Author: Tadevosian Garnik

ARMENIA: YEREVAN TO SEND 40 PEACEKEEPERS TO AFGHANISTAN

Euroasianet
Dec 4 2009
NY

Armenia has announced it will send 40 peacekeepers in February 2010
to Afghanistan to participate in the US- and NATO-led stabilization
campaign.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said that his country of 3 million
had an international obligation to make a contribution to global
security, the Kavkazsky Uzel news website reported on December 4. The
decision to deploy troops is subject to legislative approval.

Armenia’s neighbor, Georgia, has pledged to increase its peacekeeping
presence in Afghanistan to 800 troops. Tbilisi’s increased commitment
is seen as a deal-sweetener for Georgia’s long-standing bid to
join NATO.

Meanwhile, the largest and richest South Caucasus country, Azerbaijan,
which maintains a comparatively neutral position toward NATO and
Russia, has 90 troops committed to Afghanistan.

AZERBAIJAN: BAKU BACKS IDEA OF A SERBIA-CONTROLLED KOSOVO

Eurasianet
Dec 4 2009
NY

At a December 3 hearing at the International Court of Justice,
Azerbaijan supported Serbia’s bid to bring Kosovo back into its fold.

The December 1-11 public hearings, essentially an exchange between
backers and opponents of Kosovo’s independence, have been watched
closely in the South Caucasus, where both Azerbaijan and Georgia are
grappling with separatist issues.

The court, which operates under the auspices of the United Nations, is
looking into the legal grounds for Kosovo’s secession from Serbia. It
will render an "advisory opinion" on the issue to the UN General
Assembly.

Georgia has refused to recognize Kosovo’s independence; Tbilisi has
seen its own separatist territories — South Ossetia and Abkhazia —
recognized by Russia, Venezuela and Nicaragua as independent states.

With breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh in mind, Azerbaijan reiterated that it
views separation of Kosovo as a violation of international law, the
RIA-Novosti news agency reported. Belarus, which is closely watched
for a decision on recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, has
echoed Baku’s objections.

MONITORING OF ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI CONTACT LINE PASSES OFF WITHOUT INCIDENT

news.az
Dec 3 2009
Azerbaijan

OSCE monitoring on the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
armed forces recorded no incidents, according to the news service
for the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

The OSCE mission held a monitoring near Tapqaraqoyunlu village of
Geranboy, Azerbaijan.

The monitoring was held by personal representative of the OSCE
chairman-in-office Anzhey Kaspshik and his field assistants.

INFLUENTIAL MEMBER OF THE CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS ON ARMENIAN ISSUES TO REPLACE THE CURRENT CHAIRMAN OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE CONGRESSMAN ROBERT WEXLER, MEMBER OF HOUSE CAUCUS ON AZERBAIJAN

APA
Dec 3 2009
Azerbaijan

Washington – APA. A member of the Congressional caucus on Armenian
issues, known as close friend of Armenian Diaspora Bill Delahunt is
going to replace Congressman Robert Wexler at the position of Chairman
of the Subcommittee on Europe; APA’s Washington DC correspondent was
informed at R.Wexler’s office.

Congressman Robert Wexler is currently serving as a Chairman of
the Subcommittee on Europe and a senior member of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee and the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Turkey
Caucus, also member of House Caucus on Azerbaijan.

Wexler’s office informs that Congressman is leaving the Congress and is
accepting a position as President of the Center for Middle East Peace.

Members of Azerbaijani Diaspora express their disappointment about
the replacement.

"This appointment is against Azerbaijan, Turkey and it will be clear
quite soon", told APA’s Washington correspondent Ismail Hamidov,
American Azerbaijani.

He pointed out that Mr. Wexler always preventing Armenians provocations
against Turkey and Azerbaijan in Congress. Azerbaijani Diaspora
representatives remind that the new Chairman Bill Delahunt has
consistently supported Armenian issues, having co-sponsored the
Armenian Genocide Resolution.

Mr. Hamidov says that the Armenian Diaspora will raise the "genocide"
again, and Congressman Delahunt will be lobbying their interests
using his new position: "The Armenians already applied to Congress
and raised the issue. The replacement of Mr. Wexler on pro-Armenian
Congressman is very crucial at this very moment, because if the
"genocide" issue passes the Foreign Affairs Committee, it will be
strengthened even more".

Hamidov is also pointing out that Congressman Wexler is not only
leaving the Committee, but the Congress on the whole: "This means
that now there will be minus one Azerbaijan and Turkey supporter in
the US Congress"

Mr. Wexler is known in Congress as active public person who is also
on the list of the best 50 Congress members.

Originally Jewish attorney from New York Mr. Wexler joint the Congress
in 1997.

This year he along with Pennsylvania Republican Bill Shuster,
has introduced H.R. 2742 (A bill to authorize the extension of
nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to
the products of Azerbaijan.

He is an also author of Eurasia Foundation Act in Congress which
supported additional 15 million dollars assistance for Post-Soviet
countries, including Azerbaijan, fiscal year 2008 and 2009.

UNSANCTIONED MOVEMENT BY ARMENIAN RAILROAD ENDANGERS CITIZENS’ SECURITY

ArmInfo
2009-12-02 16:10:00

ArmInfo. On December 2 Director General of CJSC South Caucasus Railway
(SCR) Shevket Shaydullin visited Shirak region of Armenia.

The SCR press-service told ArmInfo that within the frames of the
visit Sahydullin met with Governor of Shirak region Lida Nanyan
and Mayor of Gyumri Vardan Ghukasyan. The meeting covered issues
of social nature, as well as issues related to raising of security
of the railroad functioning, including the problem of unsanctioned
movements endangering the citizen’s security. Special attention was
paid to the fact that numerous families have been living at railroad
objects since early 90s. The concessional agreement concluded between
SCR CJSC and Armenian Government envisages no such living at ailroad
objects. The parties came to mutual understanding of this problem
and agreed to solve it stage by stage at the governmental level.

Shaydullin and Nanyan visited the border station Akhuryan. During the
visit Lida Nanyan highly assessed the restoration work being done in
Gyumri-Akhuryan railway section.

ARE TERRITORIES IN THE PHASE OF DISCUSSION?

Lragir.am
02/12/09

The former foreign minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Arman Melikyan with
Gagik Melikyan from the Republican Party on December 2 dwelling on
the Karabakh issue said that that process is not favorable for Armenia
and accepting its logic will make Armenia being declared an aggressor.

Arman Melikyan noted under the current conditions of the process,
Azerbaijan gets the possibility to make claims to Armenia.

The republican Gagik Melikyan of course disagreed with him saying
that the statement made in Athens by the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs,
the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents proved that there is progress
in the negotiation process and Azerbaijan recognizes the fact of
Karabakh self-determination. As to being decaled an aggressor, Gagik
Melikyan says only Azerbaijan may be considered such one because no
country think Armenia is.

In answer to reporters’ question whether Gagik Melikyan could
clarify the opinions of the government on the principles of Madrid
in particular on the point of returning or not the territories, Gagik
Melikyan repeated Serge Sargsyan’s words noting that there can be no
agreement on yielding or not the territories because those issues are
in the phase of discussion. Gagik Melikyan noted that the principles of
Madrid are the non-use of force, territorial integrity and settlement
of the conflict based on the right to self-determination.

Melikyan also said that the principles of Madrid are possible to be
presented for confirmation by the end of the year.

The honorable Republican member seems to confuse the Helsinki agreement
famous provisions with the principles of Madrid. The Madrid document
which was revealed a couple of months ago contains six provisions
first of which regards the return of territories. But Melikyan keeps
affirming there is such a provision in the principles of Madrid. He
is clear to keep saying this, because in the opposition case he
would have to say the real Armenian opinion in connection with that
provision. But how can Melikyan know about it?

Arman Melikyan noted the problem is the logic of the negotiation
which is forced and leaves no way out for Armenia but only yielding
under the name of mutual concessions. According to Arman Melikyan,
this logic must be changed which is a problem not only for the current
government but also for the previous two ones.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: LES KURDES ENTAMENT UN TRAVAIL DE MEMOIRE
Par Marchand, Laure

Le Figaro
Lundi 23 Novembre 2009
France

Diyarbakir, les initiatives se multiplient pour raviver le souvenir
de la communaute armenienne qui vivait dans la region.

TURQUIE. Gerard Torikian a fait appel a la fantaisie et a la
poesie pour tenter de dédramatiser une tragedie de l’histoire. Les
personnages de sa piece de theatre, intitulée Le Concert armenien
ou le Proverbe turc, ne mâchent pas leurs mots pour autant.

Il faut agir resolument, éliminer les elements non turcs de la
population, declare par exemple l’un d’entre eux, un pacha ottoman.

Plus tard, nous dirons que rien ne s’est passe. Celui qui dira le
contraire, nous le ferons taire."

Torikian, Francais d’origine armenienne, a dÃ" surmonter bien plus
que le trac pour presenter sa piece. Car la representation a eu lieu
en Turquie, au theatre municipal de Diyarbakir, grande ville kurde
dans le sud-est du pays.

C’etait la premiere fois qu’un spectacle sur le genocide armenien
de 1915 etait joue en Turquie. La ville de Diyarbakir a ete choisie
a dessein, car, a l’epoque de l’Empire ottoman, une importante
communaute armenienne vivait dans cette region peuplee en majorite
de Kurdes. Ces derniers commencent a reconnaitre leur responsabilite
dans les massacres alors que le reste du pays nie toujours la realite
du genocide. Selon Sezgin Tanrikulu, avocat a Diyarbakir, c’est parce
que les Kurdes, victimes de la politique d’assimilation menée par
Ankara, se sentent aujourd’hui proches des Armeniens.

En 1915, des milliers d’enfants armeniens furent enleves par la
population kurde, des jeunes filles furent mariees de force. Beaucoup
d’Armeniens furent egalement sauves par des Kurdes. Resultat, beaucoup
de Kurdes ont un ancetre armenien et du même coup, dans cette partie
de l’Anatolie, il a ete plus difficile qu’ailleurs d’effacer les
traces de la presence armenienne.

Reparation morale Abdullah Demirbas, maire de la vieille ville de
Diyarbakir, estime que faire revivre le patrimoine armenien constitue
une reparation morale : "Notre peuple a fait du mal aux Armeniens. Nous
devons l’assumer."

Demirbas a commence par editer des contes en armenien, puis il
a entrepris de restaurer l’eglise Saint-Georges, qui date du XVIe
siecle et qui menace de s’écrouler. Le clocher a ete detruit en 1915
a coups de canon parce qu’il depassait les minarets alentour." Je
veux que les Armeniens reviennent, mais pas comme des touristes,
assure Demirbas. Ils sont chez eux ici."

GEORGIAN FM SAYS THE GEORGIAN SIDE READY TO OPEN UPPER LARS BORDER CHECK-POINT IF THE RUSSIAN SIDE TOO AGREES TO DO IT

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 2, 2009
ATHENS

ATHENS, DECEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS: The Georgian side is ready to open
the Upper Lars border check-point if the Russian side too agrees
to do it. "The decision must be made by Russia, Georgia’s approach
is clear – we are ready to open the border check-point," Georgian
Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze told Armenpress. He assured that
from the Georgian side the border check-point is ready for opening:
Georgia has spent several million USD for the reconstruction of Upper
Lars border check-point and it has all the conveniences for operating.

Upper Lars border check-point was closed in July 2006 with the decision
of the Russian side. The reason was the necessity of its upgrading
and reconstruction. Now the difficult relations between Russia and
Georgia impede the opening of the check-point.

BESIDES ARMENIA AND BELARUS, OTHER FORMER SOVIET UNION COUNTRIES TEACH HISTORY IN NATIONALIST INTERPRETATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.12.2009 14:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Interpretation of the general history of Russia
and peoples of post-soviet states in school history textbooks of
newly independent states" report was presented on December 1 in Moscow.

As the press office of the State Duma RF, the report is written with
support of Russia’s National Laboratory of Foreign Policy and based
on the research funded by the "National Club" Fund.

187 history school books and teaching aids of 12 countries of the
former Soviet Union have been translated and studied, 5 scientific
conferences with more than 150 scientists, historians, social
scientists and political scientists of the former USSR have been held.

Large-scale surveys have been conducted in countries to assess the
images of the past in public consciousness.

As the studies revealed, besides Armenia and Belarus, other former
Soviet Union countries teach nationalist interpretation history,
based on myths about the antiquity of its people, the high cultural
mission of the ancestors and the "sworn enemy" . A common feature
of school textbooks is a desire of new nation-states to represent
relationships with Russians and Russia as a source of disasters.

ARMENIA’S OPEN BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP COMPLETED

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.12.2009 16:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s open boxing championship was completed.

On November 27, Yerevan State Olympic Reserve College launched an
open youth boxing dated to its 30th anniversary. The championship
hosted 150 boxers aged 14-15, from RA and NKR regions.

Based on championship results, best boxers will join the national
team to participate in 2010 Boxing Championships and Olympic Games
in Singapore.