Author: Nargizian David

Azerbaijan.az
Oct 17 2009

Goran Lenmarker: The situation on the Settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is more optimistic than Ihave ever Seen Before
`The situation when it comes to Nagorno-Karabakh is rather optimistic.

There have been many meetings between the foreign ministers, and also
the presidents of the two countries ` Armenia and Azerbaijan; and this
is the sign that the negotiations are intensified, and my personal
view is that there is a good opportunity for a solution,’ OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly’s special representative for Nagorno-Karabakh,
and the special envoy on Georgia Goran Lennmarker said. Asked whether
the sides are about to come closer and there is a golden opportunity
in the settlement of the conflict, Goran Lennmarker said:

`I said that even four years ago, a golden opportunity, and sometimes
one may think for how long is an opportunity; but I am glad to say
that I think the situation now, late 2009, is more optimistic than I
have ever seen before.’

Touching on the protocols signed between Turkey and Armenia, OSCE
representative considers that it will have a positive influence on the
entire region.

`I think the Turks have made a great contribution for the situation
with Armenia but also for the region of Southern Caucasus. I will also
mention that the European Union through its Eastern partnership is now
` finally, I would say, come in and also give a positive contribution.
And that was a positive thing also for Georgia,’ he said.

Sunday Herald, UK
October 11, 2009 Sunday
Final Edition

Can Turkey and Armenia end their 100 years of hate?

BY: TREVOR ROYLE

IT was always on the cards that the long-expected approchement between
Turkey and Armenia would go to the wire in Zurich.

Following weeks of cautious negotiations, last-minute cracks began to
appear in the protocols and as this decisive weekend approached, both
sides seemed to get cold feet. Hardly surprising, really: there is too
much history involved and too many bad memories of the massacres of
1915 which blighted relations between the two countries for the better
part of a century.

That long shadow encouraged the Armenian diaspora to exert its
influence by informing president Serzh Sargsyan in no uncertain terms
that they would refuse to co-operate with the joint historical
commission which would be established by the agreement. Obviously, the
historians could get to work without their help, but it would be a
massive symbolic blow if the Armenian exiles refused to co-operate in
the attempt to discover the truth of what actually happened all those
years ago when 1.5 million innocents lost their lives.

The Armenians say it was genocide and fear that the historians will
fudge the issue; the Turks say it was no such thing and have no
intention of accepting responsibility for the ghosts of their
forebears. Is it still such a live issue almost 100 years later? You
bet it is. At a rally in Beirut last week, Sargsyan was confronted by
an agitated crowd of 2000 ethnic Armenians waving banners saying: "We
will not forget."

Neither should they. Even if the Turks cavil over the use of the word
genocide, there is now no doubt that under Ottoman rule a systematic
attempt took place to get rid of the mainly Christian Armenian
population who were suspected of giving aid to Russia during the fi
rst world war. Huge numbers were rounded up and deported to areas such
as the Syrian desert, and there was ample contemporary eyewitness
evidence of the wholesale execution of Armenian men, women and
children. Those who managed to escape the killings died on the march
or in camps which were little better than unsanitary hovels. From any
historical viewpoint it was a bleak incident in an equally bleak
conflict and no-one should be surprised that it has come back to haunt
us today.

But there is more to the mutual suspicions than disagreement over the
irretrievable past. Armenia is currently at odds with its neighbour
Azerbaijan over possession of the mountainous enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies between the two countries and has been
the source of rivalry in the years following the breakup of the Soviet
Union in 1991. During the subsequent confrontation, the issue was
clouded when Afghan and Chechen fighters sided with Azerbaijan – as
did Turkey – and there was a real fear that the fighting would spill
over and ignite a wider conflict in central Asia. That concern has not
disappeared: despite a Russian-brokered ceasefire in 1994,
Nagorno-Karabakh is still a tinderbox awaiting the spark.

Last week, diplomats from the US and the EU turned up in strength in
the Moldovan capital of Chisinau intent on knocking some sense into
collective heads.

Not only do the Americans and the Europeans want to remove a clear and
present danger, but they need to do so to protect their own interests.
If the oil and gas pipelines between Europe and central Asia are to be
protected, it is essential that the volatile south Caucasus region is
secured by getting all the partners onside. That’s why it’s so
important that Turkey and Armenia put aside ancient differences and
agree to some modest regional co-operation by reopening their borders.
And that’s why US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton was
planning to turn up in Zurich yesterday to make sure that both sides
put their names to the agreement.

Just look at the map for confirmation.

Iran lies to the south and in this turbulent region Turkey has always
been a solid ally of the US by providing the strategically important
Nato air base at Incirlik and a bulwark against Islamic
fundamentalism. At a time when the US needs fi rm friends to help it
cope with Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Turkey could emerge as a key
player. So too could Armenia which desperately wants past injustices
to be righted and to find its place in the sun.

And in Ankara they will understand that nothing is for nothing.
Turkey’s application for EU membership is still on the table and looks
increasingly as if it will be blocked by joint German, French and
Italian opposition. The Turks too will be looking for a little help
from their friends because at times like this the past might be
important, but it’s not the whole story.

TURKEY’S GUL LOBBIES HOSTILE FRANCE ON EU BID
by Jean-Louis de la Vaissiere

Agence France Presse
October 7, 2009 Wednesday 4:53 PM GMT

President Abdullah Gul flew into France on Wednesday to bring Turkey’s
campaign for membership of the European Union to the country that is
leading the drive to exclude it.

Gul was greeted at the airport by France’s Minister for European
Affairs Pierre Lellouche, according to French officials, and began
a three-day programme of meetings and speeches.

Before setting off, he insisted his mainly-Muslim state was making
good progress on reforms required by the 27-nation bloc.

He is nevertheless expected to meet firm opposition from his French
counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy.

"Our priority is to put into practice what we learned from the
European Union. We are focused on this aim since we came to power,"
Gul told AFP, defending the record of his Islamist-rooted government.

Gul was to meet foreign policy experts later Wednesday and Prime
Minister Francois Fillon on Thursday, taking time to persuade French
opinion of his case before meeting Sarkozy, who is staunchly opposed
to Turkey’s bid, on Friday.

Turkey began membership negotiations in 2005, but has so far opened
talks in only 11 of the 35 policy areas that candidates must complete,
while France, Germany and other EU members have sought to slow or
halt the process.

Sarkozy says Turkey — of which only a small portion west of the
Bosphorus is geographically in Europe and whose large population
would be the first in the bloc to be mainly Muslim — should settle
for a partnership agreement.

In June, hopes that France might soften its stance were raised when
Sarkozy appointed a new minister for Europe, Pierre Lellouche, known
to favour Turkish membership. The minister, however, now publicly
backs his president.

"We want Turkey to be a bridge between East and West," Sarkozy declared
in June during an appearance with President Barack Obama at which he
disagreed with the US leader’s support for Turkish EU membership.

"I told President Obama that it’s very important for Europe to have
borders. For me, Europe is a force stability in the world and I cannot
allow that force for stabilisation to be destroyed," Sarkozy declared.

This position, which is popular with a French electorate nervous of
allowing 76 million new citizens to compete on the European job market,
is unlikely to change this week.

And, despite window dressing such as a Turkish cultural season to be
held in France from this week, relations between the two countries
are tense.

"In the past five years you can see a real degradation in ties. Bridges
have been burned. Polite talk won’t change anything," said Didier
Billion, of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations
in Paris.

Billion said France had a "schizophrenic attitude" with Turkey,
on the one hand reaching out with gestures like a cultural season,
on the other thwarting its diplomatic initiatives.

Lellouche has suggested that Turkey could arrange privileged trading
ties with Europe — "like we have with Brazil" — but Gul has argues
his country could have special value as Europe’s Muslim partner.

"When the EU began to have links with Turkey, this country was already
a Muslim country, there is nothing new in this. Besides, the EU never
defined itself as a religious union," Gul said.

"Its common values are democracy, human rights and the supremacy of
the rule of law. It is on this basis that we have built our relations
with Europe.

"Not only does Turkey adopt the criteria of Europe, but it also plays
a role in spreading these values in the region," he said, suggesting
Turkish membership could improve ties with the Middle East.

France appreciates Turkey’s engagement in the diplomatic problems
posed by Iran, Syria and the Middle East conflict, and hails Ankara’s
renewal of ties with Armenia and efforts to improve the fate of its
own Kurdish minority.

But Paris has been disappointed by Turkey’s failure to resolve its
longstanding sovereignty dispute with Cyprus or halt the stream of
illegal immigrants flowing through its territory towards the Union.

France was also shocked when Turkey opposed Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s
appointment as NATO secretary general because of his Danish
government’s support for free expression in the row over cartoons of
the Prophet Mohammed.

French economic ties with Turkey have been hit by the tension,
according to Billion, with several companies including Gaz de France
finding themselves excluded from major deals such as the Nabucco gas
pipeline project.

ANOTHER SEVEN CONGRESSMEN TO SUPPORT GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

News.am
11:38 / 10/17/2009

The number of supporters of Genocide recognition keeps growing in
the U.S. Congress. According to the information spread by Armenian
Assembly of America (AAA), another seven congressmen expressed their
support to the resolution recognizing the 1915 events in Ottoman
Empire as Genocide. Thus, there are 134 supporters of resolution in
U.S. Congress.

"Since the protocols to establish diplomatic relations between
Armenia and Turkey were announced in August, the Armenian Genocide
resolution, H.Res. 252, has garnered an additional seven cosponsors,"
AAA website reads.

"U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide should not be held hostage
to normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey," said the
AAA Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

"The Assembly welcomes the support of Reps. Brian Bilbray (R-CA);
Elton Gallegly (R-CA); Darrell Issa (R-CA); Steve Israel (D-NY);
John Hall (D-NY); Laura Richardson (D-CA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA),"
said Assembly Congressional Relations Associate Bianka Dodov.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

October 16, 2009

ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL AVAKS ENJOY RETREAT AT ARARAT CENTER

The St. Vartan Cathedral Avaks (senior citizens) enjoyed both a spiritual
and fun-filled three-day retreat at the Ararat Center in upstate New York,
from Tuesday, September 29 to Thursday, October 1.

Departing from both the Holy Martyrs Armenian Church in Bayside, NY, and St.
Vartan Cathedral, a total of 26 revelers journeyed in two vans, led by their
director, the Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, with assistance from Dn. Sebuh
Oscherichian.

The days were filled with back-to-back activities, including daily worship
services, Bible study, and three full delicious Armenian meals. On the first
evening, the group was treated to the Hollywood film "Mama Mia," replete
with popcorn. Participants later enjoyed wine, cheese, and Armenian folk
singing.

Wednesday included an afternoon of apple-picking, as the Avaks, armed with
large plastic bags, sauntered through a burgeoning apple grove, picking only
the best from the fruit-laden trees.

In the evening, they paid a visit to the St. Peter Armenian Church of
Watervliet, NY, where they were greeted by the parishioners. Following a
vesper service, they were warmly hosted for coffee hour.

The Avaks meet every Thursday at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral for Bible
study at 11:30 a.m., and a delicious lunch at 12:30, which is followed by an
interesting cultural program. For more information, call (212) 686-0710,
ext. 141.

###

Photos attached.

Photo 1: Avaks worship together at the Ararat Center.

Photo 2: Participants in the Avaks retreat at the Ararat Center pose for a
group photo.

Photo 3: Avaks take part in Bible study at the Ararat Center.

Photo 4: An exercise class during the Avaks retreat at the Ararat Center.

FOUR ARMENIAN KARATEKAS TO TAKE PART IN EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.10.2009 11:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Four sportsmen in different weigh classes will
represent Armenia in European Contact Karate Junior Championship due
in Cyprus on October 24-31. Aikikendo Federation President David
Atanesyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net correspondent that Championship
participants were selected based on results of Armenia’s open karate
championship dedicated to the 2791st anniversary of Yerevan.

"Armenia’s open championship enabled us to select the best
sportsmen. All four are champions of Armenia and can compete in
different styles," Atanesyan said.

Thus, Armenia will be represented by the following junior sportsmen :
Vanik Papoyan (w/c 35 kg., age group: 10-12), Vahram Ter-Vardanyan
(w/c 48 kg., age group: 13-14), Martin Ayvazyan (60 kg., age group:
14-15), and Vahagn Ghukasyan (w/c 65 kg., age group: 15-16).

RUSSIAN GANGSTER SAID TO HAVE ORDERED MURDER OF 4 ROOM SHOPPING CENTER DIRECTOR

Kyiv Post
Oct 16 Fri

Russian gangster said to have ordered murder of 4 Room shopping center
director criminalnaya.ru Mirab S.

The director of the Kyiv-based 4 Room shopping center, Shabab
Aloyan, was threatened by Mirab S., a relative, before being killed,
while a gangster known by the nickname of Mirab ordered the murder,
Inferior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko said at a press conference in Kyiv
on Wednesday.

The minister said that a second suspect detained by the police is
wanted by the United States and Armenia.

"As our Russian colleagues testify, he is in the elite of killers,"
Lutsenko said.

According to him, the trial of the alleged killer should be conducted
in Ukraine, as he is a suspect in three murders, including a murder
of a policeman, in the country.

"According to our data, there are two Mirabs, one of them is a gangster
and another is Mirab S. We think that the direct threats came from
Mirab S., while the gangster ordered the murder…," the minister said.

When asked whether they had been detained, Lutsenko said: "They have
been identified. Currently we’re resolving questions: what their
citizenship is, under which conditions they live in Russia and whether
Ukraine has enough evidence to bring them to account."

As reported, the director of 4 Room shopping center died of gunshot
wounds in hospital, while two security guards, employees of the Titan
special unit detachment, died at the scene of the shooting at the 4
Room shopping center on October 2.

One of the two attackers died in hospital on Saturday of gunshot
wounds and injuries received during a traffic accident.

THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE NKR IS NOT A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION

3/vardan-barseghyan
12:45 pm | October 13, 2009

Politics

Deputy Foreign Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Vardan
Barseghyan considers any discussion on territories as nonsensical.

"We must first discuss the cause and then the effects. The first
thing we must do is to solve the issue related to the status of the
NKR. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s position remains unchanged and
that is that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can’t be settled without
the participation of the NKR. If Azerbaijan truly wants to settle the
conflict, it must be ready to sit down and negotiate with the NKR. No
decision will be acceptable for the NKR without our participation,"
said Mr. Barseghyan to "A1+".

He mentioned that the territories on which different interpretations
are made make up the territory of the NKR, which is established by
the NKR Constitution. The Deputy Foreign Minister of the NKR expresses
gratitude to the RA authorities for representing the interests of the
NKR during the talks, but he also stated that that is not enough for
the conflict settlement.

"Of course, it is better to negotiate than to wage a war, but any
resolution of the conflict is excluded without the participation of
the NKR.

Vardan Barseghyan finds that the NKR must express its viewpoints
and Azerbaijan is the one that must be the first to hear those
viewpoints. "The current format of negotiations goes to show that
Azerbaijan is not ready for the conflict resolution. The negotiations
process doesn’t include the prerequisites for real progress. Azerbaijan
and the NKR lack mutual confidence and Azerbaijan is to blame for
that. Azerbaijan currently rejects any contact with the NKR." Despite
the process of negotiations, the Deputy Foreign Minister says that
independence is not a matter of discussion. "We only face the issue
of international recognition."

Touching upon the signed Turkish-Armenian protocols and their impact
on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, Mr. Barseghyan said:
"Of course we are interested in Turkey’s interest in the conflict
resolution. As you know, to this day, Turkey has had a negative impact
on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and has acted for the benefit of
Azerbaijan. However, we are in favor of having good relations with
all countries of the region and to have open borders."

DIPLOMACY ON THE SOCCER FIELD

Philadelphia Metro
Published 20:54, October the 13th, 2009

A table tennis player brought the U.S. and China together.A table
tennis player brought the U.S. and China together.

Photo

Glenn Cowan, a U.S. player, was so busy practicing for the 1971
World Table Tennis Championships in Japan that he missed his team
bus. A Chinese player invited him on the Chinese team bus instead,
which led to friendly talk and even a gift exchange. It also led to
a diplomatic breakthrough for the U.S. and the People’s Republic of
China, whose relations had been frosty for over two decades.

Without Glenn Cowan, former President Richard Nixon may not have made
his historic visit to China.

Now Turkish and Armenian soccer players are set to repeat their
ping-pong colleagues’ diplomatic feat. Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian will visit Turkey as the two national teams square off
against each other in a World Cup qualifying game there today.

METRO/EB Your turn: (0 comments)

Diplomacy on the soccer field

Glenn Cowan, a U.S. player, was so busy practicing for the 1971
World Table Tennis Championships in Japan that he missed his team
bus. A Chinese player invited him on the Chinese team bus instead,
which led to friendly talk and even a gift exchange. It also led to
a diplomatic breakthrough for the U.S. and the People’s Republic of
China, whose relations had been frosty for over two decades.

Without Glenn Cowan, former President Richard Nixon may not have made
his historic visit to China.

Now Turkish and Armenian soccer players are set to repeat their
ping-pong colleagues’ diplomatic feat. Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian will visit Turkey as the two national teams square off
against each other in a World Cup qualifying game there today.

LINKING OF KARABAKH ISSUE WITH NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN- TURKISH RELATIONS TO LEAD TO NEGATIVE RESULTS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
13.10.2009 18:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The problems in Armenian-Turkish relations should
be speak out openly, Karen Bekaryan , member of the Public Council,
head of the European Integration organization said during the
Yerevan-Ankara-Moscow video-conference "The new geopolitical situation
in the East: Armenian-Turkish rapprochement, problems and realities".

"Our Turkish colleagues are well aware how difficult to establish
any relations with Turkey for a country which underwent Genocide
and is still fighting against its denial. How difficult to establish
relations without preconditions, when Ankara lays down preconditions,
" Karen Bekaryan said.

According to the expert, if Turkey continues to make statements on
Karabakh, it would negatively affect the independence of the settlement
process. "In recent years, it became clear that all statements of
Ankara on the matter make the process of resolving the problem more
radical. Linking the resolution of the Karabakh issue with the process
of normalization of Armenia – Turkey relations could lead to negative
consequences for the two processes, " Karen Bekaryan said.

According to him, it would be nice if Turkey looked at the Karabakh
problem in a different light – the return of Armenian refugees in
Anatolia and granting them compensation. "Only in this case we can
say that Ankara has a moral right to speak about the Azerbaijani
refugees and the return of territories around Karabakh to Azerbaijan",
the expert said.