Author: Tadevosian Garnik

France is unanimous in condemning Armenian Genocide

Yerkir.am
January 19, 2007

About 2,000 political leaders and intellectuals participated in a rally
supporting criminalization of the Armenian Genocide Denial organized
on Wednesday by the Coordination Council of Armenian Unions in France
in Paris.

ARF’s Hay Dat Office for Europe informs the rally participants
supported unanimous fight against Genocide denial and expressed
solidarity with the victims of the Genocide. Representative of France’s
Jewish community Serge Clarsfeld assured that their community will
support the calls for criminalization of the Genocide denial by the
French Senate.

Chief Secretary of the French Socialist Party Francois Holland spoke
on behalf of the Socialist Party and its presidential candidate
Segolen Royal.

Representative of People’s Movement Union Party Patric Devejian
stressed that "Turkey’s denial will bother citizens of France and not
visa versa". The rally was concluded by Charles Aznavour’s performance
that was received with warm applauses.

The law passed by the French Parliament on October 12, 2006 prescribes
a punishment of 45 thousand euros and one year of imprisonment for
denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Guardian Unlimited, UK
Jan 20 2007

Wave of condemnation at murder of Turkish editor

The murder of journalist Hrant Dink in Turkey has sparked a wave of
protest inside and outside the country. Dink, a prominent member of
Turkey’s Armenian community, died after being shot from behind
outside the Istanbul offices of Agos, the bilingual Turkish-Armenian
weekly newspaper that he edited. Commenting on the murder, Turkey’s
prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, said: "A bullet was fired at freedom
of thought and democratic life."

In fact, the Turkish authorities have long harassed Dink, who was
tried several times because he spoke out and wrote about the killings
of 1.5m Armenians by Turks during the first world war, which many
Armenians regard as an act of genocide. Last year he was given a
six-month suspended jail sentence for "insulting Turkishness". In
what was to to prove his final column he told of having received
death threats from Turkish nationalists who viewed him as a traitor.
Despite that, he was not given protection by the authorities.

Unsurprisingly, the Armenian government condemned the murder, with
the speaker of its parliament, Tigran Torosyan, saying the murder
showed that Turkey should not even dream about joining the European
Union.

Journalists and politicians in Turkey have expressed outrage at the
killing, which many described as a political assassination, while the
US, EU, France, and several human rights groups also voiced shock and
condemnation. The Los Angeles Times, reports that Raffi Hamparian,
leader of the Armenian National Committee of America, the largest
Armenian political organisation in the US, responded by saying: "It
is shocking but not surprising. We are paying for the results of a
tragic policy on the part of Turkey to deny its past and, perhaps
most tragically, the complicity of the US in this denial."

According to reports of a statement by Istanbul’s governor, three
people were arrested soon after the killing.

Posted on Friday, January 19, 2007
_ ()
_Study: Little Jewish property seized by Nazis returned _
()
Source: _Associated P_
( ea/israel_holocaust_reparations) ress (1-19-07)
Only one-fifth of the property that was stolen from Europe’s Jews by the
Nazis and their collaborators has ever been returned, leaving at least $115
billion in assets still missing, according to a new study obtained Friday by The
Associated Press.

Many Western European governments paid restitution for only a fraction of
the stolen real estate, investments, businesses and household items, while
Eastern European countries under Soviet control paid almost nothing at all,
according to the study.

Even the highly publicized campaigns over the past decade for more complete
compensation barely made a dent in the problem, said the study, compiled by
economist Sidney Zabludoff, a former CIA and U.S. Treasury official.

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
January 18, 2007 Thursday 7:58 PM MSK

OPEC fund gives Armenia $10-mln credit

The OPEC international fund has granted Armenia a credit of $10
million to repair infrastructure in mountainous and border regions,
the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s press service said.

The loan agreement was signed in the OPEC headquarters in Vienna on
January 17 by Armenian Agriculture Minister David Lokian and fund
General Director Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish.

The sides agreed to expand and deepen cooperation in the future.

Albany Times Union, NY
Jan 13 2007

The ‘forgotten’ Armenian genocide also is a crime against humanity

First published: Saturday, January 13, 2007

This writer was drawn to a Dec. 31 article in the Times Union by John
Rodden and Michael D. Kerlin, "Human rights crimes keep escalating."

The article details the "crimes against humanity" that were
perpetrated during 2006 against — but not exclusive to — the people
of Chile, the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Liberia, Ethiopia, Sudan,
Colombia and the Congo. The article points out that, while some of
the perpetrators of these injustices, e.g., Pinochet, Milosevic and
Hussein, have "all met their fates," the process of bringing the
remaining "criminals" to justice is more difficult to define and
implement.

It is the final paragraph of this article that this writer wishes to
address: "Matters have grown more complicated in the 60 years since
Nuremberg. 2006 was indeed a successful year. Let’s hope the world
doesn’t have to wait another 60 years for its next big leap forward
against war criminals and human rights abuses."

The world must be made aware that there was another tragic crime
against humanity that preceded the Holocaust, namely the Armenian
genocide, also known as "the forgotten genocide." The final sentence
of Rodden and Kerlin’s article underscores why the Armenian genocide
continues to be ignored by authors who write on the topic of "crimes
against humanity." To complicate matters, the modern Turkish
government continues to deny that a "genocide" took place. The
Turkish position is that a "civil uprising" had to be quelled, and
during the process, Armenian as well as Turkish peoples died.

This writer has visited schools and colleges in the Capital Region
(including Albany Academy for Girls, Canajoharie, Schoharie,
Scotia-Glenville, Shaker, Shenendehowa high schools, and Siena
College), speaking on the topic of the "Armenian genocide." Most of
our young people know about the Holocaust. At least, they have heard
of it.

On the other hand, most people of today’s generation — young and old
alike — have no idea what the Armenian genocide was. They don’t even
know where Armenia is located. I would continue to urge the world to
recognize that the history of genocide in the 20th century did not
begin with the Holocaust. Rather, it began with the planned and
systematic extermination of an ethnic race, a plan that left my
parents as orphans, and my generation without grandparents, aunts,
uncles and cousins.

RALPH ENOKIAN
Albany

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Jan 13 2007

Opening Armenian-Turkish borders to benefit economies – FM

YEREVAN, January 13 (Itar-Tass) – Opening the Armenian-Turkish border
will benefit the economies of both countries, Armenian Deputy Foreign
Minister Arman Kirakosyan said.

The Armenian diplomat spoke at an international conference devoted to
the economic and social consequences for opening the Armenian-Turkish
border on Saturday. The forum is organised by a public organisation
`Armenian Economic Research Group’, which was founded by young
economists from Armenia, the United States and other countries.

`The opening of the border will have a positive impact on regional
cooperation in the South Caucasus,’ the diplomat said.

Due to the closedness of borders, the absence of diplomatic and
consular relations contacts between Armenia and Turkey `are being held
via air service or the territory of third countries,’ he said.

`In fact, Turkey seeks to express solidarity with Azerbaijan and
develop regional cooperation in order to strengthen mutual trust,’ the
diplomat pointed out.

He said Armenia calls for establishing diplomatic relations with
Turkey without any preconditions.

`In order to ensure stability and security, and develop broad
cooperation in the region it is necessary for Turkey to have unbiased
equal relations with all states of the South Caucasus and give up its
policy towards forcing Armenia out of regional programmes, including
economic ones,’ Kirakosyan said.

In his view, in order to establish diplomatic relations and open
borders with Armenia Turkey put forth certain conditions. One of the
main conditions is to resolve the Karabakh problem. `Thus, Turkey
defies the norms of international law and violates the 1921 Treaty of
Kars’ that was signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Georgian SSR one
side, and Turkey and the RSFR on the other side. Under the treaty, the
sides obliged to ensure free movement of people and cargoes.

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Jan 13 2007

Tbilisi, Baku Agree on Funding of Regional Railway Link

Azerbaijan will loan USD 200 million to Georgia to finance
construction of its portion of a railway which will link Azerbaijan
with Turkey, according to the agreement signed in Tbilisi on January
13.

Georgia will have to repay the loan with 1% annual interest within 25
years. Georgian officials said they plan to use the revenues from
operation of the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway to cover the loan.

USD 200 million is an initial sum and the loan may increase depending
on results of assessment which will fix an exact cost of the project,
Irakli Ezugbaia, chief of the state-run Georgian Railway said on
January 13. The project assessment paper is expected to be ready by
this February.

`We are very satisfied with the results [of talks]; this [agreement]
is a guarantee that the project will be launched,’ Giorgi Arveladze,
the Georgian Economy Minister said, after signing of the agreement.

`This is a huge project, which will mean an investment of USD 300
million in the Akhalkalaki district. It means new jobs, new economic
opportunities and new links for Georgia,’ he added.

`This project is important both from the political and economic point
of view,’ Zia Mamedov, the Azerbaijani Transport Minister, who led
the Azeri delegation, said after the agreement was signed.

Officials said that the both sides want the construction to be
launched as soon as possible. Irakli Ezugbaia initially said that
Tbilisi wanted to launch construction no later than mid-2007.

But it became clear on January 13 that the project requires
time-consuming procedures which may delay the construction until the
end of 2007.

The procedures involve discussion of the agreement at the national
legislative bodies, as well as announcement of the tender to select a
company which will carry out construction works, Ezugbaia stated.

Georgia’s ex-Economy Minister Irakli Chogovadze, who participated in
talks as a consultant to the government, said despite some formal
details which remain to be clarified the agreement signed on January
13 means that the project received a go-ahead.

`Now there is nothing hindering to launch this project,’ Chogovadze
told Civil Georgia.

A 29-kilometer portion of the new railway on the Georgian territory
from Akhalkalaki to the Turkish border will be constructed and
192-kilometer portion of already existing poor railway infrastructure
be rehabilitated in frames of the project.

Officials say that project implementation will take about two and
half years.

The railway will have a capacity to transport 15 million tons of
cargo annually, chief of the Georgian Railway Irakli Ezugbaia said.

There were fears in Georgia that launch of the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars
railway will redirect flow of cargo from the Georgia’s Black Sea
ports of Batumi and Poti. But Georgian Economy Minister Giorgi
Arveladze downplayed these concerns.

`Additional transport routes are of special importance for us,
against of continuing economic blockade by Russia,’ he added.

Armenia is against the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway, claiming that
the project will further isolate the landlocked country.

U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law on December 20 the
Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2006, which bans the U.S.
Ex-Im Bank from financing the construction of the
Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway.

The Act was passed by the House and Senate as a result of intensive
lobbying by the Armenian diaspora groups in the United States.

As an alternative to Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars, Yerevan is pushing for
reopening the already existing Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway. The
railway between Turkish town of Kars and Armenia’s Gyumri is
currently not operational because of trade blockades imposed on
Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

"NATIONAL UNITY OATH" PARTY DEMANDS TO SET FREE AND GRANT RA
CITIZENSHIP TO ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN

YEREVAN, JANUARY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The Council of the "National Unity
Oath" demands to immediately set free by a special decree Jirayr
Sefilian, granting him patent of a citizen of the Republic of Armenia
starting from 1991. This is said in the open letter of the party
Council addressed to the RA President. It is mentioned in the letter
that Zh.Sefilian’s arrest is "a plot hatched by the legal bodies of
the Republic of Armenia against self-defence of the Fatherland by
which they again deprive of authority our country in the eyes of the
population of Armenia and Armenians, they offend unpunished our
people’s dignity and more deprive the Republic of Armenia of the
international authority, having already been deprived." To recap,
Zhirayr Sefilian, the former commander of the Shoushi special
battalion, coordinator of the "Defence of Liberated Territories"
public initiative, citizen of Lebanon, was arrested in Yerevan on
December 10 of the last year. Vardan Malkhasian, a member of the
"Hayrenik ev Pativ" (Fatherland and Honour) party political council, a
member of the "Armenian Volunteers’ Unity" initiative was also
arrested on the same day, in his own house. They are accused of
stating public calls addressed to changing by violence the RA
Constitution order (Article 301 of the RA Criminal Code). The Court of
First Instance of the communities of Kentron and Nork Marash of
Yerevan satisfied on December 12, 2006, the mediations of the RA
National Security Service to choose arrest as a precautionary measures
of 2-month term towards Zh.Sefilian’s and V.Malkhasian.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT HAS NO PLANS TO LEAVE POLITICS
Haroutiun Khachatrian

EurasiaNet, NY
Jan 10 2007

President Robert Kocharian’s disclosure that he plans to remain active
in politics after his term ends in 2008 has prompted speculation
about the future shape of Armenia’s political landscape.

On December 16, in an interview with three pro-government television
stations, President Kocharian indicated clearly that he does not
envisage retiring from politics. "I am not going to become the youngest
pensioner of Armenia," commented the 53-year-old Kocharian, who has
served as Armenia’s president since 1998. "Life is just starting and
it will be just starting then."

Kocharian declined to reveal specifics, but the implication that the
Armenian leader would remain politically active after vacating his
post in February 2008 gave fresh impetus to media speculation about
his plans. The most popular point of view is that Kocharian may seek
the post of prime minister, a post that by then will have expanded
powers, under constitutional amendments introduced in November 2006.

[For details, see the Eurasia Insight archive].

In a December 26 commentary, the opposition newspaper Haykakan
Zhamanak suggested that if the Republican Party, part of Armenia’s
governing coalition and headed by Prime Minister Andranik Margarian
and Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian, wins the majority of votes in
the parliamentary elections, Sarkisian could be named prime minister.

The commentary envisaged a scenario in which Sarkisian would then ask
Kocharian to take over his position as prime minister if Sarkisian
chooses to run for president in 2008.

The fact that Kocharian does not have a party affiliation poses a
sizeable obstacle to this scheme, some observers argue. They point to
the failure of the president to censure the new Prosperous Armenia
party for its widespread charitable activities – decried by many as
vote-buying – as proof that the Republican Party cannot be certain
of Kocharian’s long-term support.

Such speculations went even further after a New Year’s party for
journalists hosted by the president on December 26. The individual who
will become president in 2008, Kocharian told reporters in response
to a question, "will not be the person you think about." To date,
Defense Minister Sarkisian has been widely discussed as Kocharian’s
preferred successor. The president’s words, however, have been taken
as evidence that he now might favor another candidate.

But if so, Kocharian is keeping that information to himself.

Publicly, the president still speaks favorably of the Republican
Party. During his December 16 interview. Kocharian praised the party as
an "experienced political force." Other parties with which Kocharian
said it would be possible to cooperate were ARF Dashnakstutiun
and the United Labor Party, both members of the ruling government
coalition or loyal to it, and the new party Bargavach Hayastan,
or Prosperous Armenia.

Prosperous Armenia, founded and funded by millionaire Gagik Tsarukian,
has gained considerable popularity during the last year thanks in
large part to charitable activities undertaken by a foundation of the
same name. (Political parties themselves are forbidden from doing
charitable work). The party commanded the support of 22 percent of
663 Yerevan residents surveyed in November 2006 by the APR Group,
a market research and opinion polling firm.

The party outstripped by 17 percentage points the runner-up Republican
Party, the daily newspaper Aravot reported on November 29.

Many observers have debated whether these charitable activities are a
type of "election bribe." In his interview, however, Kocharian stated
that Armenian legislation has not yet drawn a boundary between such
acts of charity and an "election bribe." Prime Minister Margarian,
as the leader of a rival party, has taken a stronger view. During a
December 22 meeting with reporters, Margarian noted that the benefits
offered by Prosperous Armenia constituted only "0.001 percent of that
brought by the government."

Speculations are numerous as to why Kocharian has not attempted to
curtail Prosperous Armenia’s charitable activities as a show of loyalty
to his long-time allies in the Republican Party. Most observers argue
that Kocharian wants to have additional options at his disposal for
a political career upon leaving office.

For now, politicians are mostly reluctant to comment on Kocharian’s
statements, saying that much will depend on the actual results of the
2007 parliamentary elections. "Of course, Kocharian’s words are orders
to officials to act in favor of parties he would like to see in the
parliament," the December 19 issue of the daily Haykakan Zhamanak
quoted Stepan Demirchian, leader of the opposition People’s Party
of Armenia, as saying. "However, only time will show what in reality
will happen."

Editor’s Note: Haroutiun Khachatrian is a Yerevan-based writer
specializing in economic and political affairs.

ARMENIA CELEBRATES NATIVITY OF CHRIST

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
January 5, 2007 Friday 11:35 PM EST

Armenia, the Armenian Apostolic Church and its followers around the
world are celebrating their main religious holiday – the Nativity
of Christ.

The Armenian church is the only church that has preserved an old
custom of celebrating the nativity and baptism of Christ under one
name – Epiphany.

Armenian government officials will attend a religious service at
Echmiadzin, to be led by the head of the Armenian Church, Catholicos
Garegin I. Religious services will also be held in Armenian churches
around the world.