Author: Torgomian Varazdat

NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM AND SOLUTION: ROLE FOR TURKEY
Adil Baguirov

Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 30 2009
Turkey

Towards the end of this year, several important developments are taking
place that should clarify the likelihood of the peaceful resolution
of the problem of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on terms
consistent with U.N. Security Council resolutions, OSCE statements
and the wishes of the majority of people in the South Caucasus,
namely cessation of Karabakh’s occupation by Armenia and withdrawal
of its military from there in exchange for a number of significant
concessions by Azerbaijan ranging from economic and trade, to the
political status of a high-level autonomy for the region.

One is the upcoming Dec. 7 visit by Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan to the United States on the invitation of President
Obama. While a whole range of issues will be discussed, as U.S. needs
Turkey on the issues of Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, the Muslim world
in general, but Caucasus, especially the Turkey-Armenia land border
opening vis-a-vis the Karabakh peace process, would be a very large
part of the agenda as well. The wish of the Obama administration
and the architect of the Turkey-Armenia protocols David L. Phillips
was to decouple the Turkey-Armenia land border opening from the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Karabakh peace resolution, so that these processes
are not dependent on each other, as was clearly stated by numerous
U.S. officials, including Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch.

However, due to vociferous objections from Baku, the diaspora and
the Turkish public’s loud indignation over such an approach, the
governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP, stressed to the Obama
administration that decoupling of the two was not possible, and the
Turkish Parliament would need to see real progress in Karabakh peace
settlement in order to ratify the Turkey-Armenia protocols. This was
admitted by the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon after
his meetings in Ankara on Nov. 13.

Another important development is the final meeting for this year
between President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Serge
Sarkisian of Armenia in Munich on Nov. 22, under the auspices of the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chair nations (France, Russia and the United
States), that discussed some of the outstanding details of the
peace proposal currently negotiated by the two presidents. Before
departing Baku, President Aliyev made some of the strongest remarks
to date, that if this meeting also brings no results like the dozen
of preceding meetings he held with his Armenian counterpart since
last year to find a peaceful resolution to the Karabakh conflict,
then a military liberation campaign by Azerbaijan to force Armenian
withdrawal becomes inevitable, as negotiations cannot be endless,
hinting that they have been going on since 1992. This stern message
was clearly intended not so much for domestic or European audience,
as it was for American and Turkish ears. Although the Minsk Group
co-chairs declared that "progress was made" in some areas, it is clear
that Azerbaijan is increasingly restive, and feels confident that it
can take the initiative into its own hands at a near time to restore
its territorial integrity.

Additional tectonic shifts are seen in the energy geopolitics,
with Azerbaijan signing an agreement to send its ever-expanding
gas production north to Russia, as well as expressing interest
in supplying gas to China via a reverse Trans-Caspian pipeline via
Turkmenistan. Needless to say, this would undermine the problem-plagued
Nabucco pipeline, since gas to fill it from Iraq is not reliable,
Iranian option is opposed by the United States, while supplies from
Egypt are still far-fetched. Similar moves have been seen in oil
exports, with Azerbaijan preparing to ship more of its crude oil via
Baku-Supsa and Baku-Novorossiysk pipelines. While these moves do not
jeopardize the Baku-Ceyhan (BTC) and Baku-Erzurum (BTE) pipelines,
they would cost Turkey not only billions of dollars in potential
revenues lost, but also its nascent "energy hub" status and deny
Ceyhan terminal the status of becoming larger than Rotterdam.

These prospects of multibillion-dollar losses to Turkey are because
of unsound politics and flawed strategy by the AKP. Consider the
following hollow "gains" Turkey will get – according to U.S.

Ambassador Yovanovitch, only 1 percent to 3 percent per year increase
in trade with Armenia would ensue from the open land border (currently
turnover stands at only $200 million at most). Also, the supposed
abandoning of the Armenian claims internationally and particularly
in the U.S. Congress, which the Armenian diaspora, which is fully
independent from the Republic of Armenia, has already sternly stated
they would not, and cannot, abandon their raison d’être (and U.S.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid along with dozens of Congressmen,
unequivocally stating they will continue introducing and supporting
anti-Turkish resolutions). The same was actually stated by Armenia’s
Ambassador-at-large Arkady Ghukasyan, a close confidante of
President Sarkisian, in mid-November. Moreover, in a striking move,
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan during a recent
trip to the United States has extensively talked about 19th century
Ottoman-Armenian history, such as the territorial-political demands of
the Berlin Congress of 1878 – thus expanding the timeframe from the
1915-1923 period. This shows that neither the leadership of Armenia,
nor the diaspora, nor members of the Armenian Caucus in the U.S.

Congress, have even planned to abandon their claims and anti-Turkish
rhetoric.

What is the only realistic way out of this conundrum that can and
should be done by Turkey in the current geopolitical climate. The two
principal parties of the conflict, Armenia and Azerbaijan, have shown
different valuations, the extent to which they can make concessions
and be expected to negotiate on. Whilst for Azerbaijan the Karabakh
problem is by far the most important – a USAID-funded poll found that
93 percent Azerbaijanis consider it their #1 problem – while for a
similar USAID poll in Armenia the problem of NK was ranked only third,
being most important for just 24 percent of Armenians. Whereas late
President Heydar Aliyev found it impossible to accept the Key West
peace proposals in 2001 because of the tremendous opposition by the
Azerbaijani public and Parliament, in Armenia the public opinion places
lesser importance and the opposition dismissed by the government,
as can be determined not only from U.S. polls, but the March 2008
post-election violence, in which President Sarkisian did not shy away
from leaving at least 10 protesters dead (according to unofficial
sources, over 40 protesters died). In 2009, many Armenian protesters
opposing President Sarkisian’s readiness to sign the Turkey-Armenia
protocols, were either beaten (France), or detained (Los Angeles and
Beirut), and in conversations with the diaspora leaders the Armenian
president mocked the 10,000 protestors crowd, saying he too can amass
as many counter-protesters if needed.

This shows that the Azerbaijani government and public have offered
their maximum level of concessions – that is high-degree autonomy for
the Armenian community of Karabakh within Azerbaijan, along with full
restoration of relations with Armenia – from which the Azerbaijani
side cannot fall back even more. Meanwhile, the Armenian side, which
has proven it can silence opposition by any means necessary while
strengthening its regime, and was ready to compromise (or betray,
as some ultranationalists in the Armenian diaspora allege) in some
ways on their seemingly most important issue, that of claims against
Turkey, can most definitely come to an agreement with Azerbaijan
on these terms. After the border protocols and the handling of the
March 2008 protests, the Armenian side simply cannot hide behind the
supposed stronger-than-government domestic opposition and pretend that
it has its hands tied on the issue of Karabakh. As evidence shows,
Armenian government and President Sarkisian are ready, willing and
able to come to an agreement on important issues. If "genocide"
can be part of concessions, then so can "Attach."

Turkey, as the regional powerhouse, can play a very important role
in this mediation, since it knows first-hand how Armenia negotiates,
and makes concessions, on its most important issue, and since Turkey
has now permanently inserted itself into the geopolitics of Caucasus
by specifically engaging and "locking-in" Armenia. The year 2010
can become the year of peace and prosperity for the entire region,
the year when all regional countries will win from open borders
and peacefully resolved conflicts. Concerted efforts by Turkey,
the United States and Russia, along with EU/France, can finally help
resolve the oldest post-Soviet conflict if more constructive pressure
on Armenia is made, and President Sarkisian realizes the benefits
of not stonewalling the peace talks with talks about "independence"
and "self-determination" for Karabakh as the "maximum concession"
possible, but commits to complying with the U.N. Security Council
resolutions and the new geo-economics realities in the region.

* Mr. Adil Baguirov, Ph.D., is the founding member of the Azerbaijan
Turkey Historical Research Foundation (ATAF), co-founder of the U.S.

Turkic Network (USTN), and post-doctoral fellow at the Moscow State
Institute for International Relations (MGIMO).

IMF: GLOBAL ECONOMY STABLE BUT STILL HIGHLY VULNERABLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2009 11:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The global economy remains very much in a holding
pattern -stable, and getting better, but still highly vulnerable,
IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said in London.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Confederation of British
Industry, Strauss-Kahn said the major advanced country areas in
particular remain fragile, still dependent on policy support.

Financial conditions have improved, but are far from normal.

"Signs show confidence returning, but banking systems in many advanced
economies remain undercapitalized, weighed down by leaden legacy
assets and, increasingly, non-performing loans," he said.

THE NKR MFA HAS FORWARDED THE TEXT OF THE NKR PARLIAMENT’S STATEMENT TO THE OSCE SECRETARIAT

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
2009-11-30 15:19

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
has forwarded the text of the November 25, 2009 statement of the NKR
National Assembly to the OSCE Secretariat for distributing it among
the participants of the meeting of the OSCE Foreign Ministers to be
held on December 1-2 in Athens.

A corresponding letter was sent also to OSCE Chairman-in-Office George
Papandreou, and a copy of it – to Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

The statement was adopted by the NKR National Assembly due to
the aggressive policy of official Baku in the process of the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement.

Iranian play `Gauntlet’ to go on stage in Armenia

Tehran Times Art Desk

TEHRAN ` The Iranian play `Gauntlet’ by director Alireza Asadi will go
on stage in Armenia on December 4, 5 and 6.

The play was written by Mehdi Nasiri, a Ph.D. student of art in
Armenia, and was previously staged in Iran under the title of `The
Votes’.

`Gauntlet’ was the top selected play at the Isar Playwriting contest
and was also honored at the 11th edition of the Resistance Theater
Festival, the Persian service of Fars reported on Saturday.

The play features the life of an Iranian-Armenian journalist whose
life is mingled with fears and doubts. The journalist returns home
after months of captivity in a village in the Kurdish region during
the Iran-Iraq war and encounters his wife’s and her family’s
insistence on leaving the country to go to Armenia.

Cosponsored by Iran’s Cultural Office in Armenia and Iran’s Martyrs
Foundation, `Gauntlet’ will go on stage with slight changes in the
text and performance style compared to its previous performance under
the title of `The Votes’.

Polish Defense Minister commemorates Armenian Genocide victims
28.11.2009 12:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Polish delegation led by Defense Minister Bogdan
Klich laid a wreath to the Armenian Genocide Memorial on November 28
morning. Afterwards, the delegation attended the Armenian Genocide
Museum Institute.

Minister Klich made a note in the Commemoration Book and planted a fir
at the Memory Alley.

HONING VANCOUVER OPERA’S HIGH PRIESTESS HASMIK PAPIAN
By Lloyd Dykk

Georgia Straight
ncouver/honing-operas-high-priestess
Nov 26 2009
Canada

These days, Vienna-based soprano Hasmik Papian is the go-to Norma, a
truly operatic role that’s had many legendary names associated with it.

When Vancouver Opera opens its season with Norma, soprano Hasmik
Papian will sing the title role she’s played around the world

Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma is widely considered the bel canto
opera of all time, and the title role is one of the greatest for a
lyric-dramatic soprano. It hits the Queen Elizabeth Theatre stage on
Saturday (November 28), in a season-opening production by Vancouver
Opera.

This is a high-water mark for a company now celebrating its 50th
anniversary. It was in 1963 that the Australian conductor Richard
Bonynge introduced Norma to Vancouver Opera, with his wife, the great
soprano Joan Sutherland, in the lead, and another legend, Marilyn
Horne, as Adalgisa. In modern times, Sutherland has more or less
defined the part, though Maria Callas has an equal share in the claim.

Bonynge is back to conduct the current production of a work that
launched his international career. He’s seen as the person to go to for
bel canto opera, and has conducted more than 120 performances of Norma.

And these days, soprano Hasmik Papian is the go-to Norma, having
sung the role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York–and all over the
world–to very high acclaim. She lives in Vienna with her husband, who
is a dramaturge for Zurich Opera, and her eight-year-old daughter. If
she hadn’t gone into singing as a profession, she would have become
a violinist, with a particular admiration for Zino Francescatti.

I talk by telephone with the Armenian-born Papian, who speaks
impeccable English, at her Vancouver hotel, where she’s resting between
rehearsals. Asked whether she’s found it daunting to undertake a role
that Sutherland virtually carved out, and with the very conductor
who has practically defined the opera, she says this is her first
time working with Bonynge, but that she’s "always open to learning
new things, and it’s been going very well.

"There’s been no pressure–yet," she adds with a chuckle.

Her first time singing Norma at the Met was in 2007. "It was not
a beautiful production–it was a revival from 2000–and the stage
was very open, which didn’t help," she says. "I was stepping in
for Deborah Voigt, who cancelled." The critics didn’t like it,
she recalls, pointing out the New York Times review in particular,
"but the public went crazy. I sang very well. But I think the critics
were expecting someone more established."

Over its long history, Norma has had a few less-than-generous things
said about its plot–as if opera should be credible–but nobody
has ever said a word against its music. Even Richard Wagner adored
Norma. And I doubt there would be a problem with its plot, either,
if the parts were well-sung, because the story unfolds into a kind of
inevitability. The opera grows into the plot, reaching an apocalyptic
final scene that is, in a good production, intensely moving.

To put the story briefly, Rome has invaded Gaul, until then ruled by
druids. Gaul’s high priestess, Norma, has had two illegitimate children
by Pollione, the Roman proconsul, who has fallen out of love with her
and is now fixing his eye on the minor druidic acolyte Adalgisa. The
story deals with Norma’s chaste fury, Adalgisa’s tender morality,
and Pollione’s last-minute change of heart as he fully realizes
Norma’s great spiritual stature and joins her on her funeral pyre.

Norma has been a repertory mainstay ever since it was first produced
at Milan’s La Scala, in 1831. It would be as inconceivable without a
superb singer to play the title character as a Götterdämmerung would
be with an inadequate Brunhild, or a Carmen without a stellar Carmen
(and we’ve had a few of those). It calls not only for a great voice
but for the greatest of acting skills. The role has many legendary
names associated with it: Giulia Grisi, Maria Malibran, Lilli Lehmann,
Rosa Ponselle, all the way up to Callas, Montserrat Caballé, and,
of course, Sutherland.

Papian has followed as much as can be learned of the early great
sopranos and the way they approached Norma, but certain unique aspects
of the era when the piece was first performed still present the singer
with challenges.

"Opera was very different in those times," she says. "The orchestras
were different, playing at another pitch, and the opera houses were
smaller, and of course the audiences were fundamentally different,
there being no Internet, movies, television, et cetera. The opera
house was the place to show up. We’re living in totally different
times. There’s only so much we can know about how different the times
were. We can only imagine."

Norma continues on December 1, 3, and 5 at the Queen Elizabeth
Theatre. The leading tenor Richard Margison, who comes fresh from
singing Radamès in the Met’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida,
takes the part of Pollione. Papian has performed twice before with
Margison, including in Aida at the Met. "It’s wonderful working with
him," she says.

The production also features the internationally praised mezzo-soprano
Kate Aldrich as Adalgisa, and bass Alain Coulombe as Oroveso.

POLISH DEFENSE MINISTER ARRIVES IN ARMENIA

news.am
Nov 26 2009
Armenia

Nov. 27 delegation headed by Bogdan Klich, Polish Minister of Defense
will pay a two-day official visit to Armenia.

RA Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan will meet with his polish
counterpart same day, Defense Ministry Information and PR department
informs NEWS.am.

Bogdan Klich will hold meetings with RA Premier Tigran Sargsyan,
RA National Security Secretary Arthur Baghdasaryan and RA Deputy
Foreign Minister Karine Ghazinyan. A visit to Tsitsernakaberd Memorial
Complex to pay the tribute to the victims of Armenian Genocide is
also scheduled.

Before coming to Armenia, Klich has already visited Azerbaijan and
Georgia.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER APPEALED TO OFFICIALS TO CONTRIBUTE TO SHUSHI’S RECONSTRUCTION

Tert.am
17:12 ~U 26.11.09

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, at the start of today’s
parliamentary session, appealed to attendees to focus their attention
on an important issue, reports the Government of the Republic of
Armenia information and public affairs department.

"I want to begin this parliamentary session by drawing your
attention to an important issue. As you are aware, my colleague,
Nagorno-Karabakh Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan, is in the United
States at the moment. The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has organized
a fundraising drive and, as you know, this year’s theme is Shushi,
[and] Shushi’s reconstruction work. I think that you’ll agree with me,
that Shushi’s reconstruction is an issue of national dignity for us.

"In that sense, we are all obliged to participate in the fundraising
drive and by making our own contribution, [and] also to direct our
families, friends and colleagues [to do the same], so that there is
wide participation in this process. My family and I will likewise
be participating in this fundraising drive, we will be making our
contribution, and with that, directing all of our friends, families,
those dear to us [to do the same]. All those officials found here
must set an example for their colleagues and those around them,"
stated Tigran Sargsyan.

ARMENIAN PREMIER MEETS WITH INDIAN AMBASSADOR

news.am
Nov 27 2009
Armenia

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has held a meeting with the newly
appointed Indian Ambassador to Armenia Mr. Achal K. Malhotra. The
RA Premier congratulated the Indian diplomat on commencement of his
mission in Armenia, expressing hope that his activities will give
impetus to the development of bilateral relations, the RA Government’s
press service told NEWS.am. "Our political relations are at a high
level, and we appreciate that. At the same time our wish is that our
bilateral economic relations develop as well. I am sure we have a
great potential for that," Premier Sargsyan said.

Ambassador Achal K. Malhotra conveyed the greeting of the Indian
Premier and people to the Armenian Prime Minister, and made a high
appraisal of the Armenian community’s contribution to the Indian
multicultural and multilanguage society.

The sides discussed the establishment of an information and
communication technologies center in Armenia, as well as scientific
and agricultural cooperation. The Indian Ambassador also outlined a
new agenda of assistance to friendly states. The side also discussed
the two states’ experience in overcoming the global economic crisis.

The Armenian Premier expressed hope that the Armenian-Indian
Intergovernmental Commission will hold a meeting in the near future.

HRAYR KARAPETIAN: ARMENIA IS CONCERNED WITH RELATIONS OF CSTO MEMBER COUNTRIES WITH AZERBAIJAN

Noyan Tapan
Nov 25, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. Being CSTO member is in Armenia’s
interests but Armenian politicians are concerned with CSTO member
countries’ relations with Azerbaijan. RA NA ARFD faction member Hrayr
Karapetian stated at a November 25 press conference. He mentioned
that the RF and Azeri Defence Ministers have signed an agreement on
expansion of military cooperation lately. The ARFD figure said that
there was no need to sign such an agreement with a state which is
not a CSTO member and besides, constantly makes bellicose statements.

According to H. Karapetian, if Russia considers Georgian President
Mikheil Saakashvili an "unsteady figure" it can also treat the same
way Azeri President Ilham Aliyev who is known for aggressive attitude
to the Armenians.

Besides, as H. Karapetian added, Russia deepens its relations with
Turkey, which in the future can affect the activities of both NATO and
CSTO. In his words, the Russian-Turkish relations become closer while
Turkey is still a threat for Armenia’s security. In H. Karapetian’s
affirmation, the Turks continue implementing their old Pan-Turkist
plan. "That is why Turkey conditions its relations with one country
by a third country’s interests: a phenomenon which is not accepted
in international practice," the deputy mentioned.

According to H. Karapetian, Armenia’s other concern is that a number
of NATO member countries constantly arm Azerbaijan. In his words,
NATO’s leadership should not permit such a thing for the Armenia-NATO
partnership to expand, to develop and not to be formal.