Armenian News

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin will not participate in the liturgy in
Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar
By Times.am at 5 September, 2010, 2:00 pm

`The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin regretted to learn that a
consecrated cross will not be set atop Holy Cross Chuch on Akhtamar,
as was promised by the Turkish government. The government promised
that the cross will be set and consecrated a week prior to the
liturgy. But it has not happened. To meet the wish of Constantinople
Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church, we were going to send
two priests for participation in the liturgy. However, it is
impossible given the current situation. Representatives of the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin will not participate in the liturgy in Holy
Cross Church on Akhtamar,' reads the statement of the press service of
the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

Reuters
Sept 4 2010
Two dead in fresh clash over rebel Caucasus region
By Hasmik Mkrtchyan and Afet Mehtiyeva

YEREVAN/BAKU, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Two Azeri soldiers were killed in
fighting on Saturday near rebel Nagorno-Karabakh, in the second clash
in days on the front lines of the enclave's conflict with Azerbaijan.

Each side accused the other of launching "sabotage" attacks in the
early hours of Saturday morning.

Skirmishes are common around the mountain region, where Christian
ethnic Armenians threw off rule by Muslim Azerbaijan with the support
of Armenia in fighting that erupted as the Soviet Union collapsed two
decades ago.

The unresolved conflict is a constant threat to stability in the South
Caucasus, a region bordering Russia, Iran and Turkey, and
criss-crossed by pipelines carrying oil and gas to Europe.

The Azeri Defence Ministry said its forces suffered the casualties
when repelling an Armenian attack. It initially said one soldier was
killed and another wounded. Private Azeri broadcaster ANS and the APA
news agency, citing the ministry, later reported that the wounded
soldier had also died.

The Nagorno-Karabakh army had said in a statement earlier that it had
fought off an assault by an Azeri sabotage unit at the northeastern
section of the front line on Saturday morning.

"As a result of the measures taken by the Karabakh side ... the Azeris
were driven back, leaving one body," it said, adding that no Armenians
were killed.

On Tuesday, Azerbaijan said two of its soldiers and three Armenians
had died in fighting. Armenian-backed forces in Nagorno-Karabakh
denied suffering any losses in that clash.

Speaking the next day, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev promised his
country's flag would again fly over Nagorno-Karabakh. Oil-producing
Azerbaijan, host to oil majors including BP , ExxonMobil 
and Chevron , frequently threatens to take the region back by
force and has spent heavily on its military in recent years.

An estimated 30,000 people died in the war which ended with a
ceasefire but no peace deal in 1994. Armenian forces hold seven Azeri
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh which form a land corridor with
Armenia. (Writing by Matt Robinson; editing by David Stamp)


news.am, Armenia
Sept 4 2010
Azerbaijan admits its own acts of sabotage

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense released its version of the
September 4 skirmish in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. A press
release issued by the Azerbaijani defense office shows a skirmish
occurred, and the Azerbaijani side lost two servicemen, with one
injured. The ANS TV reports that the killed servicemen were officers
and `the body of one of them remained in the opposite side.'

The report proves that the act of sabotage on the contact line was
organized by Azerbaijan. Otherwise, an Azeri officer's body in the
Nagorno-Karabakh territory can hardly be explained.

On September 4, at 6:50 a.m. Yerevan time, two kilometers north-east
of Jraberd, the Azeri side attempted another act of sabotage. The
Nagorno-Karabakh side took retaliatory actions. As a result of a
skirmish, the Azeri task force was thrown back, leaving one dead in
the NKR territory. In retreating, the Azeri soldiers were wounded by a
blown up mine. The NKR side does not report any losses.

The Azeri side has lately committed acts of sabotage. On August 31, on
the contact line near Verin Chailu, the Azeri side attempted an act of
sabotage. The Armenian soldier Rusik Manaseryan was wounded.

On June 18, near Chailu, an Azeri reconnaissance detachment entered
penetrated to the Nagorno-Karabakh territory. As a result, four
Armenian soldiers were killed and another four wounded.

Aysor, Armenia
Sept 4 2010
Gerard Depardieu arrived in Yerevan

French famous actor Gerard Depardieu arrived in Yerevan in the frames
of `Karot' Armenian international festival. The renowned famous actor
will have a meeting with the reporters in the National Assembly.

Gerard Depardieu will have a meeting with President of Armenia and
National Assembly Speaker.

It's worth reminding `Karot' international festival kicked off on 2
September in Stepanakert and will continue in Yerevan.

news.az, Azerbaijan
Sept 3 2010
'I don't think Armenia has 10-15 years to survive'

Economic cooperation is dominating in the relations between Russia and
Azerbaijan so far.

But by results of the current visit of President Medvedev the
Azerbaijani side will clarify something for itself, political
scientist Rasim Musabeyov told in the interview.

According to the political scientist, the things Azerbaijan will
clarify will influence the further relations with Russia.

'For example, Russia does not want Azerbaijan to deepen strategic
partnership with Georgia. And depending on what President Medvedev
says in Baku, we can make cooperation with Georgia more accelerated or
slow down the rates.

There are many other levers and ways to express dissatisfaction, in
particular `gas lever' - Nabucco project and other big projects which
do not meet Russia's interests. I think Russia understands well that
Azerbaijan always has choice and partners to attain its goals,
including on the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

Certainly, in any development of the situation the relations between
us and Russia will not acquire the nature of the Russian-Georgian
relations. But the shift in the Russian-Azerbaijani relations to the
right or the left can be quite big and in this respect Azerbaijan has
a vast field for political maneuvers'.

Musabeyov also noted that he does not think Armenia has 10-15 years to
survive in conditions of hard socioeconomic situation.

'Also Russia has communications with Armenia which if not restored may
lead to the direct worsening of strategic cooperation between these
countries, political scientist Rasim Musabeyov told in an interview.

In particular, Russia is going to build a nuclear power station in
Armenia but it is unclear how they will supply big cargo, details and
units of new nuclear power station from Russia. They cannot do it via
Georgia and Iran. Therefore, I think Russia itself is interested in
deblocking the region which is impossible without the resolution of
the Karabakh conflict. The way Russia is going to do it  could be
understood by results of Medvedev's visit'.