE. Our team have returned from their training camp and participation
in the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival. Our team is ready to
enter the competition."

IT WILL BE BETTER IN 2010

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17:26:34 – 19/08/2009

The deputy minister of finance Vardan Aramyan said in a news conference
on the consequences of the economic crisis that in 2009 the Armenian
economy declined by 16.3 percent , which is determined by 53 percent
decline in building and 11.3 percent decline in industries.

According to Aramyan, the situation of the world economy is similar. It
means that the developments in our economy harmonize with the world
developments. At the end of this year the decline will be 12 to 15
percent. According to Aramyan, the government injects money in the
economy because the private sector avoids investments. The sooner
the economy takes that money, the sooner growth will be reported.

The chair of the National Assembly Committee of Economic Affairs
Vardan Bostanjyan agrees with him. The member of parliament says
one of the causes of the current economic problems is the obscure
estimates by experts. I do not think it is bad to borrow money and
subsidize the economy.

Bostanjyan says there is outflow of capital which means that in Armenia
the right to property is not protected. The government takes steps
to overcome the crisis and there will be positive results in 2010,
he says.

GIRO MANOYAN SAYS TURKEY HAS YIELDED

Panorama.am
15:01 19/08/2009

"We are going to witness a hot season of political activities, as
finally, official Yerevan should define its disposition towards the
basic principles," Giro Manoyan, the head of Armenian Cause Yerevan
office told at news conference.

"I think that neither side will give a positive answer up to October
but who is going to be the first to say no, we should wait and
see. Neither side wants to be the first," politician said.

According to the expert Armenia should not wait until October and
announced about its dispositions and failing of negotiations as Turkey
has also failed them addressing certain preconditions to us. "Turkey
has changed the rules of the game just in the middle of it, hence the
negotiations are failed and stopped by Turkey for Armenia," he said.

Turkey wants to show that they have dialogue with Armenia and that
they don’t need a mediator but Armenia should alarm and recommend
pressures on Turkey. Since April 22 nothing is changed, even some
European experts say Turkey has yielded.

YOUNG ARMENIANS FROM DIASPORA VISITED ETCHMIADZIN

Panorama.am
16:22 18/08/2009

Sixty young Armenian from Armenian Diaspora of Russia, Georgia, Iran,
France, United State, Germany, who have traveled to their motherland
in the framework of "Come home" project of Diaspora Ministry, have
visited Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, press service reports. The
group has been hosted by the head of Christian Studies center priest
Vardan Navasardyan.

Armenia-Diaspora communication, devotion to the Armenian Apostolic
church, knowledge of Armenian language and the role of youth and
other related issues has been discussed.

After the meeting the group has been accompanied to the museums of
Mother See.

ELINA DANIELYAN CLOSED THE TOURNAMENT WITH 5.5 POINTS

Aysor.am
19.08.2009, 13:53

In Chalkida, Greece, the international chess tournament called
"Acropolis Open" which consisted of 9 rounds and on which was
participating also Elina Danielyan ended. On the last round the
Armenian chess player in the game against Stelios Khalkias accorded a
draw and shared the 16-26 places by 5.5 points. The tournament list was
headed by Borki Predoevich (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Khristos Banikas
(Greece), Yoannis Papioannun (Greece) and Atanas Kolev (Bulgaria).

Elina Danielyan – Stelios Khalkias 0.5:0.5 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4
e6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e3 a6 6. a4 c5 7. Bxc4 Nc6 8. O-O Be7 9. Qe2 O-O
10. Rd1 Qc7 11. b3 b6 12. Bb2 Bb7 13. d5 exd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Bxd5
Na5 16. Be5 Qc8 17. e4 Re8 18. Qb2 Bf8 19. Rac1 Bxd5 1/2:1/2:

ST HARUTYUN CHURCH IN BUGHASHEN VILLAGE OF AKHALKALAK REGION RECONSECRATED

Noyan Tapan
Aug 18, 2009

AKHALKALAK, AUGUST 18, NOYAN TAPAN. St Harutyun Church in the village
of Bughashen of Akhalkalak Region was reconsicrated by Head of the
Georgian Armenian Diocese Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian. Monk Babken
Salbian of Samtskhe-Javakhk and priests Samvel Torosian and Tadevos
Ter-Mkrtchian participated in the reconsecration ceremony followed
by the celebration of the first liturgy.

NT was informed by the press service of the Georgian Armenian Diocese
(Tbilisi) that Bughashen was full of guests who had arrived from
nearby villages of Akhalkalak and Armenia to attend the reconsecration
ceremony.

In 1830 residents of the Tandzut and Brnakapan villages in Karno
Province moved to Bughashen. During the years of resettlement,
a church was built of stone in the village with people’s donations.

In the 1860s a church parish school opened in Bughashen. The church was
damaged by the devastating earthquake in December 1899, but in 1909 he
was restored with residents’ money and functioned until the 1930s when
it was closed and turned into a storehouse, and its priest was exiled.

A hundred years after the restoration, the villagers enjoyed the
unforgettable ceremony of the church reconsecration. Khachatur
Yeghoyan, who was born in Bughashen and currently lives in Russia,
had provided money for repairs of the church. In his youth he dreamt
of seeing his grandfathers’ church repaired and functioning and now
the dream of the Yeghoyans has come true.

Bishop Mirzakhanian underlined the importance of the Yeghoyans’
charitable cause and urged those present to revive the church
traditions and rituals which were discontinued in the Soviet time.

The ceremony was attended by Chairman of the Akhalkalak Regional
Assembly Khachatur Aivazian, Chairman of the Regional Board Nairi
Iritsian, deputy of the Georgian parliament Harutyun Hovhannisian,
advisor to the Georgian minister of territorial administration Hamlet
Movsisian and other officials.

The liturgy was followed by the traditional sacrifice blessing ceremony
and a celebration.

Aysor.am
15.08.2009, 16:12

`A person is not changing the policy of the whole country’

By leaving the post of the OSCE Minsk group American co-chair, any
changes, in the US policy towards Armenia, shouldn’t be expected,
today said Lernik Aleqsanyan, the member of Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA), during the press conference.
`The change of one person will not change the policy of the country’,
– said the speaker noting that the USA has a distinct policy in the
region and it is not conditioned by people.
`It’s another thing if the country changes the policy and sends a
corresponding person. It’s another issue’, – stressed he, adding that
recently the USA within its interests is trying to solve not only the
Artsakh issue but also other regional issues.
`We can suppose that the person who will become a co-chairman will
have more strict and determined nature and in that sense will better
realize the US policy in the region’, – noted the speaker and added
that the sharpening of the relations in the region is not in the
interests of the USA, as the west here has distinct financial economic
benefits and wishes to establish stability in here.

15.08.2009, 16:12
Aysor.am

AZERIS TWISTED PINTO’S WORDS

News.am
16:13 / 08/15/2009

Diogo Pinto, Secretary General of European Movement (EM) presented
EM’s position on Karabakh issue on August 13 press conference in
Azerbaijan. Mr. Pinto underlined: "European Movement welcomes the
peaceful negotiations on Karabakh issue settlement. We support two main
principles – territorial integrity and the right of Nagorno-Karabakh
people for self-determination."

Armenian Board of European Movement made a statement, saying that
Azerbaijani mass media, Today.az in particular, twisted Pinto’s
words. That is Azerbaijani newspaper spread misinformation and
presented Karabakh settlement issue only in the context of territorial
integrity.

In response, Secretary General stated that Azeri journalists lied
and article by Today.az is misinformation.

The main purpose of Pinto’s visit was to extend cooperation with
Azerbaijan within the framework of Eastern Partnership program.

RUSSIA TO HOLD NORTH-SOUTH TRANSPORT CORRIDOR RALLY

PRESS TV
Fri Aug 14, 2009 | 06:46

The Republic of Kalmykia of the Russian Federation is planning to
hold the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) rally.

The event, which is said to be a rival for the famous Paris-Dakar
rally, will start next year with the aim of introducing and promoting
the North-South Transport Corridor.

A multi modal transportation established by Iran, Russia and India
in St. Petersburg in September 2000, the INSTC connects the Indian
Ocean and the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran, which is
then connected to St. Petersburg and North Europe via the Russian
Federation.

The INSTC was expanded to include eleven new members, namely
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey,
Ukraine, Belarus, Oman, Syria and Bulgaria.

The rally has been organized and supported by President of the Republic
of Kalmykia K.N. Ilyumzhinov to act as an international symbol for
INSTC and a way to attract international investors to the corridor.

Introducing the Iran path as a safe transportation route from Asia
to Europe and introducing the economical and commercial potentials
of the countries along INSTC are among the other aims of the project.

Organizers hope that the annual rally will introduce the corridor as
a more affordable path, compared to the Suez Canal, for transporting
products from Asia to Europe and back.

International news coverage of the rally by advertizing companies and
media will also introduce the corridor as a significant economical
route.

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