Author: Karabekian Emil

THE PERSISTENCE OF THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT IS A MAJOR OBSTACLE TO PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS REGION, NATO SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE

Trend
April 9 2009
Azerbaijan

The interview of Trend News with NATO Special Representative for the
Caucasus and Central Asia, Ambassador Robert Simmons.

The NATO Secretary General said that NATO cannot be involved in the
resolution of the Nagorno – Karabakh conflict . Why?

The Alliance recognizes that the persistence of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is a major obstacle to peace and stability in the South
Caucasus region. We take this conflict very seriously and will continue
to support efforts towards a peaceful, negotiated settlement. However,
NATO is not in the leading role when it comes to mediation efforts
regarding Nagorno-Karabakh. This role currently resides with the
OSCE Minsk Group, whose work we fully support. Based on our support
for the existing negotiation format, we do not see a need for, or a
benefit in, a separate NATO role in this process.

Do the armed forces of Azerbaijan meet the NATO standards? How is
the process to meet NATO standarts going on? Are there any problems
toward that issue?

Improving the ability of Azerbajiani forces to work alongside those
of NATO has been a central element of our cooperation for almost 15
years now. Azerbaijan has achieved much progress in this area and the
successful participation of Azerbaijani forces in the NATO-led ISAF
mission in Afghanistan testifies to this. Beyond that, Azerbaijan’s
armed forces have set themselves ambitious goals to meet the same
standards that NATO nations use, including in the area of democratic
control of the security sector. This is a long process and it is not
suprising that there still remains much work work to do. The Alliance
will continue to work together with Azerbaijan to assist in these
defence reform efforts.

How do you view further NATO policy regarding security issues in South
Caucasus region, especially after the NATO Summit in Kehl-Strasbourg
in April of this year?

NATO’s policy in the South Caucasus region has not changed. We continue
to regard peace and stability in this region as an essential element of
Euro-Atlantic security. We will continue to engage with the countries
of the region, both politically and in practical terms, in accordance
with their own expressed interests. The Heads of State and Government
of NATO were very clear at the Strasbourg/Kehl Summit that partnership
and cooperation, support to reforms, support to peaceful conflict
resolution, and continued commitment to decisions made at the NATO
Bucharest Summit of April 2008 on Georgia’s eventual membership in
the Alliance will remain the cornerstones of our policy toward the
region. As for Azerbaijan, I am confident that our partnership will
continue to grow, both in quantity and in quality. I certainly look
forward to visiting Azerbaijan again soon to review with Azerbaijani
leaders the progress in our relationship.

GERMANY’S AZERBAIJANIS CONCERNED WITH REPORTS ON OPENING OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN BORDERS

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
April 8, 2009 Wednesday

The Azerbaijanis residing in Germany are deeply concerned with the
reports disseminated in media on opening of the borders between
Turkey and Armenia. To this end, the Coordination Center of Germanys
Azerbaijanis (CCGA) has made an appeal, protesting the step of the
Turkish authorities. This will be a serious blow to the fair cause
of Azerbaijan while the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh problem is
on strategic phase. This contradicts state and national interests of
fraternal Azerbaijan, the appeal emphasizes.

The Diaspora organizations represented at the Coordination Center of
Germanys Azerbaijanis has addressed the state of Turkey, politicians,
mass media, men of science and pubic figures not to remain indifferent
to the mentioned question and raise their votes to protest opening
of the borders.

AMERIA DEVELOPS TATEV MONASTERY REVIVAL AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

ArmInfo
2009-04-09 16:59:00

ArmInfo. Fund of Ruben and Veronika Vardanyan’s friends, Armenia
2020 and ARGA Fund, have initiated a Tatev Monastery revival and
development project.

Investments in the given project will total nearly $20 million.

Ameria Consulting , the project developer, told ArmInfo the project
is implemented under aegis of the Armenian National Competitiveness
Fund. The project will be completed in 2012. Ameria CJSC will
coordinate and supervise all the activities under the given historical
project. The project aims to develop tourism in southern regions of
Armenia due to restoration of Tatev Monastery, to decentralize the
scientific and educational infrastructure in the country through
establishment of a research center in Syunik region, to establish
contacts with remote villages of Syuhik region and enhance agribusiness
in the region. Tatev Monastery will become a spiritual, scientific
and educational basis for further development of the complex as an
educational center in the region. The project aims to create bases for
sustainable development of the local population creating basic services
inside and around the monastery as well as a neighboring educational
complex and tourist service center. The project will allow creating
the necessary infrastructure for free access to Tatev monastery,
activate a unique extensive ropeway via Vorotan gorge that will cut
the way to the complex by 45 minutes. An authoritative organization
selected via a contest will be entrusted to study the technologies
for restoration of the monastery. In addition, a hotel complex in the
style of Armenian architecture of 18-19th centuries will be built
near the ropeway. The construction will be launched simultaneously
with the restoration of the ropeway.

Ameria is a group of professional services companies registered in
Armenia with the objective to provide a comprehensive package of
professional advisory and assurance services. Ameria specializes
in four major areas of professional activities: management advisory
services; assurance and advisory services; legal advisory services;
investment banking. Established in 1998, the company has become
a leader in the Armenian market of advisory services bringing an
international reach and local touch to complex issues rising in more
than 30 industry sectors.

TURKISH LEADER CRITICIZES OBAMA ON ARMENIA
By Selcan Hacaoglu

Associated Press Worldstream
April 7, 2009 Tuesday 12:54 PM GMT

A nationalist Turkish leader said Tuesday he can’t tolerate the
U.S. president’s lack of courtesy in calling on Turkey to reckon
with its past, resolve its dispute with Armenia and reopen their
shared border.

Devlet Bahceli’s remarks underline the difficulties in overcoming
decades of antagonism with Armenia rooted in WWI-era killings.

Turkey’s mass expulsion of Armenians during World War I which Armenians
say was part of a genocide that claimed 1.5 million lives is rarely
discussed in Turkey or taught in schools. But it is increasingly
becoming a topic as Turkey becomes more open on the road toward
European Union membership.

President Barack Obama avoided the term "genocide" when he addressed
Turkish lawmakers Monday about the bloodshed in the final days of the
Ottoman Empire. Turkey rejects the view that there was a systematic
campaign to wipe out the Armenian population.

Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Action Party the second largest
opposition party in parliament accused Armenia of carrying out a
"shameless" campaign to condemn Turkey for genocide and claim lands
in eastern Turkey.

Turkey fears that, if the genocide claim is recognized, Armenians
will demand compensation either money or lost land.

"I want to announce from here that we’re rejecting his request
to accept false claims and lies which have nothing to do with our
history," Bahceli said in response to Obama. "It is up to President
Obama whether to face grief and shame in their own history."

As a presidential candidate, Obama said the killings amounted to
genocide. He did not repeat that charge Monday. But he said, in
response to a question, that he had not changed his views.

Turkey is struggling to counter Armenian Diaspora groups that are
pushing European governments and the United States to declare the
killings genocide. Obama’s call focused attention on the issue with
the approach of April 24, the date Armenians mark as the start of
the killings.

Some ordinary Turks said fairness should prevail.

"O.K., let’s face our past but Armenians should not deny their history
either," said Elif Okcugil, a 42-year-old chemist. "The incidents
were first started by Armenians."

As the Muslim Ottoman empire faltered, minority Armenian Christians
began asserting their identity. During World War I, amid reports of
Armenian collusion with the enemy army of Christian Czarist Russia,
Armenians were forced out of towns and villages throughout the Turkish
heartland of Anatolia. Many died.

Turkey says the death toll has been inflated and those killed were
victims of civil war and unrest. Turks who describe it as genocide
have on occasion been prosecuted.

"Politicians and historians will solve this together," said Necdet
Koksal, a 59-year-old cab driver.

Associated Press Reporter Emre Baran in Ankara contributed to this
report.

ARMENIA: EU LAWMAKERS VISIT OPPOSITION PRISONERS

Eurasianet

April 8, 2009

On April 7, a delegation of European lawmakers led by Marie Anne Isler
Béguin, head of the European Union-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation
Committee, visited seven high-profile Armenian prisoners who are
accused of organizing deadly riots in March 2008 and are awaiting
trial in a maximum-security prison.

Béguin told reporters that her mission was to see whether calls for
release of the jailed participants were justified, the Panarmenian
news website reported. The trial, colloquially known as "the case of
the seven," nearly cost Armenia its voting right in the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Europe’s key human rights
body. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Béguin reportedly discussed this issue, as well as Armenia’s blemished
human rights record, with Justice Minister Gevorg Danielyan, Police
Chief Alik Sargsian, and various non-governmental organizations.

CENTRAL BANK PERMITS ARMENIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK PARTICIPATE IN MONEY GRAM

/ARKA/
April 8, 2009
YEREVAN

The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) permitted the Armenian Development
Bank open joint stock company to participate in Money Gram payment
international payment and settlement system. The respective decision
was made at the CBA Board meeting of April 7 presided over by the
CBA Chairman Artur Javadyan.

Money Gram international payment and settlement system is operated
in 180 countries and has 160,000 service centers all over the world,
with 13,400 service centers in the CIS.

Armenian Development Bank open joint stock company was founded in 1990.

According to the information of ARKA Agency, by the end of December
2008 the bank’s assets had totaled 16.3bln Drams, liabilities 10.5bln
Drams, total capital 5.8bln Drams, credit investments 10.3bln Drams,
liabilities to clients 8.9bln Drams; the bank’s net profit was 747.2mln
Drams in January-December 2008. ($1=372.06Drams).

KOUCHNER OPPOSED TURKEY’S EU BID

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.04.2009 14:48 GMT+04:00

France’s Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Tuesday he had turned
against the idea of allowing Turkey to join the European Union because
of Ankara’s behavior at last week’s NATO summit.

"Turkey’s evolution in, let’s say, a more religious direction,
towards a less robust secularism, worries me," he told RTL radio.

France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy has long been opposed to Turkey’s
EU bid and that has been official French policy, but his foreign
minister had been more open to the idea, at least until Saturday’s
talks in Strasbourg.

Kouchner said he had been surprised when Turkey’s delegation to
the NATO summit had initially refused to accept the appointment of
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the alliance’s new
secretary general.

"I was very shocked by the pressure that was brought on us," Kouchner
told his interviewer, when asked why he had spoken of his former
support for Turkey’s European ambitions in the past tense.

Rasmussen made enemies in the Muslim world in 2005 when he defended the
freedom of expression of Danish cartoonists who mocked the Prophet
Mohammed, and has angered Turkey by refusing to close a Kurdish
television channel.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul delayed talks at the summit by refusing
to accept Rasmussen’s nomination, and only dropped his veto threat
after US President Barack Obama brokered a compromise deal.

Rasmussen has since promised to reach out to the Islamic world, Turkey
is to have a NATO deputy secretary general post and Obama came out
forcefully in favor of Turkey’s EU membership bid.

"It’s not for the Americans to decide who comes into Europe or not,"
Kouchner retorted. "We are in charge in our own house."

The foreign minister, a former Socialist and humanitarian leader
who joined Sarkozy’s right-wing administration in 2007, said Turkey
had been "to say the least, clumsy" in bringing up the issue of the
Mohammed cartoons.

Turkey’s current government is led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s AKP party, which has its roots in the Islamist movement.

Turkey began negotiations on becoming an EU candidate country in
2005. If it joined it would become the Union’s biggest member in
terms of population, and its first with a Muslim majority.

France, Germany and Austria have come out against the idea, while
Britain and the president of the European Commission, Manuel Barroso,
support it, AFP reported.

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RAMGAVAR NOMINATES OGASSAPIAN IN BEIRUT III DISTRICT

NowLebanon
April 7 2009
Lebanon

The Ramgavar party announced on Tuesday Minister of State Jean
Ogassapian’s candidacy for the Armenian Orthodox seat in the Beirut
III district on the March 14 alliance’s electoral list for the
upcoming elections.

In the party’s statement it also said the elections were decisive
for defining Lebanon’s future.

"The country will either regain its role of connecting the West with
the East or will remain an arena of wars."

OBAMA UNDERMINES HIS CREDIBILITY BY NOT SAYING GENOCIDE IN ANKARA
By Harut Sassounian

ma-undermines-his-credibility-by-not-saying-genoci de-in-ankara/
April 6, 2009

For several months now, I have been exposing the Turkish government’s
ploy of creating the false impression that Ankara is engaged in serious
negotiations to establish diplomatic relations with Yerevan. Turkey
has been exploiting the illusive promise of opening the border in
order to pressure Armenia into making concessions on a host of issues,
while simultaneously subverting President Obama’s pledge to recognize
the Armenian Genocide.

Turkish officials have been repeatedly warning President Obama not to
issue a statement on the Armenian Genocide, claiming that such a step
would disrupt the on-going negotiations between Armenia and Turkey.

Regrettably, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian’s decision
to travel to Istanbul this week to participate in the meeting of
the Alliance of Civilizations served to substantiate the Turkish
government’s contention that all is going well between the two
countries.

Azerbaijan’s President, on the other hand, was determined to stick
to his guns in safeguarding his nation’s interests. When President
Aliyev learned that Ankara was contemplating opening the border
with Armenia, he viewed it as a betrayal of Azerbaijan by "fraternal
Turkey." He promptly canceled his planned trip to Istanbul. Aliyev
even threatened to block the sale of natural gas to Turkey should
it proceed with its announced plan to open the border. He wanted the
Turkish border to remain closed in order to force Armenia into making
territorial concessions on Artsakh (Karabagh). The Azeri Press Agency
reported that Aliyev turned down a personal invitation to Istanbul
by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as well as Turkey’s President
and Prime Minister. Aliyev remained unmoved even when he was offered
a private meeting with the President of the United States.

It is not clear if President Obama was deceived by the Turks
warnings to third parties not to interfere in the Armenian-Turkish
negotiations. It could be that he found it expedient to heed the
Turkish objections in order to maximize the concessions he wanted to
extract from Turkey on Iraq and Afghanistan.

During a press conference in Ankara on Monday, this is how
President Obama responded when asked if he had changed his view on
the Armenian Genocide: "My views are on the record and I have not
changed views. What I have been very encouraged by is news that under
President Gul’s leadership, you are seeing a series of negotiations,
a process, in place between Armenia and Turkey to resolve a whole
host of longstanding issues, including this one. I want to be as
encouraging as possible around those negotiations, which are moving
forward and could bear fruit very quickly, very soon. And so, as a
consequence, what I want to do is not focus on my views right now,
but focus on the views of the Turkish and the Armenian people. If
they can move forward and deal with a difficult and tragic history,
then I think the entire world should encourage them. And so what I
told the President was I want to be as constructive as possible in
moving these issues forward quickly. And my sense is that they are
moving quickly. I don’t want, as the President of the United States,
to preempt any possible arrangements or announcements that might be
made in the near future. I just want to say that we are going to be a
partner in working through these issues in such a way that the most
important parties, the Turks and the Armenians, are finally coming
to terms in a constructive way."

When the reporter pressed him for not using the term genocide,
President Obama repeated the deceptive arguments advanced by Turkey:
"What I’d like to do is to encourage President Gul to move forward
with what have been some very fruitful negotiations. And I’m not
interested in the United States in any way tilting these negotiations
one way or another while they are having useful discussions."

President Gul then took the floor, and in a lengthy response, repeated
the standard Turkish denials of the Armenian Genocide.

Later that day, while addressing the Turkish Parliament, President
Obama again carefully avoided using the term genocide: "Human endeavor
is by its nature imperfect. History is often tragic, but unresolved,
it can be a heavy weight. Each country must work through its past. And
reckoning with the past can help us seize a better future. I know
there’s strong views in this chamber about the terrible events of
1915. And while there’s been a good deal of commentary about my views,
it’s really about how the Turkish and Armenian people deal with the
past. And the best way forward for the Turkish and Armenian people
is a process that works through the past in a way that is honest,
open and constructive."

In view of these developments, it is imperative that the Armenian
government terminate at once all negotiations with Turkish leaders
in order to limit the damage caused by the continued exploitation
of the illusion of productive negotiations. Moreover, the Armenian
leadership should denounce in the strongest possible terms President
Gul’s shameful denial of the Armenian Genocide during the Ankara
press conference which was broadcast live by TV networks worldwide.

Meanwhile, Armenians from all over the world should inundate the White
House Comment Line with phone calls to inform President Obama that his
statements on the Armenian Genocide in Ankara did not go far enough
and do not fulfill his solemn promises on this important issue. Please
call: 1 (202) 456-1111 and leave a message. Unless the White House
hears immediately from a large number of Armenians, President Obama and
his aides might think that Armenians are satisfied with the remarks he
made in Ankara. The President may then not issue a statement on April
24 or he may repeat the same unacceptable words he used in Turkey.

Finally, President Obama should understand that the significance of
keeping his word on the Armenian Genocide goes beyond this issue and
has a direct bearing on his overall credibility. Within hours of the
President’s remarks in Ankara, the Politifact.com website questioned
his integrity, having concluded that he had broken his promise on the
Armenian Genocide-one of the 511 campaign promises that the website
keeps track of, to verify his trustworthiness.

STANCE IS INVARIABLE, AND THE PROMISE?
Hakob Badalyan

LRAGIR.AM
18:46:24 – 06/04/2009

On April 6, the U.S. president Barak Obama stated in Turkey that his
stance on the Armenian genocide is invariable. Of course, Obama did
not pronounce the word "genocide" but answering a question in this
relation said that his stance is known and it is invariable.

There is nothing unexpected here, because it would be strange if Obama
visited Turkey and stated that his stance was changed. Merely, the
question is whether Obama’s electoral promise given to the Armenians
in connection with the genocide recognition is changed or not. Obama
did not say anything in this regard, and probably no one asked.

While the stance and the promise differ. For example, one may have a
stance that toys are good for a child, but one may go back on their
promise on buying a toy because of the crisis. In other words, the
crisis does not change the stance, the toy remains useful for a child,
but the promise of buying it remains unfulfilled because money is
needed for buying something, especially something useful.

Obama sure, is not going to recognize the Armenian genocide by money,
but money is not the only circumstance in the world. In addition,
that the circumstance may be visible and invisible. It is obvious
that there are both of them in regard with the question on the
genocide recognition. For example, the visible circumstance which
may influence the genocide recognition may be the fact that Obama
has already become president, and when he gave the promise he was
not it yet. Another visible circumstance may be the reconstruction
of the Armenian and Turkish border Margara Bridge, or the statements
of the Armenian and Turkish authorities on the progresses in the
Armenian and Turkish relations. Although the progresses are invisible,
instead the statements are visible and, to all appearances, they form
a circumstance which may influence on the Obama’s keeping his word.

How many are the visible circumstances and what impact they will have,
will be seen on April 24. Maybe even before. The point is that if
Obama does not pronounce the word "genocide" on April 24, this will
not mean that he did not fulfil his promise. Since, he never stated
to recognize the Armenian genocide on April 24. The recognition may
take place earlier or later. So, until Obama does not recognize the
genocide, he may do that always. Consequently, if the recognition
does not come true on April 24, something should be reviewed in
the American lobby too and after this when hearing promises from the
American presidential candidates we should demand them in written form
where the terms of the genocide recognition should be noted clearly.