Author: admin

TURKEY, ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJAN WRANGLE OVER KARABAKH

EurasiaNet.org
es/eav120209a.shtml
Dec 2 2009
NY

Despite optimism from international negotiators about a breakthrough
on Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations, jostling among Armenia, Turkey
and Azerbaijan persisted during a December 1-2 Ministerial Council
session. The session was convened under the auspices of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

At the session, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davitoglu repeated
earlier assertions that Ankara will only proceed with plans to open
Turkey’s border with Armenia, if Yerevan makes concessions to Baku in
the Karabakh peace process, the Kavkazsky Uzel news service reported
December 2.

Armenia has insisted all along that the opening of the border should
not be linked to the Karabakh issue. These differences threaten to
dent the momentum in the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan said recently that Yerevan will not wait
forever until Ankara makes up its mind about opening the border.

But commentators in Armenia say that trade opportunities with Turkey
and international pressure may convince Yerevan to return to Azerbaijan
territories that are occupied by Armenian forces. The occupied
territories currently act as a defensive ring for Karabakh proper.

THE ILLUSIVE ‘POSITIVE’ OUTCOME OF PEACE TALKS

Asbarez
Dec 2nd, 2009

Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian speaks to reporters at
the OSCE Ministerial summit in Athens on December 2, 2009.

Public statements made by foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Athens call into question the
"progress" that was touted Tuesday by that organization’s Minsk Group
Co-chairmen, who also pressed the sides to intensify negotiations to
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

With the 17th meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council as a stage,
Azeri and Armenian foreign ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Eduard
Nalbandian presented conflicting views on the process with Mammadyarov
characterizing Armenia as an aggressor, while Nalbandian condemning
the terse military rhetoric directed toward Armenia by Azerbaijan.

"The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict still remains a
major source of instability and impediment to the economic development
and integration of the entire region of the South Caucasus into the
European and Euro-Atlantic architecture," said Mammadyarov.

"As a result of this conflict almost 20 percent of the territory
of Azerbaijan has been still occupied by Armenia, around 1 million
ethnically cleansed Azerbaijani population has become internally
displaced and refugees, thousands of Azerbaijani historical-cultural
heritage items on the occupied territories devastated and looted,"
the Azeri leader added.

Mammadyarov also said that "Providing self-governance for
Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan will be a just and durable solution,
as well as it can dramatically reduce tensions and challenges for
peace and stability in the region," and the "withdrawal of Armenian
troops in a fixed time framework from the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan will open a tremendous opportunity for the region.’

All of this came after Mammadyarov urged his international colleagues
to fully adhere to the Helsinki principles, based on which the OSCE
was founded in 1975.

"The pattern of non-compliance of one State, Azerbaijan, to the core
arms control regime, particularly by substantially exceeding maximum
levels of holdings in at least two categories of armaments set by the
Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, combined with the war
rhetoric, raises concerns about that country’s real intentions.

Azerbaijan violates one of the basic principles of the OSCE – the
principle of non-use or threat of use of force," emphasized Nalbandian
in his remarks to the Council.

"We [Armenia] are convinced that in order to create an opportunity
for the progress in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, the parties should commit to refrain from the steps that
could hamper the peace process, including the attempts, which have been
made here in the speech of the Azerbaijani minister, to misinterpret
the essence of the conflict and of the ongoing negotiations," added
Nalbandian, who also blasted efforts to use the Karabakh resolution
as a precondition for the Armenia-Turkey rapprochement process.

"Armenia is committed to a peaceful solution of the conflict, based
on the norms and principles of international law, particularly the
principles of non use or threat of use of force, self-determination
and territorial integrity, which were reflected yesterday in the
Joint Statement by the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chair countries, Armenia and Azerbaijan," emphasized Nalbandian.

And then there was Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who told
the Council that Armenia-Turkey relations could not normalize without
a resolution to the Karabakh conflict. He also expressed the same
sentiment to Mammadyarov in a separate meeting, but, reportedly,
did not discuss Karabakh while meeting with Nalbandian.

Nalbandian’s comments at the OSCE Council were a mere slap on the wrist
for Azerbaijan, whose president Ilham Aliyev last week threatened war
again ahead of a presidential meeting, which, according to conventional
wisdom, should have never taken place in light of the threats.

Armenia’s position on the military threats has been soft, at best. If
Mammadyarov’s remarks are an indication, Azerbaijan is unwilling to
budge from its position and Turkey continues to insist that without
a Karabakh agreement there will be no ties with Armenia.

We can analyze ad nauseam about which minister was more forceful
in his diplomatic overture, but the truth remains that despite the
illusive inroads in the talks, the true harbinger of things to come
is the joint statement by the Co-chairmen, who unanimously call for
the intensification process. This can only mean one thing: a deal on
the conflict is imminent and Armenia, once again, will be cornered
to sign an agreement that will compromise its national security.

AGBU Europe
131, Rue Stassart,
1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 27 62 67 97
Fax: +32 25 02 62 30

Contact: Anush Nazaryan
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +32 2 762 67 07
Web:

AGBU Europe EU Office News

Welcome to AGBU Europe’s monthly newsletter. This newsletter aims to keep
you up to date with our work with the EU.

Political decisions taken at the centre can, and do, change lives, for
better or for worse. Armenians are confronted with considerable challenges.
But much can be achieved when informed citizens, working together,
establish dialogue with public authorities. This is the spirit in which we
report on our work and seek your support.

Naturally, we only report below on our most important initiatives in
November. To find out more about our initiatives since 2008, or about AGBU
Europe itself, please go to http//en.agbueurope.org,or get in touch.

Nicolas Tavitian

Member of the Board

Armeniaca: Europe to the Rescue of Armenian Heritage

Armenian cultural heritage is at risk and urgently in need of protection.
Armenian culture has long been a prolific source of cultural productions,
including in such capitals as Tbilissi, Venice, Istanbul, Paris, Amsterdam
and Jerusalem, not to mention the Armenian historic homeland itself. Today,
invaluable documents and artefacts are scattered throughout Europe and the
middle-East, in private collections, often out of reach of researchers and
at risk of damage of loss. Most Armenian architectural heritage outside of
Armenia, and particularly in Azerbaijan and Turkey, is still imperilled by
intentional destruction, ignorance or neglect.

The European Commission granted its support to the Armeniaca project, an
ambitious endeavour to inventorize and digitalize Armenian heritage. This
two-year project under the Culture 2007-2013 programme brings together four
partners in Milan (CSDCA), Yerevan (RAA) and Brussels (Inside Europe) and
will associate all major Armenian museums and archives in Europe in the
establishment of a common database as a tool for preservation and
cooperation and as a resource for research. Crucially, the project and its
database will also serve as an instrument to educate the public, including
Armenians themselves and public authorities, of the wealth of heritage that
still exists and of the precarious conditions of its preservation.

Saint John the Baptist Monastery, Mouch, Turkey. Now disappeared, like
hundreds of other monuments.

The project held its first event in November 2009, a scientific conference
in Paris (Armenian Heritage: A Strategy for Conservation and Promotion)
which brought together key actors in the management and preservation of
Armenian heritage. It was prefaced in 2008 with a conference in the
European Parliament entitled Armenians in Turkey- a Journey of Cultural
Rediscovery where Turkish and Armenian academics, researchers and
intellectuals described how more and more Turks are rediscovering the place
of Armenian culture in Turkey’s development, a place which had been
entirely erased from official memory since the foundation of the Turkish
republic. A smaller event in April 2009 had focused on destructions in
Azerbaijan, where unfortunately state policy is still one of destroying
traces of Armenians who lived in the country until the late 1980’s.

The Armeniaca project is a significant breakthrough and AGBU Europe will
now continue to mobilize support throughout Europe and within the European
institutions for the preservation of Armenian heritage.

More on Armeniaca at

Mobilizing our MEPs

The question of Armenian heritage and culture in Europe was also one of
four key priorities AGBU Europe raised in a letter sent to each of the 736
members of the European parliament. In the same letter, AGBU Europe also
stressed that it wishes to see the institutions move fast towards Armenia’s
European integration. The Eastern Partnership launched this year is gearing
up, which may become significant for Armenia. We will return to this topic,
and to AGBU Europe’s plan on the matter, in future editions.

Our letter to MEPs also stressed that the EU must now work for development
and peace in Nagorno- Karabakh, a region ravaged by war in the early 1990s
and where the Union still has no presence whatsoever. AGBU Europe launched
its campaign for Karabakh in September. Helping the people of Karabakh and
preventing war is a common-sense action which is fully in line with EU
values and interests. But we will need all the support we can get to
achieve it.

Finally, the EU must make it clear to Turkey that a complete turnaround in
its policy towards Armenians is in order if it hopes to join the EU (yes,
including recognition of the 1915 genocide). Right now, that means the
ratification and full implementation of the protocols signed on October 10,
2009. No ifs, no buts.

Find our letter to the Members of the European parliament at:
[ ers-mep/ ]
-mep/

Home of the Karabakh campaign:
gbu-position-paper-on-nk-and-eu.pdf

Join the Karabakh campaign on facebook:

Inauguration of the AGBU Europe EU representation office in Brussels,
October 23, 2009

This is the monthly newsletter of AGBU Europe’s office for relations with
the EU institutions.

AGBU Europe is the European branch of the Armenian General Benevolent
Union (AGBU). Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s
largest non-profit Armenian organization and serves some 400 000 Armenians
worldwide. AGBU Europe coordinates and develops the pan-European activities
of the organization; it preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and
heritage through programmes in the fields of education,, leadership
training, cultural, cultural heritage, humanitarian and EU public affairs.
[]

As an independent, non governmental organization AGBU Europe is dependent
on the involvement of all those who share its purpose and objectives. Help,
donations and feedback are always welcome. Please contact
[mailto:[email protected]] [email protected].

Anush Nazaryan

131, rue de Stassart,

Brussels, Belgium

[mailto:[email protected]] [email protected]

+32 2 762 67 07

131,rue Stassart,1050,Brussels,Belgium.T:+32 27 62 67 97,F:+32 25 02 62
30,E:[email protected],W:agbueeurope.org
This message was sent by: Anush Nazaryan, 131, Stassart street, Brussels, Brussels 1050, Belgium

PETROSSIAN WINS READERS’ CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST CAVIAR RETALIER

Luxist
November 30, 2009 Monday 10:02 AM EST

Nov. 30, 2009 (AOL Weblogs delivered by Newstex) — Petrossian is
the winner of the Readers’ Choice award in the Best Caviar Retailer
category.

Perhaps the most storied of caviar’s purveyors, Petrossian traces its
roots to a pair of Armenian brothers who brought their love of roe
from the shores of the Caspian Sea to the edge of the Atlantic in the
1920s. Melkoum and Mouchegh Petrossian migrated from Eastern Europe
to Paris to continue their studies in law and medicine, but found
the City of Light woefully devoid of their favorite Russian delicacy.

Since then, Petrossian has grown to become the premier buyer and
importer of Russian caviar worldwide. Its Tsar Imperial label graces
some of the finest Beluga, Ossetra and Sevruga on the market. To
this day, the company insists that members of the Petrossian family
personally select the best of every Russian caviar catch.

Fortunately for those whose appetite for adventure doesn’t outweigh
the appetite for quality caviar, accompanying modern-day Petrossians
on a Russian fishing scow isn’t the only way to enjoy their caviar.

The company offers delivery, as well as restaurant locations in Los
Angeles, Las Vegas and New York.

Founded in 1984, New York’s Petrossian restaurant is a special treat.

Ideally located for opera goers of discerning taste, it’s housed in
the historic Alwyn Court Building on Manhattan’s West Side, one block
from Carnegie Hall and four blocks from Lincoln Center. Melkoum and
Mouchegh would most certainly be proud.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CONDUCTS A NUMBER OF MEETINGS IN ATHENS

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 1, 2009
YEREVAN

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan participated December 1
in the non-official gathering of foreign ministers of the CSTO member
states during which the participants discussed issues on the agenda
of the 17th session of the OSCE Ministerial Council to clarify and
combine the positions. Foreign ministers of Armenia, Russia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in
the event.

Edward Nalbandyan also conducted a number of bilateral meetings. At
the meeting with the Estonian counterpart Urmas Paet the parties
expressed delight over regular contacts, registering that they give
good opportunity to control the implementation of the achieved
arrangements and point out new steps directed toward development
of relations.

Urmas Paet reconfirmed the invitation of the head of the Estonian
government Andrus Ansipi to the Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
to visit Tallinn.

Armenian foreign minister presented to his Estonian counterpart the
recent developments over Karabakh conflict regulation.

The ministers also discussed a number of issues on expanding
cooperation in the sphere of training of diplomatic staff.

In Athens Edward Nalbandyan met with his Slovakian counterpart Miroslav
Laycak. The ministers, noting the readiness of undertaking practical
steps toward development of bilateral relations, discussed issues on
organization of high-level mutual visits, expansion of legal-agreement
field, activation of economic ties and promotion of partnership in
humanitarian sphere.

The two ministers also reached an arrangement on conduction of regular
consultations between the two ministries.

Slovakian minister welcomed the steps directed toward the normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations and expressed readiness of his country
to that process.

Armenian foreign minister also met with his Turkish counterpart Ahmed
Davudoghlu and discussed issues on ratification of Armenian-Turkish
protocols signed October 10.

;AID= 4328&CID=4072&IID=1263&lng=eng

Azerba ijan is offended by `Euronews’ for `pro-Karabakh’ report
By Georg Khachaturyan

Published: 02 December, 2009

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan is upset over a Euronews
TV broadcast on Nagorno-Karabakh, in which the self-proclaimed
republic was referred to as `a real Armenian region’.

The program aired last week, prompting a protest from the Azeris who
wrote a letter to the France-based network accusing it of a `one-sided
portrayal of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.’

The report by presenter Michael Raikhman `Nagorno-Karabakh: Wind of
Change’, included comments by Armenian studies Professor Bernard
Coulie in which he said: `Karabakh is a fascinating region which has
very much the same culture as Armenia. We are in a real Armenian
region with a Christian background, which is very important. We are in
the heart of Armenia but not in a political sense. That is also very
interesting.’

Official Baku took issue, too, with the report identifying Bako
Sahakyan as President of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.
(Azerbaijan, and most international bodies, maintain that NKR remains
a disputed enclave of Azerbaijan and that its government is
illegitimate.)

As Azeri Trend News Agency reports, the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan
assigned a commission at the Embassy of Azerbaijan to France to
investigate the reasons of the occurrence of such a news coverage on
Euronews.

Euronews TV, founded in 1993, broadcasts in 135 countries, with an
estimated 248 million viewers.

PHARMACEUTICS COMPETITIVENESS FORUM LAUNCHES IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.12.2009 18:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Pharmaceutics competitiveness forum has launched
in Yerevan, with representatives of government, international
organizations, business unions and pharmaceutists among participants.

Ara Babloyan, RA NA healthcare issues’ committee chairman, and David
Hull, Economic Growth Office director at US Agency for International
Development opened the conference.

The event aimed at discussion of current situation, development
perspectives and collaboration strengthening in pharmaceutics.

RA DELEGATES TO PACE DISAPPROVED ZARUHI POSTANJYAN’S PROPOSAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.12.2009 18:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On November 16, Heritage faction MP Zaruhi Postanjyan
attended PACE Monitoring Committee’s session together with Armenian
delegation.

Armenian MP introduced a draft resolution envisaging rejection
of candidacies proposed by states which are in monitoring or
post-monitoring phase.

Such initiative received support by delegates representing 5 countries
"I was the only Armenian delegate to undersign the document. And
statements that the resolution may undermine Armenia’s EU process are
groundless since chairmanship there is based on rotation principle,"
Postanjyan told today a news conference in Yerevan.

Under the resolution, the representative of a monitored country can
become a PACE chairperson in case of complying with all commitments
in the sphere of human rights.

In that regard, Postanjyan finds the document additional stimulus
for Armenia.

EIF CHAIRMAN PROPOSES TAX EXEMPTION FOR COMPUTER SALE

news.am
Nov 30 2009
Armenia

Armenian IT companies are among leaders on the world market,
while Armenia is among outsiders in terms of computer users, Bargat
Yengibaryan, Director of the Enterprises Incubator Foundation (EIF),
stated at the forum "IT leaders’ casual meeting" in Aghveran, Armenia,
on November 28-29.

This is evidence of the Government’s erroneous steps in developing the
Armenian IT sector, Yengibaryan said. He pointed out that the gaps can
yet be filled. Specifically, he proposes exemption of computer sale
from the value-added tax (VAT). "The measure will stimulate demand
and make computers affordable for socially vulnerable sections,"
Yengibaryan said.

He also reported the commencement of a pilot program "Computers for
everyone" in Armenia, which has already produced impressive results –
1,000 computers on average are sold a month.

Greater achievements can be expected if computers are exempted from
VAT. Yengibaryan proposed two ways of resolving the problem: exempting
computer sale from the VAT or channeling the tax revenues to social
problems in this field. The latter option will enable the Government
to provide more effective selective aid to socially vulnerable
families. "Our aims is to bring the percentage computer-literate
population from the current 5% up to 70% by 2018. It is an ambitious
task, which is impossible to accomplish without radical changes,"
Yengibaryan said.

WEIGHTLIFTER HRIPSIME KHURSHUDIAN BECOMES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BRONZE EDAL-WINNER

NOYAN TAPAN
NOVEMBER 30, 2009
GOYANG

GOYANG, NOVEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The 7th representative of Armenia,
Hripsime Khurshudian (75 kg, Kasakh) performed on November 28 in the
World Weightlifting Championship being held in the city of Goyang,
South Korea. In the women’s tournament she became the 3rd in the clean
(120 kg) and jerk (147 kg) exercises and in the biathlon (267 kg).

And Svetlana Pobedova (Kazakhstan) became a champion (132 kg + 160 kg =
292 kg). She also established 4 world records.

Armenia’s weightlifting national team returned to Yerevan on November
30. The Armenian national team gained 12 medals in Goyang Championship,
3 gold, 4 silver and 5 bronze. It took the 4th place in the team
competition.