Author: Chakrian Hovsep

Z. KANDASOGHLU: "THE CROSS WILL BE PUT ON THE TOP OF CHURCH"

Aysor
May 13 2010
Armenia

The St. Khach (Cross) Church of Akhtamar Island in Lake Van will be
officially opened on September 12, said Zahir Kandasoglu, the Chairman
of Van Chamber of Commerce and Industry and invited all the Armenian
people to be present on that ceremony.

It was in 2007 that the opening ceremony of that church was held,
but it was without the church then.

"The cross will be placed on the church. The governor of Van is
working on that issue and that question will be solved till the end
of this month," Z. Kandasoghlu assured.

The Turkish official also touched upon the Armenian Genocide taken
place in 1915. "There have surely taken place some painful events
between our nations which didn’t have to take place, but unfortunately
such events take place. On the territories of other countries such
events also took place."

Z. Kandasoghlu assured that the present generation of Turkey doesn’t
accept it. According to him the new generation wishes to have good
relations with Armenia and the Armenian people, open the borders and
develop the economic relations and trade.

THE PILOTE PROJECT "TIGRAN" OF ORANGE ARMENIA IS REWARDED FOR INNOVATION BY FRANCE TELECOM GROUP

NOYAN TAPAN
MAY 12, 2010
YEREVAN

The project "T.I.GR.A.N" (Tower InterGRated Armenian Network) of
Orange Armenia has been rewarded by the France Telecom Group for
innovation during the award ceremony in Paris.

According to press release of Orange Armenia, in a little time,
Orange Armenia team built a project which will not only enrich France
Telecom/Orange experience, but also allow to build mobile networks
with much less costs and time.

Before this project all equipments were generally installed near
the tower, on the ground floor, on a dedicated concrete slab. The
innovation of TIGRAN consists in the structure of the site: the
equipments are installed directly on a platform inside the tower. This
new concept allows optimizing GSM Greenfield site design: space,
construction time and costs.

"The TIGRAN team consists of Armenian and French engineers, and
that’s the result of their joint research. We are a part of a big
Group, and this idea will be used in the future during other network
roll-out projects," said Bruno Duthoit, CEO of Orange Armenia.

The first TIGRAN tower was installed in June 2009. Since more than
100 towers were built with this new principle.

AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT: THE WOODROW WILSON CENTER DESECRATES ITS NAMESAKE’S LEGACY AND VIOLATES ITS CONGRESSIONAL MANDATE
By David Boyajian*

2010/ 05/08 | 12:41

Feature Stories politics

Is the Woodrow Wilson Center seeking to discredit the Treaty of
Sèvres on its 90th anniversary by honoring Turkish Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu?

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th American president, is looking down in horror
at what the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWC;
WilsonCenter.org) is doing in his name.

Most Americans are not aware of the DC-based organization, or that
their taxes comprise one-third of its multi-million dollar annual
budget.

The WWC was created by Congress in 1968 through the Woodrow Wilson
Memorial Act to commemorate the late president’s "ideals and concerns"
and memorialize "his accomplishments."

The WWC has in several ways, however, violated its Congressional
mandate.

The WWC itself claims that it "takes seriously his [Wilson’s] views."

In fact, it has knowingly disregarded many of his views.

And while it professes "to take a historical perspective," the WWC
often closes its eyes to history.

Case in point: In mid-June of this year, the WWC plans to travel to
Turkey to bestow its coveted Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service
on Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Curiously, the WWC won’t provide this writer with a press release
about it. We know about the award only from the Turkish media and a
call to the WWC’s communications chief.

AN UNDESERVED AWARD

The WWC’s President/Director, former Congressman Lee Hamilton (he
recently announced he would be leaving the organization), says that
Davutoglu "personifies the attributes we seek to honor at the Woodrow
Wilson Center" and has "catalyzed" Turkish policy.

It is appalling that the WWC would honor a top official of a country
that in so many ways is a major human rights violator. Moreover,
Davutoglu’s own record – including his much- ballyhooed "zero problems
with neighbors" policy – is undistinguished.

But even more to the point, Davutoglu’s policies are the very
antithesis of Woodrow Wilson’s "ideals and concerns."

TURKISH TEMPER TANTRUMS

Let us start with Davutoglu’s eruption against America due to a
US House committee’s approval in March of a resolution (Res. 252)
that reaffirmed the factuality of, and historic US interest in,
the Armenian genocide of 1915-23 committed by Turkey.

Turkey immediately recalled its ambassador. Davutoglu then announced
that the House committee vote was an insult to his country’s "honour,"
as if Turkey’s continuing cover-up of genocide is somehow honorable. A
top official of Turkey’s ruling AK Party threatened the US with
"consequences." Turkey’s relationship with America, he warned, "would
be downgraded at every level … from Afghanistan to Pakistan to Iraq
to the Middle East process … there would be a major disruption."

These were not just nasty overreactions by Turkey. They were also
nonsensical. The US has, after all, reaffirmed the Armenian genocide as
"genocide" at least five times: three resolutions passed by the full
House (1975, 1984, and 1996); an official proclamation (No. 4838) by
President Reagan (1981); and a US legal filing with the International
Court of Justice (1951).

MORE TANTRUMS

Davutoglu threw the same sort of tantrum a week later – withdrawing
his ambassador and making threats – when the Swedish Parliament
recognized the Armenian genocide.

Turkey has thrown similar fits when some 20 other countries, the
European Parliament, a UN sub-commission, the Vatican, and others
recognized the Armenian genocide.

No other alleged "ally" threatens the US as frequently and consistently
as does Turkey.

Thus, far from "catalyzing" Turkey’s policies, the foreign minister is
carrying on his government’s tradition of threats and genocide denial.

If such behavior "personifies the attributes" that the WWC "seeks to
honor," the Center’s standards must be low indeed.

DAVUTOGLU’S DOUBLE STANDARDS

"Turkey will not allow anyone else to evaluate its history," Davutoglu
blustered after the House committee and Swedish Parliament votes.

He seems unaware that countries constantly evaluate other countries’
histories. Davutoglu evidently thinks that Turkey should be uniquely
exempt from the judgments of others.

Davutoglu also seems blissfully unaware that the United Nations,
the US, and many other nations and international organizations have
condemned and continue to condemn various countries’ past (and present)
crimes such as the Holocaust, genocides, bloody revolutions, and crimes
against humanity. These include the genocide now taking place in Sudan.

Not surprisingly, Turkey and Davutoglu have a horrendous record
regarding Sudan.

THE TURKEY-SUDAN GENOCIDE AXIS

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was invited to visit Turkey two years
ago while he was under indictment by the International Criminal Court
(ICC) for "war crimes and crimes against humanity."

Human rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch, blasted Turkey for
inviting the Sudanese dictator. Turkey defiantly proceeded to welcome
al-Bashir with a red carpet, an honor guard, and a 21-gun salute.

True to Turkey’s tradition of genocide denial, President Abdullah
Gul downplayed the Sudanese mass killings, attributing them solely to
"politics … poverty and environmental conditions."

Then last year, after Davutoglu’s appointment, the Turkish government
once again invited al-Bashir, the target of an ICC international
arrest warrant. Only after a huge international outcry was the visit
eventually canceled. Davutoglu, like his country, has a blind spot
when it comes to genocides.

In the meantime, of course, Davutoglu’s Turkey has been busy accusing
other countries – notably China and Israel – of genocide. The hypocrisy
is incredible. Should not Turkey first acknowledge its own genocides
against not only Armenians but also Assyrians, Greeks, and Kurds?

Now we know why some have dubbed Turkey and Sudan the "axis of
genocide."

But Davutoglu and Turkey’s failures involve much more than tantrums,
threats, genocide, and hypocrisy.

DAVUTOGLU’S OTHER FAILURES

Despite Turkey’s so-called "zero problems with neighbors" policy,
Davutoglu has largely continued, not "catalyzed," his country’s
failed policies.

For example, there is no end in sight to Turkey’s 36-year long military
occupation of northern Cyprus. "Zero problems with neighbors"?

Turkey’s alleged rapprochement last year with Armenia, which Turkey
has blockaded since 1993, also disproves the WWC’s assertions about
Davutoglu. When he negotiated and signed a set of controversial
protocols with Armenia last year, Turkey said that these would open
a new chapter with its eastern neighbor.

Both countries’ parliaments were then supposed to quickly ratify
the protocols.

Though many Armenians believe that parts of the protocols are contrary
to Armenia’s interests, the Armenian Parliament has been ready to
ratify them.

Davutoglu, however, quickly reverted to his government’s old
precondition: Turkey would neither ratify the protocols nor open
its border with Armenia unless Armenians concluded an agreement with
Azerbaijan regarding Karabagh, the Armenian region that Stalin handed
to Soviet Azerbaijan and which declared independence from Azerbaijan
in 1991.

Turkey’s backpedaling was condemned by the parties that mediated the
protocols – the US, Russia, and Switzerland – as well as the European
Union. Due to Davutoglu’s duplicity, the protocols have stalled and
may die. "Zero problems with neighbors"?

And regardless of one’s views on American policy towards Iran and
Israel, it is known that Turkey’s overheated, undiplomatic rhetoric
is designed primarily to please a Muslim audience at home and in the
Middle East. Turkey’s intemperate language has simply poured oil on
fires and complicated American efforts in the region.

Turkey’s Kurdish problems, both within the country and across the
border in Iraq, remain unsolved. Raids into northern Iraq by Turkish
troops are not a solution.

Even Turkey’s offers to "mediate" regional disputes look rather
contrived given that Turkey has not faced many of its own problems
with neighbors.

"Zero problems with neighbors" is a hollow catchphrase. A more
accurate name would be Turkey’s longstanding "zero Armenians as
neighbors" policy.

Aside, perhaps, from improved Turkish relations with Syria, and a
lot of braggadocio and spin, Davutoglu has "catalyzed" essentially
nothing for the better. He is surely grateful, though, to Lee Hamilton
and the WWC for implying otherwise.

Let us now examine President Woodrow Wilson’s record to see how the
WWC has besmirched his name and violated its Congressional mandate.

DESECRATING WILSON’S IDEALS AND CONCERNS

President Wilson advocated the right to self-determination of all the
nations, particularly Armenia, that suffered under Turkey’s corrupt,
violent yoke.

His and America’s support for Armenians – politically, financially,
and verbally – was immense and is well-documented. Yet the WWC chooses
to desecrate that record by honoring a Turkish official who denies the
Armenian genocide, threatens the American people, plays games with the
protocols it signed with Armenia, and continues to blockade Armenia.

Wilson enunciated his famous Fourteen Points, based on a just peace,
in 1918, before the end of WW I. Point Twelve left no room for doubt:
The non-Turkish "nationalities which are now under Turkish rule should
be assured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested
opportunity of autonomous development." He was referring to Armenians,
Arabs, Assyrians, Greeks, Kurds, and others.

Unlike the proposed award to Davutoglu, Wilson’s was well-deserved:
He received the Nobel Peace Prize of 1919 because of his Fourteen
Points and his advocacy of the League of Nations.

Reporting to Wilson during the genocide was his good friend and
ambassador to Turkey, Henry Morgenthau, Sr. The ambassador cabled
Washington in 1915 that Turkey was engaged in a "campaign of race
extermination" against Armenians. The American Embassy served as a
channel for Armenian massacre reports arriving from various parts of
the Turkish empire. US Consul Leslie A. Davis, who actually witnessed
the genocide in the interior, wrote, "I do not believe there has ever
been a massacre in the history of the world so general and thorough."

At Wilson’s direction, Morgenthau gave to Turkish leaders the
British-French-Russian declaration of 1915 that dealt specifically
with the Armenian mass murders. "All members of the Ottoman Government
and those of its agents who are implicated in such massacres," read
the declaration, will be held "personally responsible" for "the new
crimes of Turkey."

By proposing to honor a genocide denier, the WWC’s Lee Hamilton is
implying that Ambassador Morgenthau and American consuls were liars.

Referring to Turkey’s crimes against humanity, Wilson spoke these
words in Salt Lake City a year after WW I: "Armenia is to be redeemed
so that at last this great people, struggling through this night of
terror … are now given a promise of safety, a promise of justice."

AMERICA AND ARMENIA

In the spring of 1920, under the terms of the Treaty of Sèvres,
the European Allies asked Wilson to arbitrate the boundary between
Turkey and Armenia within the four Armenian provinces of "Erzerum,
Trebizond, Van, and Bitlis." Wilson agreed. He had already sent 50
American researchers to survey the people and land.

In November, the president delivered the US decision: Armenia would
include more than 40,000 square miles within those four provinces and
a Black Sea coastline. Europe also asked America to accept a mandate
over Armenia – that is, physical protection from Turkey while Armenians
got back on their feet.

Though Congress, in a post-war isolationist mood, eventually declined
his appeal for the Armenian mandate, Wilson’s written request noted
that "the hearings conducted by the subcommittee of the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations have clearly established the truth of
the reported massacres and other atrocities from which the Armenian
people have suffered."

The Senate report, Wilson went on, embodied his "own convictions and
feelings with regard to Armenia and its people." Americans, he said,
"have made the cause of Armenia their own" and had responded with
"extraordinary spontaneity and sincerity." These were understatements.

Turkey signed the Treaty of Sèvres but later repudiated it.

Incidentally, had Turkey fulfilled its obligations under Sèvres and
Wilson’s binding arbitration, much of the Kurdish issue would have
been resolved 90 years ago. The treaty stipulated an autonomous
Kurdish zone – just below the Armenian provinces – in southeastern
Turkey and, conditionally, in northern Iraq that may eventually have
become independent.

Under Turkish and Soviet attack, in December of 1920 independent
Armenia was forcibly Sovietized, cut to a fraction of its size,
and became landlocked. The Armenian provinces remain under Turkish
occupation to this day, while Turkey blockades what remains of Armenia.

THE WWC DEFIES CONGRESS

The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Act of 1968 was unambiguous: The WWC
was meant to express the 28th president’s "ideals and concerns"
and memorialize "his accomplishments."

If it proceeds with its award to Davutoglu, the WWC will be reaffirming
its disregard for Wilson’s "ideals and concerns" regarding the
genocide, America’s support for Armenians, and liberating their land
from Turkish rule. Similarly, Wilson’s "accomplishments" – securing
aid for Armenian survivors,

US arbitration of Armenia’s boundaries under the Sèvres Treaty,
and more – are being ignored and mocked by the WWC.

The WWC is insulting Armenian Americans and all those who survived
the Turkish nightmare.

If Lee Hamilton’s own claim that WWC takes "a historical perspective"
were true, it would not honor a man – and by extension the Turkish
government – who unashamedly negate the historical record.

Is the Wilson Center seeking to discredit the Treaty of Sèvres on
its 90th anniversary by honoring Davutoglu?

MASSACRING HISTORY

The WWC may try to claim that it has dealt substantially and fairly
with its namesake’s views and accomplishments regarding the Armenian
genocide.

As near as can be determined from a search of the WWC’s public records,
however, that claim would be false. This writer has found very little
about the genocide, and most of that is from a Turkish revisionist
perspective.

Two years ago, the WWC’s Southeast Europe division did host a scholar
who discussed Turkish policy and the Armenian genocide. And twenty-four
years ago, the WWC’s Wilson Quarterly had a one-page piece about an
article published elsewhere that discussed the genocide.

In contrast, four years ago, the Wilson Quarterly published a
sycophantic review praising a widely criticized book by a notorious
genocide denier. And two years back, a former US State Department
official who dealt with Turkey (and is presently an advisor for the
Turkish Policy Quarterly) wrote a mere two sentences about the Sèvres
Treaty – solely from the Turkish perspective – in a WWC-sponsored paper
about Turkey. The Wilson Center’s website contains a nine-year old
article written by a former US Army officer who denies the genocide.

This is a disgraceful record.

A year ago, the editors of the journal Genocide Studies and Prevention
initiated a symposium that critiqued the report of the US-sponsored
Genocide Prevention Task Force (GPTF). While the symposium used the
WWC’s facilities, the WWC was not a cosponsor, reportedly took little
or no part, and thus cannot claim credit for it.

In any case, nothing can justify the Wilson Center’s proposed award
for Davutoglu.

The question begs to be asked: Does the WWC have any questionable
links to Turkey or Armenian genocide deniers?

TURKISH-TAINTED CORPORATE CASH

A look at WWC’s funding sources reveals that it is up to its neck in
corporate cash, including Turkish-tainted cash.

One major corporation – Boeing – that is a member of the WWC’s
so-called WilsonAlliances wrote a letter to Congress asking it to
defeat the Armenian Genocide Resolution (Res. 252).

Two other WilsonAlliances members – BAE and Chevron – have reportedly
lobbied Congress to defeat the Armenian resolution.

Four WilsonAlliances members – Alcoa, Boeing, Bombardier, and Honeywell
– are dues-paying members of the Aerospace Industries Association
(AIA), which has asked President Obama and Congress to ensure that
Res. 252 "doesn’t go to the House floor for a vote." AIA refers to
the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians as merely "the events."

Six WilsonAlliances members – BAE, Bechtel, Boeing, Chevron, Coca
Cola, and Exxon-Mobil – are also dues paying members of the American
Turkish Council (ATC). The ATC calls itself a "business association."

Its membership includes over 100 major Turkish and American
corporations. Among its leadership team of some 100 Turks and
Americans, it is nearly impossible to find even one person who is
not a top corporate executive, former military officer, or former
government official. The ATC has long lobbied against Armenian
genocide resolutions. Former Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, chairman of
its Executive Committee, once told Congress that what happened to
Armenians is "widely disputed."

ATC member Lockheed-Martin Corp., which penned a letter opposing the
Armenian resolution, has also contributed money to the WWC.

DLA PIPER AND OTHER TURKISH LOBBYISTS

DLA Piper is a gigantic, worldwide legal and corporate services firm
that has registered with the US government as a foreign agent for
Turkey. The firm is well-known for having lobbied against Armenian
Americans and is currently setting up an office in Istanbul.

Ignacio Sanchez is a lawyer employed by DLA Piper. He "represents
national and international clients on a broad range of issues
… before Congress" for his firm.

Sanchez also happens to sit on the Wilson Center’s Board of Trustees.

DLA Piper’s contract with Turkey states that its "services shall
include … preventing the introduction, debate and passage of
legislation and other U.S. government action that harms Turkey’s
interests and image."

DLA Piper has partially subcontracted its Turkish role to The
Livingston Group. Headed by former disgraced House Speaker Robert
Livingston, who denies the Armenian genocide and lobbies against
Armenian genocide resolutions, it has been a registered agent of
Turkey.

DLA Piper also has what it terms a "strategic alliance" with The Cohen
Group (TCG), headed by former Defense Secretary William Cohen. TCG
represents large corporations who do business with Turkey. It is an
ATC member, and two of its employees sit on the ATC Advisory Board.

TCG’s Vice President, Marc Grossman, was the US ambassador to Turkey
from 1994-97. Among former diplomats, he is probably Turkey’s biggest
defender.

He has opposed passage of Armenian genocide resolutions. A few years
ago, Grossman reportedly joined Ilhas Holding, a Turkish firm.

It is also known that whistleblower and former FBI translator Sibel
Edmonds has made very serious allegations about the ATC, Grossman,
and Turkey. These have not yet been adjudicated in a court of law.

And whom did the WWC recently select to be one of its "Public Policy
Scholars"? Marc Grossman.

The WWC seems to be quite fond of corporations (and their money),
lobbying firms, and people strongly affiliated with Turkey that in
many cases oppose acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide.

The above barely skims the surface of the Wilson Center’s cozy
financial relationships with huge corporations.

PLAYING WITH GENOCIDE INQUIRIES

We must digress briefly for an example of how former government
officials work their way into genocide inquiries that are best left
to those more suitable.

Former Defense Secretary William Cohen (of the Turkish-affiliated TCG)
and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright chaired the Genocide
Prevention Task Force mentioned above.

As private citizens, Cohen and Albright opposed the Armenian Genocide
Resolution. Their appointment to the GPTF was thus justifiably
criticized as incompatible with its very purpose.

The GPTF was jointly convened by the Congressionally-funded,
so-called US Institute of Peace, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum,
and the American Academy of Diplomacy (AAD).

The latter is composed of former high-level US State Department
officials. AAD’s chairman is retired ambassador Thomas Pickering. He
was formerly a VP of Boeing, the same company that has beseeched
Congress not to pass the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

The GPTF’s final 147-page report (Preventing Genocide: a Blueprint
for US Policymakers) contained just two miniscule references to the
Armenian genocide. Sure enough, they used the terms "forced exile" and
"atrocities", not genocide. The report was also widely criticized by
scholars. Incidentally, who sits on the AAD’s Board? If you guessed
the ubiquitous Marc Grossman of the Wilson Center and pro-Turkish TCG,
you’d be correct.

CORPORATE PERKS

The WWC provides many benefits to corporations that contribute money
to its WilsonAlliances. For example, they receive "complimentary use"
of the WWC’s facilities, the Reagan Federal Building, blocks from
the White House. They also get "private customized meetings with
[WWC] staff and scholars to discuss policy issues that are specific
to your business interests."

Did WWC/Turkish-affiliated corporations use "private customized
meetings" to urge the WWC to honor Davutoglu, perhaps in expectation
that it would enhance their "business interests" with Turkey?

Did any WWC/Turkish-affiliated lobbying firm or person ask the WWC
to give Davutoglu an award?

We don’t know the answers to these questions. Only those corporations,
lobbyists, and other figures, together with Lee Hamilton and WWC
personnel, can answer them, preferably under oath.

In a phone message, Sharon Coleman McCarter, WWC Communications
Director, said that the Center is honoring the Turkish Foreign Minister
because of "public service to his country and the world."

Turkey, or some Turks, may like its foreign minister, but, as this
writer has shown, he has certainly done nothing to benefit "the world."

McCarter also claimed that Davutoglu "is in the Wilsonian tradition"
because, like Wilson, he has been in academia and government. If
you teach and then enter government service, you’re automatically
"Wilsonian" and thus a candidate for the WWC award? This is
preposterous.

INSULTING PREVIOUS AWARDEES

Who have the nearly 150 previous WWC awardees been? Mostly Americans:
philanthropists, doctors, members of Congress, former diplomats,
architects, actors, and the like.

They range from James Baker, Dr. Denton Cooley, Betty Ford, Frank
Gehry, John Glenn, and Amb. Howard Leach to Janet Napolitano, Dolly
Parton, Gen. Colin Powell (and his wife), Andrew Lloyd Webber, and
Andrew Young.

There are also some foreign political honorees, such as former Indian
President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, and some relatively non-controversial
figures from Brazil and South Korea.

The threatening, blustering, genocide-denying Davutoglu, from a
country with a wretched human rights record, would stand out in the
Wilson Center’s Public Service roster like a sore thumb.

It would be an insult to previous awardees.

For its Public Service Award, the WWC had its pick of thousands
of principled individuals from the US or elsewhere doing vital
humanitarian work, including the recognition and prevention of
genocide. Instead, the WWC has engaged in the worst kind of political
pandering by selecting Davutoglu.

THE SMITHSONIAN AND THE ATC

The rot may go even higher, up to the WWC’s parent, the famed
Smithsonian Institution, three-quarters of whose annual $1
billion budget comes from taxpayers. It, too, is a member of the
genocide-denying American Turkish Council.

The Smithsonian is supposed to be respectful of America’s multi-ethnic
heritage and pay homage to our country’s history, part of which
is Wilson’s support of Armenians and condemnation of Turkey for
committing genocide. There is no good reason for the Smithsonian to be
a member of the ATC, which is primarily a lobby for Turkish-affiliated
corporations. It should withdraw from the ATC.

And what must the WWC do to return to its Wilsonian roots?

REFORMING THE WWC

The WWC must abandon its plans to honor Davutoglu. Those who care
about Wilson’s legacy – members of Congress, ordinary Americans,
and those whose relatives were lost to Turkish genocidal acts –
must contact the WWC and insist on this.

Congress and the Attorney General must launch investigations into
possible conflicts of interest at the WWC, particularly regarding
its corporate and Turkish connections. The WWC director and staff
must testify under oath.

Wilson Center personnel, and those affiliated with it, particularly
scholars, must speak out publicly against pandering to corporations
and lobbying organizations.

Those whose business or personal interests may conflict with their
WWC role should resign.

The WWC must reject all tainted corporate cash.

Recognized genocide scholars should be invited to speak at the Wilson
Center and write in its Wilson Quarterly. The WWC should create a
principled program on genocide.

The WWC must establish a meaningful, ongoing dialogue with those
persons and their descendants who have been victimized by Turkey’s
genocides.

The WWC must return to its Congressional mandate by truly rededicating
itself to Wilson’s "ideals, concerns, and accomplishments" and by
advocating against genocide and for the human rights and dignity of
all people.

# # #

*The author is an Armenian American freelance journalist. He recommends
that readers contact the following to protest the WWC’s proposed
award to Davutoglu, and the WWC’s overly close relationships
with Turkish-affiliated corporations, lobbying organizations,
and individuals:

Woodrow Wilson Center:

President/Director: [email protected]

Executive VP: [email protected]

Outreach VP: [email protected]

Public Affairs: [email protected]

Asst. to the Director: [email protected]

Special Asst. to the Director: [email protected]

Also:

Linda St.Thomas, Spokesperson, Smithsonian Institution:
[email protected]

Armenian National Committee of America: [email protected]

Armenian Assembly of America: [email protected]

Your US Senator:
one_item_and_teasers/contacting.htm

Your US Congressman:

FOUNDER OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOURCE CENTER, RICHARD KLOIAN, LAID TO REST

Asbarez
May 11th, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO-Richard Kloian, who established and directed the Armenian
Genocide Resource Center, was laid to rest today in the presence of
family and friends, at Rolling Hills Memorial Park in El Sobrante,
California.

Kloian, 73, passed away on May 1 after a massive stroke. Funeral
services were conducted by Reverend Father Hovel Ohanyan of Oakland’s
St. Vartan church. Roxanne Makasdjian, Chairperson of the Bay Area
Armenian National Committee, spoke about Kloian’s major contribution
to the work of organizations pursuing recognition of the Armenian
Genocide, to the field of genocide studies and to the general public
understanding of the Armenian Genocide.

Raffi Momjian, Director of The Genocide Education Project, for which
Kloian acted as advisor, read a few of the many comments sent by
scholars expressing their remembrances about Richard. Israel Charny,
Executive Director of the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide
in Jerusalem, wrote, "I consider him a GIANT on behalf of Armenian
Genocide recognition and memory. His devotion to his work in enabling
education and memory about the Armenian Genocide was immense."

Dennis Papazian, Professor Emeritus (Retire) and founding director of
the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn
wrote, "He was a man dedicated to the truth and willing to gather
the evidence for all to see. He was a true gentleman, and hated no one.

His only desire was to educate and enlighten. He believed that
enlightened people would do the right thing. He had a positive
outlook. He is irreplaceable. May he rest in peace and may his family
be comforted."

Below is a transcript of the funeral service remarks by Roxanne
Makasdjian:

It’s hard for me to accept that I’m standing here this morning, to
say goodbye to Richard. Richard was someone who you never wanted to
believe would not be here one day. He was so much younger than his
years, and he had such endless energy. Although on many occasions I
wondered how his work would be carried on after him, I didn’t really
think this time would come.

I met Richard almost immediately after I began volunteering for the
Armenian National Committee when I moved here in the 1980’s. He had
just published his book, The Armenian Genocide: News Accounts from
the American Press, 1915-1922. This was truly a landmark publication,
because the collection of these New York Times and other articles was
not only an useful reference book for researchers, but for groups like
the ANC, it was then and still is the perfect public information tool
to make the case for recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Richard
had done it all by himself, spending endless hours at UC Berkeley,
going through pages and pages of newspaper microfilm.

When we initiated a committee to help teachers include the Armenian
Genocide in their coursework, all roads led to Richard Kloian, who
had been a key resource for teachers for years. Getting to know him,
I soon realized that he had an unstoppable passion and talent for
bringing documentation about the Armenian Genocide to the broad
public. I began getting a stream of e-mails from him, with the most
interesting articles, reports, first-hand accounts. Sometimes, it came
so fast and furiously, I had to stick them in a folder I called "stuff
from Richard," until I could make time to film them all properly.

Richard once told me how this passion of his first bloomed. It was
when his father died in 1976. Richard discovered his father’s diary,
which told a harrowing tale of genocide survival. It was then that
Richard’s life work turned irreversibly to the Armenian Genocide.

His new interest filled his evenings after work. Soon, his mission
became a full-time volunteer effort, bringing to light this "forgotten
history."

By 1997, he had established the Armenian Genocide Resource Center.

Through the AGRC, Richard has single-handedly collected a vast amount
of documentation on the Armenian Genocide, helped get long-lost memoirs
and documents published, and has developed many useful materials for
helping locate and acquire historical and current works.

He also found films about the Armenian Genocide from around the world
and got permission to reproduce them for the general public. As many
of you know, one of his most recent labors of love was restoring and
editing the only surviving segment of the 1919 silent Hollywood film,
Ravished Armenia.

Richard’s perseverance and drive were incomparable. His work was an
everyday act of courage because each day, by himself, and without any
compensation, he fought the powerful forces of "forgetting." Not only
did his work fight historical revisionism, it served to enlighten
educators and politicians alike, who encounter Turkey’s denial of
the Armenian Genocide regularly. His work has helped broaden the
discussion of genocide studies, because so many non-Armenians sought
out his materials and his vast knowledge of historical resources.

But to characterize Richard only in terms of his contributions to
Armenian Genocide education would not give the true picture. Born
and raised in Detroit, Michigan, one of 5 brothers, Richard, whose
Armenian name was Diran, was an extraordinary Renaissance man. He had
an avid interest in science, in music, in photography. He was an active
member of the Astronomical Society in Detroit, where he organized
public events and where he built his first deep space telescope with
Dr. Donaldson Craig of Wayne State University. He studied French and
comparative literature, and as an accomplished photographer, he was
among the first in Detroit to capture on film the early phases of
growth that revolutionized the Detroit skyline. And as a professional
musician, he played in Detroit’s Latin and jazz orchestras. I’m told
it was while playing music that he met his wife of 42 years, Antonia,
and we all owe such a debt of gratitude that Antonia gave Richard
the space to pursue his passion and give so much to the world.

The list of his accomplishments is so impressive, yet what I keep
thinking about is Richard’s sweet and gentle demeanor, his genuine
kindness, and his pleasing smile. Thank you, Richard, for brightening
and enriching our lives, for teaching us, for showing us the way.

YEREVAN WILL HOST CIS YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT

Tert.am
12.05.10

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Youth Symphony Orchestra will
perform concerts in the capitals of CIS countries such as Yerevan,
Moscow, Kiev, Baku, Astana and Ashgabat in fall 2010, Vladimir
Spivakov, Conductor of this orchestra, told journalists in Paris.

On May 10 the UNESCO headquarter in Paris hosted CIS Youth Symphony
Orchestra concert dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the World War
II Victory.

Pieces of music from Schindler’s List, an American war-drama, and from
Victory Day (also known as Den Pobedy) were performed. The music of
this film was written by Armenian national song writer David Tuhmanov.

The concert lasted two hours with the audience greeting each
performance with loud applause.

FOUNDATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING OF ‘LAKE ARPI’ NATIONAL PARK LAID IN SHIRAK REGION

ArmInfo
2010-05-12 11:52:00

ArmInfo. The foundation of the administrative building of the "Lake
Arpi" National Park was laid in Berdashen village of Ashotsk community
of Shirak region, Tuesday. "Implementation of this project is an
important event for not only Armenia, but also the whole region. The
specially protected area of the "Lake Arpi" National Park created
in Shirak region is the first borderline park between Armenia and
Georgia",- stressed Aram Haroutyunyan, the Nature Protection Minister
of Armenia. According to him, the program has both ecological and
socio-economic significance, as it will contribute to socio-economic
development of Shirak region.

To note, the project on creation of the given park is implemented
within the frames of the regional agreement "On creation of specially
protected areas in Armenian region of Javakhq (Ashotsk)". The project
is implemented by the Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection and the
World Wildlife Fund.

To recall, the Armenian government took the decision on creation of
the "Lake Arpi" National Park in April 2009.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HELD IN BRAZIL

Armenian Weekly Staff
Mon, May 10 2010

Latin America’s largest university hosts international conference on
"The Prototype Genocide of Modern Times" in partnership with Zoryan
Institute and governments of the State of Sao Paulo and the Republic
of Armenia

Scholars from Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Turkey
and the United States participated in an international conference,
the first of its kind in Brazil, on "The Prototype Genocide of Modern
Times," held at the University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil, April 22-24,
in commemoration of the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Opening panel (L to R): M. Tucci Carneiro, M. Florenzano, K.

Sarkissian, A. Harutyunyan, Dom V. Boghossian, Archbishop D. Karibian,
C. Lafer, M. Marcilio, E. Negrão, L. Yeghiazaryan.

The conference was co-organized by the University of Sao Paulo
Laboratory for the Study of Ethnicity Racism and Discrimination, the
State Government of Sao Paulo Secretary of Institutional Affairs,
the Consulate General in Sao Paulo representing the Government of
Armenia, and the Zoryan Institute.

The conference was opened by Prof. Dra. Maria Luiza Tucci
Carneiro, associate professor at the Department of History, USP,
and coordinator of the Laboratory for the Study of Ethnicity Racism
and Discrimination. She welcomed everyone and described the reasons
for the university’s partnership in this conference.

Prof. Dr. Celso Lafer, former Brazilian foreign and commerce minister,
professor of Philosophy of Law at USP and President of the Research
Foundation of the State of Sao Paulo, spoke strongly in affirming the
Armenian Genocide. He was followed by Prof. Dr. Dalmo de Abreu Dallari,
Emeritus, Faculty of Law of USP, and a jurist with the Permanent
Peoples’ Tribunal. He noted that the Verdict of the Tribunal’s
hearing in Paris in 1984 on the Armenian Genocide was key in the UN
Subcommission of Human Rights Report of 1985, affirming that the
World War I Armenian experience at the hands of the Ottoman Turks
was genocide.

K.M. Greg Sarkissian, President of the Zoryan Institute, in his
opening presentation of the academic portion of the conference,
explained the rationale for the theme, "the prototype of modern
genocide." He described the phenomenon, whereby a government turns
against an identifiable ethnic minority among its own citizens with
the intention of destroying them, as a perceived solution to its
political problems. This marked a change from the mass slaughter of
populations that occurred many times throughout history, associated
with war, imperialism and conquest. The Armenian Genocide is now widely
understood to be the "prototype" of modern genocide, as labelled by
Prof. Robert Melson, who first coined the term.

Sarkissian explained the meaning of April 24, which the beginning of
deportation and mass killings of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek
population of the Ottoman Empire. He added, "The year 1915 was the
beginning of the Ottoman genocidal policy of ethnic cleansing and
massacres, which continues in Turkey today because of its official
state policy of denial." He noted that Prof. Roger W. Smith first
pointed out some years ago, and it is now recognized by scholars, that
denial is the last stage of genocide, since it continues to victimize
the survivors and their descendants. Noting that Brazil was among the
first countries to vote for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and sign the UN Genocide Convention in 1948, Sarkissian called upon
Brazil to be among those countries who refuse to be complicit in the
ongoing crime of genocide denial by officially recognizing it.

Prof. Steven L. Jacobs of the University of Alabama gave a
comprehensive explanation about Raphael Lemkin, the man who
conceptualized and coined the term "genocide." He pointed out
Lemkin’s obsession with the fact that there were no laws to punish
the mass killing of a whole people, such as the Armenians, by their
own government, Ottoman Turkey, even though there were laws for
punishing the killing of a single person. The 1921 trial in Berlin
for the assassination of Talat Pasha, one of the architects of the
Armenian Genocide, by Soghomon Tehlirian and his acquittal was a major
influence on Lemkin and his determination to secure international
support outlawing the crime of genocide through the United Nations.

Lemkin considered the Armenian case so important that it is the only
case in all of his papers where a full-length manuscript has been
written independently and accompanied by a shorter manuscript. In
that study he noted, "A strong parallel may be drawn between the
extermination of the Armenians by the Turks and the extermination of
the Jews by the Germans."

Dr. Sevane Garibian, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy of Law at the
University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, spoke on "The Armenian Genocide
and the Development of the Modern Concept of Crimes against Humanity."

She described the declaration of the Allied Powers on May 24, 1915,
which said, in essence, "In view of these new crimes of Turkey against
humanity and civilization, the Allied governments announce publicly …

that they will hold personally responsible … all the members of the
Ottoman government and those of their agents who are implicated in
such massacres," and explained how this was a major event in bringing
the concept of "crimes against humanity" into modern international law.

Mr. Ragip Zarakolu, renowned human rights activist and publisher in
Turkey, spoke about "Modern Turkey and the Armenian Genocide." He
made insightful comments about the nature and motives of denial of
the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish State. He drew parallels with the
State’s problematic treatment of other subjects in the political and
social life of the country, specifically in relation to minorities and
their rights. For example, currently about 1,000 mid-level Kurdish
politicians are jailed, preventing them from running in the next
election. Zarakolu emphasized that the AKP, Turkey’s current ruling
party, has made some progress in adopting certain European standards
into Turkey’s constitution, under the pretext of democratization.

However, the gag order imposed on the Armenian Genocide issue,
coupled with the replacement of military hegemony in the country’s
institutions by a new hegemony of a police state, has raised fear
among Kurds, Alevis and non-Muslim minorities of the outbreak of mass
violence against them, just like the Armenians 95 years ago.

Prof. Dra. Maria Luiza Tucci Carneiro, of the USP, spoke about
"Brazil in Front of the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust and the UN
Resolution." She analyzed Brazil’s political position-government,
press and Brazilian diplomats-since the Armenian Genocide until the
integration of the crime of genocide in International Law. Through
diplomatic documents and articles published by important Brazilian
newspapers, she related the multiple discourses about the Armenian
Genocide as prototype of the modern genocide, from 1915 to 1948. She
referred to historical archives that documented Armenian refugees
fleeing the Genocide and coming to Brazil. She explained how
politicians during the debate at the UN on the Genocide Convention
felt that issue did not concern them, stating, "Brazilian people are
homogeneous, made up of heterogeneous races. Therefore, the problem
of genocide does not concern us directly. It is a crime the common
Brazilian man cannot figure out, but it horrifies him anyway."

However, in 1956, Brazilian law accepted genocide as a crime, adopting
the same definition ratified by the UN Convention.

Prof. Emeritus Robert F. Melson of Purdue University discussed "The
Armenian Genocide as Precursor and Prototype of Modern Genocide,"
taking a comparative approach. He put forward the position that the
Armenian Genocide was not only the first total genocide of the 20th
century, but that it also served as the prototype for genocides that
came after. In particular, the Armenian Genocide approximates the
Holocaust, but at the same time, its territorial and national aspects,
which distinguish it from the Holocaust, make it an archetype for
ethnic and national genocide. In both the Armenian Genocide and the
Holocaust, a deliberate attempt was made by the government of the day
to destroy an ethno-religious community of ancient provenance. When
comparing the two cases, a pattern becomes apparent. This pattern
shows some differences, however, and it is those differences that
link the Armenian Genocide not only to the Holocaust but also to
later instances of that crime.

Prof. Vahakn N. Dadrian, director of genocide research at the Zoryan
Institute, analyzed "The Armenian Genocide as a Dual Problem of
National and International Law." He described first the elements of
the Armenian Genocide within Turkish national law after the end of
WWI. These include the charge of crimes against humanity by the Allied
Powers, the post-war debates in the Ottoman Chamber of Deputies and
Senate about what had happened to the Armenians, and the Military
Tribunal and Courts Martial, which prosecuted the perpetrators of
"crimes against the Armenians." Within international law, he pointed
out that principles arising out the Armenian case are found in the
Nuremberg charter and in the UN Genocide Convention, and in comparison
with the Eichmann case, the principle of state succession. Thus,
Turkey is responsible for acts committed by the Ottoman State.

Prof. Dr. Marcio Seligmann-Silva, lecturer of literary theory at the
University of Campinas in Sao Paulo and researcher at the National
Council of Technological and Scientific Development, spoke on "The
Armenian Genocide and the Question of Evil Memory in the XX Century."

He dealt with the question of the necessity of bearing witness after
genocide as a way to give meaning to the event and to allow for the
progression from victim to citizen with rights, including the right
to sue in court those responsible for the genocide. Bearing witness
is often confronted with denial. Nevertheless, it is a process that
encompasses individual, collective and national trauma and allows
the victim to work through the envisaging of justice, truth and the
reconstruction of the person and of post-genocide societies. The
Armenian Genocide occupies a key position in the history of genocides
and of denial. As an example of extreme genocide denial, it argues
for the necessity of bearing witness.

Prof. Emeritus Roger W. Smith of the College of William and Mary,
and also chairman of the academic board of directors of the Zoryan
Institute, spoke on "Remembrance and Denial." Without remembrance of
past examples of genocide, there would be no sense of urgency in the
present, no perceived need to prevent future atrocities. We would
cut ourselves off from the knowledge of the causes and sequences of
genocide, knowledge that might help prevent other peoples from being
subjected to this crime against humanity. Denial of genocide has become
the universal strategy of perpetrators. Those who initiate or otherwise
participate in genocide typically deny that the events took place,
that they bear any responsibility for the destruction, or that the
term "genocide" is applicable to what occurred. Denial, unchecked,
turns politically imposed death into a "non-event." The Armenian
Genocide, in fact, illuminates with special clarity the dangers
inherent in the political manipulation of truth through distortion,
denial, intimidation, and economic blackmail. No other regime has
gone to such extreme lengths to deny that a massive genocide took
place as Turkey. That democratic governments (the United States,
Great Britain, and Israel) have supported Turkey in that effort,
raises significant questions about governmental accountability and
the role of citizenship in a world in which truth increasingly comes
in two forms – "official" and "alleged."

Prof. Khatchik Der Ghougassian teaches international relations
at the University of San Andres in Buenos Aires and is a Visiting
Adjunct Professor at the American University of Armenia. He analyzed
the complexities of "The Armenian Genocide and international power
relations." In the 19th century, the European Powers utilized the
struggle for the rights of the non-Muslim minorities as one of their
pretexts for involvement in the Ottoman Empire. After the start of
World War I, the Allied Powers made the first international attempt
at humanitarian intervention by warning the Young Turk leaders that
they would be called to account for their wholesale massacre of
Turkey’s Armenian population. After the post-WWI peace negotiations,
Armenia dropped from the international agenda until 1965, 50 years
after the Genocide, when Armenians around the world began to revive
the world’s attention and conscience on that injustice. The Armenian
Genocide has come increasingly on the world stage as an issue in the
United Nations, as a subject of official recognition by national and
international governments and official bodies, and even as an issue
for Turkey’s accession to the European Union. He discussed the place
of the Armenian Genocide in Armenia’s foreign policy and suggested
how it could be employed more effectively.

Prof. Herbert Hirsch, professor of government and public affairs at
Virginia Commonwealth University, explored "The Lessons of the Armenian
Genocide for the Prevention of Genocide." Within the last ten years,
at least four major international and national prescriptions have
appeared outlining the mechanisms necessary to prevent genocide.

Hirsch analyzed their strengths, weaknesses, confirming that
action lags behind academic forums. This is because the overriding
principles in international relations are state sovereignty and
national interest. The study of the genocides of the 20th century
has suggested to analysts certain models for the prevention of
genocide. These include humanitarian intervention, protection of
civilians, peacemaking, and punishment of the perpetrators. This
has led to calls for creating an early warning system which would
alert the public and exert pressure on nations or groups to stop
atrocities, and the creation of a UN Rapid Reaction force. Each of
these has its shortcomings that limit freedom of action, to monitor,
follow prescription, and establish rules of engagement while doing
no harm, and including the ability to build. The adoption of the
Responsibility to Protect has been a step in the right direction,
but this has not been effective because of the lack of political
will. Hirsch explored the sources of this lack of political will.

Prof. Dr. Anita Novinsky, historian and lecturer of the department of
history and president of the Laboratory of Studies on Intolerance, USP,
spoke on "Education for Life." She described the profound questions
philosophers and theoreticians have wrestled with in modern times
regarding how man can commit such violence against fellow humans. In
the words of Theodor Adorno, the fight against war and aggression will
be in vain if we do not change our educational systems. We can find
the reasons of the genocides in the 20th century in the resurrection
of aggressive nationalisms. She described how perpetrators of genocide
are formed during their childhood years, and proposed the need for
an educational system that teaches the value and the sanctity of
human life.

The Zoryan Institute is the parent organization of the International
Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, which runs an annual,
accredited university program on the subject and is co-publisher
of Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal in
partnership with the International Association of Genocide Scholars
and the University of Toronto Press. It is the first non-profit,
international center devoted to the research and documentation of
contemporary issues with a focus on Genocide, Diaspora and Armenia.

For more information please contact the Zoryan Institute by email
[email protected] or telephone (416) 250-9807.

STUDENTS’ ART EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO WORLD WAR II OPENS AT UN OFFICE IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
10.05.2010 14:51

Students’ arts exhibition dedicated to Time of Remembrance and
Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World
War, organized jointly by the UN Office in Armenia and Yerevan State
Academy of Arts was opened today.

More than 100 works of art, including graphics, paintings, batiks,
ceramics, gobelins and statues were displayed at the UN House and
attracted attention of students, professors, international community,
civil society groups, media and general public.

Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator said: "These talented and
bright pieces of art highlight how young generation understands the
essence of maintaining peace throughout the world and pays tribute
to all those who lost their lives during that terrible war. We are
pleased to host this exhibition and as always we are ready to provide
more opportunities for youth."

"The initiative of giving the young artists a chance to exhibit their
works in the UN House is a great opportunity for them. It not only
encourages but empowers them. Also in this way they can learn more
about UN values", said the rector of the Yerevan State Academy of
Arts Mr. Aram Isabekyan.

This is already the second such exhibition and several others
are planned for 2010. The series are within the framework of the
"International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding" and
"International Year of Rapprochement of Cultures".

This is a joint initiative of Ms. Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident
Coordinator and Mr. Aram Isabekyan, Rector of the Yerevan State
Academy of Arts aiming to promote UN values by helping young artists
of Armenia. The project is also supported by the UN Department of
Public Information in Yerevan.

MCC INVESTMENTS IN RA AGRICULTURE TO TOTAL $180 MLN TILL SEPTEMBER 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 10, 2010 – 11:07 AMT 06:07 GMT

Armenian Deputy PM, Minister of Territorial Administration Armen
Gevorgyan took part in the opening ceremony of a 2.5-km sector of
Aygezard (Ararat region) gravity water supply system.

Chairman of the water industry committee at the Ministry of Territorial
Administration Andranik Andreasyan, Ararat region governor Vardges
Hovakimyan, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch and
MCA-Armenia CEO Ara Hovsepyan were also attending.

Aygezard’s gravity water supply system, which is being restored with
the MCA-Armenia funds, stretches for 8.5 km.

"Introduction of new irrigation technologies will help increase
competitiveness of local agricultural products," Minister Gevorgyan
said.

MCC investments in the RA agriculture will total $180 mln till
September 2011.

Decrease in prices for real estate unlikely in Armenia in near future
The average price for apartments in Yerevan totaled AMD 271,400 per
square meter as of the first quarter of 2010.

The State Committee of Real Estate Cadastre at the Armenian government
has presented the current situation in the RA real estate market, as
well as forecasts for the year. The Committee’s specialists predict
some activation in the Armenian real estate market but decrease in
prices is unlikely in the near future.

May 8, 2010
PanARMENIAN.Net –

The construction industry has had a huge share in the GDP structure in
recent years, and the country’s economic growth has been secured due
to its development. Thus, it is not strange that the global
financial-economic crisis has affected the Armenian real estate market
since August 2008. The number of transactions conducted during this
period decreased by 10.6% as compared with August of 2007. The prices
for real estate have started going down and 1.8% decrease was recorded
in August as compared with July 2008.

The situation in the real estate market has started improving since
September 2009: growth has been recorded both in the number of deals
and in prices for real estate. Thus, 6.1% growth was recorded in deals
made in September as compared with August 2009, while prices increased
by 0.8% and 0.6% in Yerevan and regions respectively. 36,499
transactions were made in the first quarter of 2010 that is 24.3%
lower as compared with the fourth quarter of 2009 and 27.9% higher as
compared with the first quarter of 2009. Kotayk and Ararat regions
were the most active in the market, these regions’ share in the total
number of deals totaled 13.6% and 8.4% respectively. Meanwhile 32.2%
of the transactions were made in Yerevan. Some positive trends are
observed in the real estate market throughout Armenia. For example,
49.8% of the entire transactions were made in regions in 2001, while
this figure amounted to 58.2% in 2004 and 67.8% in the first quarter
of 2010.

The market price for 1 square meter in apartment buildings increased
by 2.6% in Yerevan and by 1.5% in other cities of the republic in the
first quarter of 2009. Meanwhile the highest prices for apartments in
Yerevan are continuously recorded in Kentron (Center) district – AMD
470,600 per square meter, while the lowest prices are in Nubarashen
district – AMD 143,300 per square meter. Meanwhile, the average price
for apartments in Yerevan totaled 271,400 per square meter as of the
first quarter of 2010. The prices per square meter in other districts
of Yerevan are as follows: Arabkir – AMD 373,900, Kanaker-Zeytun – AMD
283,500, Nor Nork – AMD 234,800, Avan – AMD 235,900, Erebuni – AMD
248,000, Davitashen – AMD 270,300, Ajapnyak – AMD 239,300,
Malatsia-Sebastia – AMD 236,700.

As for the regions, the highest prices for real estate were recorded
in Kotayk and Armavir regions, amounting to AMD 160,000 per square
meter in Abovian and AMD 156,900 – in Etchmiadzin. Relatively low
prices were recorded in Tavush, Gegharkunik and Lori regions of
Armenia.

2.9% growth was recorded in prices for private houses in Yerevan and
Armenia’s regions, totaling 281,100 per square meter in Yerevan on an
average. Again, the highest and lowest prices were recorded in Kentron
and Nubarashen districts of Yerevan – AMD 484,200 and AMD 147,000
respectively.

Today, Armenia’s financial market faces the challenge of `long-term
money’ that can be tackled through decrease in interest rates for
mortgage loans. The Armenian government has initiated two programs –
National Mortgage Company UCO and Affordable Housing for Young
Families – to facilitate the mortgage lending. In addition, it has
provided state guarantees to construction companies to overcome this
difficult period. Thus, some growth has been recorded in mortgage
lending since the beginning of this year. It should be noted that the
interest rates considerably decreased in 2009, making 8.5-13% against
16-20% two years ago. Population displays greater interest and,
hopefully, the market will become even more active by the end of this
year. Besides, construction volumes in Armenia may increase in the
near future, due to economic growth recorded in Russia and Ukraine
that will contribute to increase in remittances.

Victoria Araratyan / PanARMENIAN News