MS-Word document
Author: Emma Jilavian
Azerbaijan Blocks Russian Choice for New Ambassador
What’s in the Armenia-EU Enhanced Partnership Agreement?
BY HENRY NIKOGOSYAN
On November 24, Armenia and the EU officially signed the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
For Armenia, signing CEPA marks a substantial step toward developing western democratic reforms. The agreement bolsters bilateral relations between the two governments, opening a path to expand economic activity. In return, Armenia has agreed upon fundamental goals that are in the financial, political, and moral interest of the Armenian people.
CEPA’s main points include cooperation on the following:
1. Developing a common defense policy, including various security-building measures and fighting terrorism.
2. Domestic reforms by increasing the effectiveness of democratic institutions, rule of law, respect for human rights, transparency, accountability, progress of legal reform, creation of statistical data for governance, and enhancing the fight against corruption.
3. Developing financial sectors by exchanging expertise and best practices, reforming financial institutions and primary industries (such as energy and agriculture), adopting laws that prevent distortions of fair competition, and facilitating reforms in favor of bilateral investments.
4. Improving research and innovation, employment protection, educational and training systems, environmental protection, and development of widespread availability of information and communication technology.
5. Compliance with international intellectual property regimes.
CEPA is a positives change in the Armenia’s vision for the future. Since 2015, Armenia has been an exclusive participant in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which has come with virtually no economic development and a stagnant GDP.
In short terms, the last three years have been lost.
Prior to joining EAEU, Armenia was in talks with the EU to establish stronger bilateral relations. However, the country’s elite chose to abandon the path to Europe in exchange for greater solidarity with Russia—a concession that was not returned during the April 2016 clashes.
Armenia’s has historically been reluctant to steer far from its northern neighbor. This shift to more constructive policies occurred only after Armenia experienced the extreme pressures of the April clashes, protests, and the hostage crisis. But CEPA is a purely voluntary cooperation, meaning that Armenia can walk away at any time, notwithstanding minimal repercussions under the agreement.
Armenia’s transformation into a true western democracy relies on agreements like CEPA. With participants like Deputy Foreign Minister Garen Nazarian, who is not only a distinguished diplomat of Armenia but also an advocate for human rights, these transformations can succeed.
Maintaining interests to deepen relations with the EU are essential in preventing Armenia from reverting to its prior economic strategy. Creating that interest, without further war, is imperative. And this burden falls on the citizens of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora.
Livre: Les Arméniens du Liban : cent ans de présence
L' Orient-Le Jour, Liban Mardi 14 Novembre 2017 Les Arméniens du Liban : cent ans de présence Vient de paraître L'ouvrage historique publié aux Presses de l'Université Saint-Joseph a fait l'objet d'une présentation, vendredi dernier, au Salon du livre francophone de Beyrouth. Anne-Marie El-HAGE | OLJ Cent ans déjà que les Arméniens ont trouvé refuge au Liban, fuyant le génocide perpétré par l'Empire ottoman. Que sont-ils devenus au bout d'un siècle ? Quelle a été leur contribution au développement du Liban ? À ces questions parmi tant d'autres, qui mettent en exergue la nécessité pour les Arméniens du Liban de maintenir leur identité arménienne, tout en devenant libanais à part entière, l'ouvrage historique Les Arméniens du Liban, cent ans de présence apporte des réponses. Entrepris par une trentaine de chercheurs sous la direction de Christine Babikian Assaf, Carla Eddé, Lévon Nordiguian et Vahé Tachjian, ce livre, publié aux Presses de l'Université Saint-Joseph, a fait l'objet d'une présentation, vendredi dernier, au Salon du livre francophone de Beyrouth. Il fait suite à l'ouvrage Les Arméniens, 1917-1939 : la quête d'un refuge, publié en 2006 par le même éditeur. Devant une salle pleine à craquer, les historiens Vahé Tachjian, Boutros Labaki et Henry Laurens et l'archéologue Lévon Nordiguian ont tour à tour intervenu dans un débat modéré par Mme Babikian Assaf, historienne et doyenne de la faculté des lettres et des sciences humaines de l'USJ. L'influence arménienne au Liban Les Arméniens du Liban, cent ans de présence ne peut se lire d'un trait. Avec ses 500 pages et ses 350 photos, le livre est un concentré de vies, d'histoires, de thèmes et d'événements. Composé de quatre grandes parties, non seulement il raconte les Arméniens dans la cité et se penche sur des parcours collectifs et individuels, mais il montre la richesse de l'apport des Arméniens, leur influence sur le plan culturel notamment. À tel point qu'il décrit Beyrouth comme « capitale culturelle arménienne ». Des témoignages et récits de vie viennent étayer ce travail titanesque, parmi lesquels des membres de la communauté arménienne parfaitement intégrés à la société libanaise, mais aussi d'autres, peu ou pas intégrés. La photo occupe une place de choix dans cette recherche à plusieurs mains. Il faut dire que « les photographes arméniens ont joué un rôle prépondérant dans la capitale libanaise », explique Lévon Nordiguian. « Entre le XIXe et le début du XXe siècle, il n'existait pas une ville du Proche-Orient qui n'abritait pas un ou plusieurs photographes arméniens », révèle l'archéologue, précisant que Beyrouth était alors l'une des capitales provinciales de l'Empire ottoman les plus actives. À titre d'exemple, raconte-t-il, « les frères Sarafian se sont installés à Beyrouth à partir de 1887, d'abord rue de l'émir Bachir, puis à Bab Idriss. En 1920, avec l'arrivée massive des Arméniens fuyant le génocide, ce quartier était déjà le cœur de la photographie du pays ». Et d'ajouter que « dans les années soixante, un peu plus de 60 % des photographes opérant à Beyrouth étaient arméniens ». « Ils se sont imposés par leur talent et leur savoir-faire », observe-t-il, citant quelques photographes arméniens célèbres, comme Manoug, les frères Jean et Harry Naltchayan, Varoujan... qui étaient sollicités par les stars, les hommes politiques ou par des institutions de prestige comme la MEA. Avec son lot de saccages et de pillages de commerces, la guerre civile est venue balayer et détruire une grande partie des documents de l'époque, déplore M. Nordiguian. Une richesse pour l'histoire du Liban L'ouvrage « permet de comprendre la communauté arménienne du Liban », fait remarquer à son tour l'historien Vahé Tachjian. À savoir ses origines, les camps de réfugiés, la vie quotidienne, la construction progressive des quartiers... « Des sources écrites sont à la base de ce travail », souligne-t-il, précisant que « la plupart de ces sources sont rédigées en arménien et qu'il faut une bonne maîtrise de la langue pour les comprendre ». Accompagnés de 350 photos rassemblées de diverses sources, bibliothèques, associations, archives personnelles et universitaires, les textes permettent de plus, de manière générale, « d'enrichir la connaissance de l'histoire du Liban », assure M. Tachjian. Il illustre ses propos par des photos de groupes d'orphelins à leur arrivée au Liban en 1920, au port de Beyrouth, ou dans des orphelinats à Ghazir, Antélias, Jbeil, Saïda et au Chouf. Des photos qui montrent également d'anciennes demeures, palais, paysages ou lieux emblématiques libanais. « Ma famille a été témoin des massacres d'Adana en 1920 et mon oncle figure parmi les victimes », révèle de son côté l'historien Boutros Labaki, dont le grand-père originaire de Baabdate avait émigré en Cilicie. Sur l'arrivée au Liban de la famille de son père après la déportation, il observe qu'elle « parlait le turc et un peu l'arménien ». Et d'observer que dans les années cinquante, lors de la campagne électorale, les discours électoraux commençaient en arménien et se poursuivaient en turc. « La communauté arménienne était surtout turcophone à l'époque », explique-t-il. Et d'observer que le Liban est le pays où les Arméniens ont le mieux réussi à conserver leur identité. « Le système communautaire libanais repose sur l'indépendance des communautés, note-t-il. Les Arméniens ont su épouser ce système qui leur assurait une participation à la vie politique et leur permettait de préserver la langue arménienne au sein de leurs écoles. » L'historien français Henry Laurens salue enfin l'ouvrage qui, à partir d'une trentaine d'études, « permet d'identifier l'évolution d'un groupe de réfugiés sur des décennies ». « Un livre nécessaire, mais à la fois splendide par son iconographie, d'une richesse telle qu'on pourrait passer des heures rien qu'à regarder les photos », souligne-t-il. Il précise que « le travail, comme tout ce qui est libanais, relève à la fois du particulier et de l'universel ». Le professeur Laurens, qui avoue « ne pas connaître le sujet alors qu'il est historien », se penche sur le processus « d'arménisation » des réfugiés arméniens à leur arrivée au Liban. « La grande masse était turcophone. Il était impensable qu'elle continue à parler la langue de l'oppresseur, quitte à perdre sa langue », conclut-il, constatant que la transformation s'est opérée en deux ou trois générations. <span class="sewrr1asdljcku6"><br></span>
Art: Jewish and Armenian Artifacts on Display Jointly at Manoogian Museum
Yerevan-Tehran Cooperation Poses No Setback for Ties Between Armenia, Israel – Nalbandian
Sputnik News Service, Russia Saturday 12:05 AM UTC Yerevan-Tehran Cooperation Poses No Setback for Ties Between Armenia, Israel - Nalbandian YEREVAN, November 11 (Sputnik) - The cooperation between Yerevan and Tehran poses no obstacles to the bilateral relations between Armenia and Israel, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said. "I don’t think this is an obstacle in our bilateral relations with Israel as the relations of Israel with any neighbouring country of Armenia is not an obstacle," Nalbandian said in an interview with the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, issued on the Foreign Ministry's website. Nalbandian added that Iran and Armenia have established good relations and cooperate in multiple areas. Commenting on the issue of reciprocal opening of embassies by Israel and Armenia, the foreign minister said that Yerevan would immediately follow Israel's example. "Our position was very clear: as soon as Israel will open an embassy in Armenia, we will reciprocate and open an Embassy in Israel," Nalbandian told the broadcaster. On November 6-7, Nalbandian paid an official visit to Israel at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The relations between Israel and Iran have been strained since the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s. The ties are overshadowed by a number of issues, including Tehran's nuclear and missile programs accompanied by controversial anti-Israeli statements made by high-ranking Iranian officials, such as former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Armenian patriarchal locum tenens Archbishop Bekchyan to clarify upcoming steps – Bagrat Estukyan
Armenpress News Agency , Armenia October 31, 2017 Tuesday Armenian patriarchal locum tenens Archbishop Bekchyan to clarify upcoming steps – Bagrat Estukyan YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Istanbul’s Armenian patriarchal locum tenens Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan will make certain clarifications over his future steps today, in the evening of October 31. Bagrat Estukyan, editor-in-chief of the Armenian language department of Istanbul’s Agos newspaper, told ARMENPRESS, that Bekchyan is already in Istanbul, he returned from Germany on October 30. “As you know, while Bekchyan was not in Istanbul, three members of the Initiative group engaged in organizing the election of the Armenian patriarch, have resigned. Archbishop Bekchyan arrived in Istanbul yesterday evening, but at the moment there is no clarification over the upcoming steps. Later today Agos colleagues will meet with him in order to understand what is he thinking about and what steps he will take”, Bagrat Estukyan said. While in Germany Archbishop Bekchyan said he wants to personally meet with the Istanbul Governor to present his views on the process. Asked whether this still will take place, Estukian said it perhaps will not.
Syrian army retakes IS-held city as Iraqis also advance
The Syrian army has retaken Deir al-Zour, the last major stronghold of so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria, state TV says.
Other reports said the Syrian army and its allies were clearing the last pockets of resistance from IS.
IS had held most of the city since 2014. It was important because of its proximity to the border with Iraq.
Meanwhile Iraqi forces have entered one of the last towns under IS control on the other side of the border.
Some 350,000 civilians in Syria’s Deir al-Zour province have been forced to flee their homes during weeks of fighting.
Greg Asbed ’85 named MacArthur Fellow
The Brown Daily Herald: Brown University Tuesday Greg Asbed '85 named MacArthur Fellow by Dylan Clark The MacArthur Foundation Greg Asbed '85 plans to channel the funds from the grant into the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a farmworker-based human rights organization located in Immokalee, Florida, that he founded. Greg Asbed '85 was recently named one of this year's 24 MacArthur Fellows. The achievement, often referred to as the "genius grant," comes with an award of $625,000 spread over five years. The money is awarded based on three main criteria: "exceptional creativity, promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishments (and) potential for the fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work," according to the MacArthur Foundation website. The MacArthur Fellows Program has been active since 1981. Approximately 1,000 people have been recognized as MacArthur Fellows, 19 of whom have been affiliated with the University. Each fellow is nominated by individuals selected by the foundation. Approximately 2,000 nominees are further reviewed by a selection board before the final few are chosen and notified of their award. Asbed received the call notifying him of the award the day before Hurricane Irma hit Florida, and he "was busy screwing plywood over our windows when it came in, which made it all the more surreal," Asbed wrote in an email to The Herald. Though the money was granted directly to Asbed, he plans on funneling all of the funds into the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the organization he founded over two decades ago. The CIW is a "farmworker-based human rights organization" that, through advocacy, corporate campaigns, anti-slavery investigations and community organizing, addresses the human rights crises in the agricultural industry, Asbed wrote. His wife, Laura Germino '84, directs the organization's anti-slavery program. In 2011, the CIW - located in Immokalee, Florida - developed a corporate responsibility campaign called the Fair Food Program. The FFP has partnered with 14 multi-billion dollar companies - including McDonald's, Walmart and Whole Foods, among others - that require their produce suppliers to implement a human-rights-based code of conduct. In addition, these companies agree to pay an extra penny per pound of produce purchased from suppliers, which go directly into the farmers' paychecks, according to the CIW's website. The FFP has "put a stop to longstanding abuses like violence against women, wage theft and even forced labor in the Florida tomato industry," Asbed wrote. The program has been adopted by other groups along the U.S. east coast and is "expanding into strawberries and other crops, covering 35,000 (people) with its groundbreaking protections," he added. "Brown graduates make transformative contributions that build understanding, influence policy and advance important movements that are shaping the world," wrote Brian Clark, University spokesperson, in an email to The Herald. "The work by ... Greg Asbed and Laura Germino ... is among the most extraordinary examples of this - the MacArthur Fellowship is testament to the tremendous impact they have had advocating for the rights to fair working conditions for farm laborers." Asbed's work has been influenced in "a very round-about way" by his time at Brown, he wrote. Graduating with a degree in Neuroscience, Asbed planned on joining the field after college. His education instilled in him the "willingness to throw a beloved theory, or ideology or methodology away and to focus only on what actually works, (which) is a hallmark of the hard sciences, but not so much of the field of social change," Asbed said. His plans changed after he spent three years in Haiti working for the Papaye Peasant Movement, a grass-roots organization that aims to support workers and reduce their dependency on outside aid. Asbed cited the story of his grandmother, who survived the Armenian Genocide, as another reason for his passion toward human rights. "Through her struggle to survive that nightmare, she managed not only to pass her DNA down to me but also a deep and abiding appreciation for the importance of universal human rights," he wrote. Asbed was nominated as a MacArthur Fellow by Kerry Kennedy '81 P'17 P'20, president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights - an organization that provides assistance to other human rights groups around the world. They worked together after the CIW won the RFK Human Rights Award in 2003. "We were so deeply impressed by the transformational work that ... they were doing to empower farmworkers," Kennedy said. RFK Human Rights went on to help the CIW secure partnerships for the FFP. "I've marched with them all over the country," Kennedy added. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
Sports: Manchester United star Henrikh Mkhitaryan apologises after Armenia’s humiliating defeat
Man Utd midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was at a loss to explain Armenia's humiliating 6-1 defeat to Poland.
Ciaran Kelly
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has taken 'all responsibility' for Armenia's embarrassing 6-1 defeat at the hands of Poland in Yerevan on Thursday night.
Armenia have endured a difficult World Cup qualifying campaign and currently lie in fifth place in Group E ahead of basement boys Kazakhstan.
Artur Petrosyan's side have failed to win a qualifier since March and were put to the sword by Robert Lewandowski, who became Poland's all-time top scorer after bagging a hat-trick.
Mkhitaryan, Armenia's captain and all-time top scorer, was at a loss to explain how his side were so comprehensively outclassed.
"Problems are everywhere," he said after the humiliating defeat.
"We must do everything to ensure that this does not happen again in the match against Kazakhstan. There are no words.
"It was a shameful defeat. I am the captain of the team, and I undertake all responsibility for defeat from Poland."
Armenia, who are condemned to finish in fifth place in the group, head to Kazakhstan for their final World Cup qualifier on Sunday as they look to salvage some pride.
Mkhitaryan scored his only goal of the qualification campaign against Kazakhstan in a 2-0 win seven months ago.