Month: March 2007

CAN SREBRENICA RULING BENEFIT TURKEY ON ARMENIAN ISSUE?

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Feb 28 2007

The acquittal of Serbia on a charge of genocide was not easy for
Turkey, while it was unacceptable for the Bosnians who were direct
subjects of the worst massacre on European soil since World War II.

However, the judgment is still considered an important landmark in
international law.

The ruling of the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) is
significant for it confirmed that a genocide had taken place in
Srebrenica and also that Serbia had the power to foresee and prevent
the slaughter, but had failed to use it. Moreover, the judges found
that Serbia failed to comply with its obligations to punish those
who carried out the genocide. All in all, however imperfect Monday’s
decision was, it might serve to clarify the definition of genocide and
the responsibility of states to prevent it in terms of international
law, which is very important for Turkey, a target of claims that
mass deportation of Armenians in 1915 at the hands of the Ottomans
was tantamount to genocide.

The decision also came at a time when the Turkish Foreign Ministry
is considering taking the case to the Court of International Justice,
and put an end to Armenian allegations.

Analysts underline that the law of the ICJ, founded in 1945, might
not prosecute crimes committed before 1948, when the Convention on
the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by
the UN General Assembly. Most say that although an acquittal decision
might be positive, ideally, the decision of an international judicial
body should not recognize the deportation as genocide. In a way, it
remains unclear whether the court ruling on Srebrenica is encouraging
or discouraging for Turkey to take the case to the Hague.

For Professor Huseyin Pazarcý from Ankara University’s Political
Science Department, the author of international law textbooks that
prepare Turkey’s future diplomats, it is hard to say whether the
decision was good or bad for Serbia. However, he believes that any
application to the ICJ regarding the Armenian genocide claims would
fall out of the scope of the 1948 UN convention on genocide, the
document which was the basis for the Srebrenica ruling.

"Normally, at least initially, on the principle of the non-retroactive
application of laws, Turkey’s case is outside the scope of the 1948
convention," Pazarcý explained, since the incidents resulting in
genocide claims happened in 1915.

Some experts, including political analyst Professor Huseyin Baðcý from
Middle East Technical University (ODTU) Department of International
Relations, said that the court ruling that what happened in Srebrenica
was genocide without holding Serbia directly responsible could signal
that in the event Turkey’s case were taken to the ICJ, the outcome
could be similar in terms of not attaching any retroactive political
or financial responsibility to Turkey.

Retired Ambassador Omer Engin Lutem, who currently heads the Crimes
against Humanity Department of the Eurasian Research Center (ASAM),
is also of the same opinion. In an interview with the ANKA news agency,
Lutem said the Armenians pursued putting the blame on Turkey, insisting
that Turkey was the successor of the Ottoman government.

"However, this ruling accuses the individuals involved, rather than
the state. This might mean that it has the potential to serve our
interest," Lutem said, adding that the case was likely to set up an
example ruling for future similar cases.

All experts emphasize that there is always the possibility of the
ICJ refusing to hear the Armenian genocide, since incidents before
1948 fall outside its scope.

"Normally, it shouldn’t be taking up such a suit," Lutem said.

However, Lutem expressed that a decision to acquit Turkey of a
genocide, but recognizing the forced deportation of Armenians at the
hands of Ottomans in 1915 could create a backlash.

"The legal statements should express that forced deportation was
essentially not genocide," he explained. In order to explain his
interpretation that the ruling does and can not have any significance
on Turkey’s Armenian question, Sabah columnist Erdal Þafak points out
to two crucial points in how the ICJ works. He notes, in contentious
cases, the ICJ produces a binding ruling between states that agree
to submit to the ruling of the court. In other words, Turkey would
need consent of the other party, Armenia, to apply. If the court,
based on the 1948 convention, rules that the application is valid,
then the party where the genocide claims originate has to document
concrete proof of systemic, organized and planned action to eradicate
an ethnic group, which is where Bosnia was weak in the current case,
Þafak notes.

In a case between Turkey and Armenia, it would be the job of Armenia to
prove that the deportations were genocide, which would not be easy. In
addition, for an international court ruling to set a precedent, at
least two or three similar rulings should come out. At the end of day,
it is almost impossible to express that the ruling has any significance
for Turkey’s case at all. The ruling is certainly a disappointment
to the Bosnian people — and to the Serbs to a certain extent —
and confusing for Turkey as its relevance to Turkey’s concerns about
the future of the Armenian question remains open to debate.

–Boundary_(ID_8rUCC3LwtW8ec9ZWIkJDHA)–

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION GROWS BY 4% IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY 2007 ON SAME MONTH OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Feb 28 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Industrial production of 45
bln 38.4 mln drams or about 124.8 mln USD was made in Armenia
in January 2007. Production of 44 bln 944.1 mln drams was sold,
including production of 4 bln 77.8 mln drams – in CIS countries,
production of 8 bln 563.3 mln drams – in other countries.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, industrial production
grew by 4% in January 2007 on the same month of last year, while
industrial production with production and distribution of electricity,
gas and water declined by 1.1%.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN BACKS TURKEY’S POSITION IN ARMENIAN ISSUE

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Feb 28 2007

Azeri-Americans joined Turkey’s efforts in opposing the adoption of
the Armenian allegations resolution by the U.S. Congress.

Asked, "how the Azeri Diaspora of the U.S.A. can assist in opposing
the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution by the U.S.

Congress", President of Azerbaijan Society of America Tomris
Azeri said that the Armenian Diaspora in the United States is well
organized. "They have a firm agenda and everyone in their Diaspora
community believes and follows this agenda.

The Armenian Diaspora communities and businesses see it as their duty
and obligation to finance and support their organizations. The Armenian
experts says the ‘genocide claims’ is the only thing cementing the
Armenians in the Diaspora. Armenian lobbying groups argue that the
1915 events was genocide while Turkey claims the reverse. According to
the Turkish Archive Documents, more than 520.000 Turkish people were
massacred by the armed Armenians during the First World War. There
is no court verdict on the issue. Turkey has called Yerevan to go
to the international courts yet Arsmenia rejects all the calls from
Turkey and other countries.

23 ARMENIAN COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS JOIN UN GLOBAL AGREEMENT

Noyan Tapan
Feb 28 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The main issues of the February 27
discussion "What is Corporate Social Responsibility and What is Done in
Armenia in this Respect" were: what is corporate social responsibility,
what approach does the government take to it? etc. In the words of the
RA Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development Tigran Davtian,
the idea of corporate social responsibility is a new one in Armenia
and so difficult to comprehend. However, it is time for the private
sector to engage in solution of social problems together with the
state. "More than 80% of the economy is private, almost 90% of GDP
is created in the private sector. So the private sector should also
participate in solution of social problems," the deputy minister
noted. In his opinion, there is no need to establish a body for
introduction of this system in Armenia. "The existing governance
systems are sufficient," he said.

According to RA Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Issues Artsvik
Minasian, economic entities should be involved in solution of such
social problems, as unemployment, issues of the disabled, etc.

It was noted that since 2006, the UN Global Agreement Office has
functioned in Armenia with the aim of promoting corporate social
governance. Among the principles of the UN Global Agreement are
defence of human rights, elimination of all types of forced labor,
etc. 23 Armenian companies and organizations have joined the Global
Agreement, including Ashtarak Kat company, Tufenkian hotel network,
Coca Cola and others.

THE MOTHERLAND BECKONS
by Emil Danielyan

Transitions Online, Czech Republic
Feb 28 2007

Armenia is about to allow millions of its emigrants and their
descendants worldwide to gain dual citizenship. From EurasiaNet.

Armenia’s parliament approved a package of amendments 26 February
that gives millions of ethnic Armenians around the world the chance
to obtain Armenian citizenship without abandoning their current
nationality. The vote came after weeks of heated debate that exposed
major differences on the issue within the country’s leadership.

Prime Minister Andranik Markarian’s Republican Party, which boasts the
largest parliamentary faction, joined opposition parties in voicing
serious misgivings about the proposed amendments. They particularly
objected to a clause giving dual citizens a virtually unrestricted
right to vote in Armenian elections. In the end, Republican Party
lawmakers reluctantly voted for the government-drafted bill, apparently
under strong pressure from President Robert Kocharian, who had pledged
to introduce dual citizenship when he came to power in 1998. The idea
has also been championed by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF, also known as the Dashnak Party), another member of Kocharian’s
governing coalition. The nationalist party, which has many chapters and
adherents in Armenian Diaspora communities, is the only parliamentary
force that unconditionally backed the legislative package.

"Allowing dual citizenship means strengthening Armenia," said Hrayr
Karapetian, an ARF leader, at a 16 February news briefing. "It means
increasing our population [of 3 million,] reinforcing our army,
spurring investments in our economy, and, in general, utilizing the
potential of the entire Armenian nation for the benefit of Armenia."

Karapetian and other ARF leaders cite the example of Israel, which
readily grants Israeli citizenship to Jews from around the world.

Just like the non-Israeli Jews, the Diaspora Armenians, mainly living
in the United States, Russia, Europe, and the Middle East, greatly
outnumber the population of their historical homeland. Estimates of
their total number vary from 5 million to 6 million. Most of them are
descendants of the survivors of the 1915 mass killings and deportations
of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.

The administration of Armenia’s first post-Soviet president, Levon
Ter-Petrosian, opposed the concept of dual citizenship, prohibiting it
through an article of the country’s post-Soviet constitution adopted
in 1995. (The ban was repealed as part of constitutional amendments
enacted by the Kocharian administration in a disputed November 2005
referendum.) Ter-Petrosian and his allies asserted that Armenia’s
national security and independence would be jeopardized if its
citizens were allowed to have allegiance to other states. They were
also believed to have feared that dual nationality would translate
into a significant increase in the ARF electoral clout. At the time,
the ARF was at loggerheads with Ter-Petrosian’s administration.

The major opposition parties currently represented in parliament
likewise see ulterior motives behind the ARF’s strong support for the
politically sensitive idea. They have demanded that a final decision
on dual citizenship be postponed until after the May parliamentary
elections and the presidential ballot due early next year. Kocharian,
however, is expected to sign the bill probably next month.

ARF leaders have vociferously denied any connection between the bill
in question and the polls. In particular, they point to one of the
amendments stipulating that voters would be able to vote in elections
only within Armenia. This means that there will no longer be polling
stations at Armenian diplomatic missions abroad.

Still, the Republican Party appeared to share the opposition’s
concerns; it insisted that residents of Armenia and its future
citizens living abroad must not enjoy equal political rights. "The
fate of the Republic of Armenia must be primarily decided by the
people who are aware of and affected by its problems," Parliamentary
Speaker Tigran Torosian, a leading member of the governing party,
told fellow deputies on 22 February.

Under an opposition-backed amendment proposed by the Republican Party,
a Diaspora-based dual citizen can vote in an Armenian election only if
he or she has lived in Armenia during at least one of the preceding
five years. Justice Minister David Harutiunian, who presented
the bill on behalf of the government, rejected the amendment as
unconstitutional. The only restriction the government agreed to place
on dual citizens is that they cannot run for president and parliament.

The final version of the bill says that such citizens shall otherwise
have all the rights and obligations of regular Armenian nationals.

The most significant of those obligations applies to men. They must
report for military duty in case of a war or mass mobilization. Those
dual citizens who are under 28 years old and have not served in the
armed forces of their native countries for at least 12 months must
complete a two-year military service in Armenia.

Whether many foreign nationals of Armenian descent are actually keen
to get Armenian passports remains to be seen. They have for years
been eligible for special 10-year residency permits that allow them
to live, work, and, unlike other foreigners, own land in Armenia.

Quite a few already have such permits.

Alex Sardar, an Armenian-American who has lived in Yerevan for almost
five years, welcomes the legalization of dual citizenship, saying
that it will give Diaspora Armenians a "very specific and tangible
connection to their homeland." Asked by EurasiaNet whether he himself
will apply for Armenian citizenship, Sardar said, "If I were to speak
emotionally, I would probably say yes. If I am speaking rationally,
my answer would be that I have to think long and hard about that."

"I’m quite happy with my 10-year residency visa and don’t need Armenian
citizenship," said another Diaspora Armenian who moved to Armenia
from the United Kingdom in the late 1990s. "Actually, I am afforded
more rights here being foreign than I am being an Armenian citizen."

Having an Armenian passport should seem more attractive to hundreds
and possibly thousands of ethnic Armenians who have repatriated in
recent years from neighboring Iran and Arab states like Syria and
Lebanon. But ultimately, it is natives of Armenia who might emerge
as the main beneficiaries of dual citizenship. Hundreds of thousands
emigrated to Russia and other countries following the economic slump
of the early 1990s. Many have since become citizens of those countries
without surrendering their Armenian passports. They will now not have
to hide that from the Armenian authorities anymore.

Emil Danielyan is a Yerevan-based journalist and political analyst.

This is a partner post from EurasiaNet.

FUTURE ARMENIA BY ARTUR BAGHDASARYAN

Washington Times, DC
Feb 28 2007

Armenia will hold its parliamentary election this May and soon after,
next February, its presidential election. How we conduct our elections
will determine not only the future of the Armenian democracy but of
the Caucasus region as a whole.

I come to Washington with a simple message and a handful of ideas,
which I believe can help bring stability and prosperity to Armenia
and the broader South Caucasus region. Only legitimate politics which
is based on a strict commitment to democracy is a platform that will
lead us to lasting stability. We need the United States to defend
this axiom in our region.

The South Caucasus is a bridge between Europe and Central Asia.

It is a gateway to the Caspian energy and a transit corridor between
the European and Chinese markets. Our attractive geostrategic location
is perhaps also our curse as the degree of external competition over
our region is overwhelming.

To survive and compete, we need transparent and able institutions. I
am convinced that economic progress, conflict resolution and regional
integration derive from a healthy democratic vocation.

We need democracy in the region not as a slogan, but to help
us resolve our frozen conflicts, our corruption problem and our
insecurities. Armenia above all now needs free and fair elections,
which are the foundation for a stable and progressive society.

One should not forget that there exists a direct correlation between
political legitimacy and diplomatic compromise. The Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict has a solution — in fact, some sound solutions have
already been proposed and rejected, not because they were unjust or
impractical, but because the political processes in our region are
too weak.

A government that is elected by the people has the mandate and
the maneuvering room to seek a compromise solution and resolve
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Thus, the immediate priority must
be building democracy in the region, which rests on free and fair
elections both in Armenia, as well as in Azerbaijan.

Armenia must become a society based on the rule of law. Law is not
a guideline, it is a fundamental principle that must be adhered to
and protected. I don’t believe in arbitrary application of the law
and my party — the Rule of Law Party — is committed to fighting
corruption in Armenia.

It is high time to normalize the Armenian-Turkish relationship, open
up the Turkish-Armenian border, and allow the free flow of goods,
capital and people.

Border opening and establishing economic cooperation with Turkey is
important for Armenia and necessary for diversifying our communication
routes. History between Armenia and Turkey has sometimes been tragic,
such as the 1915 Armenian genocide, but we must look to the future
as our citizens want better lives tomorrow.

And I think we could build our relations based on a broader approach,
without preconditions, and simultaneously not rejecting and honestly
looking at the past. Probably, the time has come for Turkey and
Armenia to start building a relationship embracing European priorities.

Likewise, improved relations with Azerbaijan are necessary for
our long-term energy stability which can come only through energy
diversity. I support resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based
on mutual compromises, and I support normalizing relations with
Azerbaijan.

Armenia’s future is tied to European integration and on deepening of
our relations with NATO. The relations with the West, though, should
not be contrasted with our relations with Russia. We need a balanced
foreign policy. We also need a positive relationship with Iran. The
Iranian nuclear issue is an element of concern, but I believe the
international community needs dialogue with Iran.

The long-term economic growth of Armenia and the region depends
on diversifying our economic portfolios and better managing
privatization. In this respect the upcoming pair of elections is of
major significance for the future of Armenia and for the future of the
region. We need a democratically elected government in Armenia which,
and that will only happen if we have a free and fair election process.

Artur Baghdasaryan is chairman of the Armenian opposition party,
the Rule of Law Party.

084731-6578r.htm

CAPITALIZATION OF ARMENIAN STOCK EXCHANGE POSSIBLE TO MAKE $5BLN IN FIVE YEARS

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Feb 28 2007

YEREVAN, February 27. /ARKA/. The capitalization of the Armenian Stock
Exchange is possible to make $5bln in five years’ time, the Chairman
of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) Tigran Sargsyan told journalists.

"It is expected that the annual turnover will go up to $500mln, then
to $1.5bln, with a further sharp increase up to $5bln," Sargsyan
said. He pointed out that the process will be facilitated if the
Scandinavian OMX Stock Exchange becomes a shareholder of the Armenian
Stock Exchange, which is a possibility.

"Armenia’s Government considers the option of refusing the old model
of self-regulating stock exchange and depository," Sargsyan said. He
reported that in view of the new concept negotiations were started
with the OMX having some experience in the transition period countries.

"The instruments and approaches that OMX suggests will harmonize with
the development of securities’ market in Armenia," Sargsyan said
adding that 45 Armenian enterprises can become participants of the
stock exchange at the first stage.

The Armenian Stock Exchange (Armex) is a self-regulating organization
that was registered in Armenia on February 13, 2001, based on the
voluntary integration of 21 broker (dealer) companies. Operations on
corporate shares have been carried out since July 6, 2001.

37 securities were registered and underwent listing by January 31,
2007. The capitalization of Armex made AMD21.9bln by January 31, 2007.

The OMX Scandinavian stock operator unites the stock exchanges of
the Northern European capitals and also runs the stock exchanges in
Lithuania and Latvia. ($1 = AMD353.21).

VICE MAYOR TIM TOOMEY CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By Erin Smith/Chronicle staff

Cambridge Chronicle, MA
Feb 28 2007

Vice Mayor Tim Toomey asked the City Council to go on record honoring
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and calling on all government
entities to recognize the Armenian Genocide. The City Council supported
Toomey’s order honoring Dink, who was murdered Jan. 19 while leaving
the office of his Agos newspaper in Istanbul, Turkey.

In his order, Toomey points out that Yerevan, Armenia, is Cambridge’s
sister city.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TBILISI TO HOST TURKISH AND ARMENIAN PHOTO EXHIBITION

International Journalist’s Network
Feb 28 2007

Acquainting Georgian citizens with the people of Turkey and Armenia
is the goal of a photo exhibition to be held in Tbilisi form February
28 to March 7.

Supported by the Heinrich Boll Foundation, Anadolu Kultur, the
Embassy of Switzerland in Tbilisi and the Swiss sponsored Caucasus
Media Institute in Yerevan, Georgia, the exhibition is the result of
a joint project involving Turkish and Armenian photojournalists.

The Ambassador of Switzerland in Tbilisi will open the exhibition at
the National Library in Tbilisi on February 28.

For more information, visit
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rticle&ID=306034

LITHUANIAN PARLT PANEL GREENLIGHTS SETTING UP EMBASSY IN ARMENIA

Baltic News Service
February 28, 2007 Wednesday 3:06 PM EET

The parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee deliberated the matter
of setting up Lithuania’s embassy in Armenia and unanimously approved
of the motion from the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

The parliamentary public relations department has reported that the
embassy in Armenia would be set up as of October this year.

Since 2004, Lithuania has been identifying the relationship with South
Caucasus countries as a foreign policy priority — Lithuania already
has a diplomatic representation in Georgia; in January, the country
established its embassy in Azerbaijan as well.

According to the press release, currently the ties with Armenia are
developing quite fast to include more and more essential areas like
politics, military, economy and culture.

By having a diplomatic presentation in South Caucasus, Lithuania is
aiming both at making its own contribution in shaping the European
Unions eastern policy and at strengthening the country’s national
and energy security and establishing itself as a centre of regional
cooperation.