Author: Vardanian Garo

RUSSIAN ALTERNATIVE TO NATO? CSTO AND UN TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT

Tert.am
12:16 ~U 17.03.10

Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Secretary General
Nikolai Bordiuja and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are
planning to sign an agreement on cooperation, according to Russian
daily Kommersant.

Earlier, a similar document had been signed between UN and NATO.

Russian experts say the agreement will prove how highly the CSTO is
evaluated by the international community, and in this way, CSTO and
NATO will be recognized as organizations who have equal footing.

Bordiuja told the Russian paper that the agreement is set to be signed
on March 18 when Ban Ki-moon pays an official visit to Moscow.

Bordiuja also said that the document to be signed is not a memorandum
but a declaration, though "its spirit and letter correspond to our
preliminary plan," as several provisions about cooperation stipulated
in the draft – sent to New York for the UN’s review last autumn –
are included in the declaration.

FRENCH SENATOR: REGIONAL LEADERSHIP MUST BE PRIORITY FOR AZERBAIJAN

Today
s/64268.html
March 17 2010
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a stable country, but it is situated in a dangerous
region. It is necessary to achieve regional leadership of Azerbaijan
for the stability in the Caspian region, the French Senate upper
chamber senator Nathalie Goulet said in Baku.

"The cooperation with Europe can be useful for Azerbaijan. But first,
the leadership in the Caspian region is required", Goulet said at
the Center of Strategic Research under the Azerbaijani President.

The topic of discussion at the debate in the Center on Wednesday was
"Azerbaijan as a stable state of the Caucasus and the Middle East."

Goulet considers it important to strengthen cooperation within the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly to enhance stability in the South Caucasus
and the Caspian region.

"Azerbaijan can play an active role in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly,
not being NATO member," the French Senate inter-parliamentary
friendship group "France – Russia" member, the NATO PA Economic
Commission member, Goulet said.

These two organizations – NATO and NATO PA are not related to each
other, she said.

Similarly, Azerbaijan can be part of Europe, not being the EU member.

This will give advantages for cooperation and eliminate all the
difficulties associated with the European zone, periodic summits and
other routine events associated with membership.

Goulet highly appreciated the active diplomatic policy of Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev.

It is important to maintain the country’s image, she said.

During the debates the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
which began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against
Azerbaijan was also raised.

Goulet also condemned the policy of double standards, by stressing
that the double standards, unfortunately, are a reality today, and
not only towards Azerbaijan.

Even if French President Nicolas Sarkozy hosted Armenian counterpart,
it does not mean that Sarkozy has sacrificed the principles of the
OSCE Minsk Group, within which the peace negotiations are being held.

ARMENIAN PEOPLE SURVIVED TRAGEDIES OF THE 20TH CENTURY THANKS TO CHRISTIANITY, PATRIARCH KIRILL BELIEVES

Interfax
March 17 2010
Russia

Yerevan, March 17, Interfax – Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia
pointed out to the saving role Christianity played for Armenian people
during tragic events of the 20th century.

"If it was not faith, not Christianity, then nothing would have
remained from Armenian people," Patriarch Kirill said to parishioners
of the Russian Protection of the Mother of God Church in Yerevan.

Patriarch Kirill noted that memorial of Armenian genocide victims
which he had visited before coming to the Russian parish reminded
him of the tragic destiny of people in diaspora.

According to him, the destiny of Russian people in the past century
is much similar to the fate of Armenian nation. Russians also had to
face many tragedies and repressions.

"It’s hard to imagine what would happen to our country and our people,
if it was not Orthodox faith," Patriarch Kirill said.

He stressed that he refered to the "the whole historical Russia
including Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldova and all countries where people
are inspired by God’s word and blessed by the Orthodox Church."

TURKEY "VERY DISTURBED" BY ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS – TURKISH PREMIER

Anadolu Agency
March 16 2010
Turkey

London, 16 March: Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is on
an official trip to the UK, called on the international community to
let historians judge history rather than legislators.

Erdogan’s call on Tuesday [16 March] came in the eve of an critical
motion in the British House of Commons on an Armenian bill recognizing
the tragic events of 1915 – which took place shortly before the fall
of the Ottoman Empire – as genocide.

Similar resolutions were adopted recently in the US House committee
on foreign affairs and the Swedish parliament, straining relations
between Turkey and these countries.

Turkey, which strongly rejects the genocide allegations and regards the
events as civil strife in wartime which claimed lives of many Turks
and Armenians, severely criticized the resolutions warning that it
would jeopardize the historic rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia.

In his address to the Turkey-England business forum, Erdogan warned
that such bills jeopardized the normalization process between Turkey
and Armenia.

He welcomed British Justice Minister Jack Straw’s remarks reassuring
that the bill would not be adopted by the House of Commons.

Straw, who addressed the same forum earlier, said only one out of
651 members of the House of Commons backed the bill, noting that both
the opposition and the government was against the bill.

Erdogan said Turkey was very disturbed by efforts to accuse Turkey
based on episodes in history which were not yet fully brought to light.

He said Turkey opened all its archives to historians, calling all
related parties and third countries to do the same.

"We want historians to study and clarify the said events. This is
what needs to be done," said Erdogan.

Erdogan said the resolutions on Armenian allegations were politically
motivated and were far from reason, logic and historic facts.

Commenting on Swedish Premier Fredrick Reinfeldt’s recent remarks on
the adoption of the Armenian bill in the Swedish parliament, Erdogan
said he saw the remarks as an apology and an expression of regret,
and intention to fix their mistake.

TURKEY CURRENTLY MORE HOSTILE TOWARDS ARMENIA: HUNCHAKIAN MEMBER

News.am
March 16 2010
Armenia

Currently, Turkey is more hostile towards Armenia than before
the process of Armenia-Turkey reconciliation, Social Democrat
Hunchakian party member Vahan Shirkhanyan told journalists on
March 16. According to him, border opening will not affect Armenia
positively. He deems that the only advantage of football diplomacy
was that the international community gained insight of Turkey’s real
intentions. However, after the process launched, problems with Armenian
Diaspora emerged.

In his turn, representative of Armenian Republican party Mkrtich
Minasyan reckons that Turkey had no friendly relations with Armenia
before the reconciliation process as well, thus they could not
turn into hostile. Due to Armenia-Turkey reconciliation popular
international TV channels broadcasted videos about Armenian Genocide
and Turkish society as well as world community learned much about
Genocide.

Interfax, Russia
March 11 2010

BAKU UNAWARE OF RESULTS OF FRENCH-ARMENIAN SUMMIT

Paris has not yet informed Baku of the results of negotiations between
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and French President Nicolas
Sarkozy, Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said.

"As far as I know, the French president reaffirmed his full support
for the updated Madrid Principles at a meeting between Sargsyan and
Sarkozy. Let’s see what news comes from the Armenian side,"
Mammadyarov told journalists in Baku on Thursday.

No meetings are planned in the near future between the Azeri and
Armenian presidents, he said.

"Azerbaijan has announced already that he accepts the updated Madrid
Principles. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will invite the Azeri and
Armenian foreign ministers to Paris to discuss the updated principles.
It will be clear after that in what direction we will continue working
with the co-chairs," he said.

"We believe that the updated version of the Madrid Principles will
provide the opportunity to begin discussing a comprehensive agreement.

In my view, it is Armenia that should accept it first, but Armenia is
saying that it has some aspects that they cannot accept. Work on this
is under way now," Mammadyarov said, declining to specify what aspects
he mentioned.

World Markets Research Center
Global Insight
March 12, 2010

Swedish Parliament Sparks Diplomatic Row with Turkey over Recognition
of Armenian Genocide

BYLINE: Blanka Kolenikova

Yesterday, the Swedish parliament recognised the mass killings of
Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 as genocide, spurring an immediate
diplomatic tension with Turkey. Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt
issued a statement after the vote expressing regret at the
parliament’s decision and emphasising that the vote did not reflect
the government policy towards Turkey. In response to the parliament’s
decision, Turkey cancelled next week’s visit of Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan to Sweden, and recalled its ambassador to Sweden,
Zergun Koruturk. The vote follows the decision of U.S. congressional
committee, which has also recognised the killings as genocide
(seeUnited States – Turkey – Armenia: 5 March 2010:).

Significance:The 1915 genocide is one of the most sensitive issues in
Turkish-Armenian relations. According to Sweden’s Living History
Forum, most historians agree that the mass killings in 1915 can be
classified as genocide as per the 1948 UN definition. Although more
than 20 countries now recognise the killings as genocide, the Turkish
government disagrees, arguing that the killings were part of the war
and many Turks have died, too. Sweden generally enjoys good bilateral
relations with Turkey, and the government also backs Turkey’s bid to
join the European Union (EU) in the future. Nevertheless, there are
concerns that their mutual relations could now change: according to
Swedish ambassador to Turkey, Christer Asp, the outcome of the vote
could harm Sweden’s diplomatic and business ties with Turkey, with a
potential to affect relations between the two countries negatively.

Board of trustees at Venetian center for Armenian culture studies to
hold first sitting March 13

13.03.2010 11:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The first sitting of the Board of trustees at
Venetian center for Armenian culture studies is scheduled for
Saturday, March 13.
Armenian Minister of Culture, Hasmik Poghosyan left on a working visit
to Italy to participate in a sitting.
The sitting will focus on further activities of the center, RA
Ministry of Culture press service reported.

The Economist. Facing up to history

LONDON, MART 12, NOYAN TAPAN. NOT for the first time, Armenians sense
a moment of vindication in their struggle for the acknowledgment of
the tragedy that befell their forebears during the first world war.
Turkey is angry. And America’s administration is straining to limit
the damage. The latest Turkish-American rift over the Armenian
question – after a congressional committee voted on March 4th to
recognise the killings of 1915 as genocide – looks wider than some
previous ones. It coincides with a general scratchiness between
America and its ally. Turkey is reluctant to slap sanctions on Iran.
Anti-Americanism is running high among Turks. Some suspect that Barack
Obama retains his view (expressed as a senator in 2008) that `the
Armenian genocide is not an allegation…but rather a widely documented
fact.’ Still, the chances are that after a deep sulk, Turkey will send
its ambassador back to Washington, and the administration will
persuade legislators to avoid a vote in the full House, for fear of
wrecking an important relationship – and worsening the fading prospects
for reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia. A tired diplomatic
ritual will play out once again.

Can any actor in this sorry drama do anything to improve the script?
One day a Turkish leader will be statesman enough to see that national
dignity is better served by acknowledging the sins committed on
Anatolian soil than by suppressing debate and punishing truth-tellers.
Such a leader could decouple relations with Armenia from Ottoman
history. (In any case, their argument today is more about the
aftermath of the war over Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s than over
1915.) Some people in Turkey realise this. As one Turkish columnist
has noted, for Turkey to be so touchy about the minutiae of a
congressional vote betrays weakness, not strength. And nothing would
silence Turkey’s detractors more than a genuine, no-holds-barred
effort to probe the events of 1915. The result of the Armenian
deportations is indisputably and horrifically clear: hundreds of
thousands, probably more than a million, died. But there is room for
scholarly inquiry into the working of the murky state machinery that
led to that outcome – to determine whether the tragedy was principally
the result of murderous design or culpable neglect. By inviting all
scholars to peruse its archives (something it has done only patchily),
Turkey could disarm its critics.

DECIDING BETWEEN PANDERING POLITICIANS
By Wendi C. Thomas

DeSoto Appeal
ar/11/deciding-between-pandering-politicians/
Marc h 11 2010
Memphis

If there’s one thing I can’t stand in politicians, it’s inconsistency.

Oh, and pandering. Make that two things.

In both cases, two candidates for the 9th Congressional District seat
have more in common than you think.

For all the wrong race-based reasons, former Memphis mayor Willie
Herenton is challenging U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen for the seat.

In a recent letter to the black Baptist ministerial association,
Herenton wrote: "As pastors, I hope you will join me in my opposition
to same-sex marriage and the legalization of marijuana."

That Herenton would pander to black religious conservatives is no
surprise. That the formerly gay-friendly politician doesn’t expect
to get called on his flip-flopping is.

Jonathan Cole, secretary of the Tennessee Equality Project, posed this
question on the TEP’s Grand Divisions blog (): Is Herenton using the
gay community?

Herenton’s support of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
community goes back a decade, Cole wrote, including a 2000 appearance
at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Memphis Gay and Lesbian
Community Center.

And that’s not all.

"On September 25, 2000, Herenton appeared at Calvary Church in Memphis
beside Judy Shepard (the mother of slain hate-crime victim Matthew
Shepard) to proclaim the day ‘Memphis Against Hate Crimes Day,’"
Cole wrote on the blog.

Cole quoted Herenton as saying then: "This should be a city where
people don’t have fear because of the color of our skin or the religion
we practice or the person we choose to love."

As recently as 2009, Herenton voiced his support for a city
nondiscrimination ordinance, which would have protected city
employees from job discrimination based on sexual orientation and
gender identity.

"It just seemed very ironic that he would turn around a year later
and use the community to further his campaign ambitions," Cole said.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for the Baptist ministers to question
why Herenton has shifted his stance — as long as he stands by them
in bias, that will be good enough for them.

But there are many of us — of all colors — who love our GLBT
friends and family, and prefer an elected official who will protect
their rights.

Now when it comes to crazy, Cohen can’t beat Herenton. But his
allegiance to Turkey is a fine try.

As a freshman congressman, Cohen wrote the House resolution for
a formal apology for slavery, a move many saw as pandering to his
majority black constituency.

Cohen endured significant ridicule for the resolution, which ultimately
passed.

It’s no secret that without significant black support, Cohen can’t
win re-election.

But there are only 100 or so Armenians in Memphis, not enough to make
a difference at the polls.

It is widely accepted that Turkey exacted a genocide against Armenians
from 1915 to 1923, killing an estimated 1.5 million Armenians and
displacing thousands more.

Except by Cohen, who is Jewish. He has said the Armenians were
aggressors too.

The first holocaust of the 20th century is also denied by Turkey,
which withdrew its U.S. ambassador. This "take my toys and go home"
move came after a congressional committee vote this month condemned
the mass killing and called it genocide.

Recognizing the historical injustice of one group (African-Americans)
while stubbornly ignoring the horrific slaughter of another (Armenians)
gives credence to the theory that the slavery apology was a pathetic
attempt to appear as "black" as possible.

This will not and does not sit well with his few Armenian constituents,
and anyone who stands on the side of truth, no matter how long
obscured.

Before the committee vote on Turkey, Cohen wrote: "A vote on this
resolution will do nothing to rectify the tragedies of the past."

That’s funny, because exactly the same thing could be and was said
of his slavery apology.

And after the committee vote, Cohen quoted a Turkish proverb in a D.C.

paper, a maxim oddly appropriate for both he and Herenton: "A wise
man remembers his friends at all times; a fool, only when he has need
of them."