Month: December 2008

IRAN ENVOY OFFERS IRAN’S MEDIATION TO SOLVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM

Thai Press Reports
December 15, 2008 Monday

Section: General News – Iran’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Naser Hamidi
Zare voiced Tehran’s preparedness to help resolve a longstanding
conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"Azerbaijan and Armenia make efforts to resolve the conflict. Iran
can also use its potential in this respect," the envoy said about
Iran’s intention to mediate in the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, reminding that Iran has made great proposals to Azerbaijan
on this issue.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference, Hadimi Zare
further viewed future of Iran-Azerbaijan relations as very clear
and prosperous.

Asked about Iran’s view over Turkey’s "Caucasus Stability and Security
Platform" initiative, Hamidi Zareh said the world is tired of Marxist
and capitalist systems.

"It is time to create a new clean and honest system. The world needs
a fair system," he said.

Elsewhere, the diplomat said Muslim countries, as well as independent
and free countries of the world must take effective steps toward
prevention of genocide in Palestine and ending of blockade of Gaza
Strip.

Responding to a question about possibility of war between Iran and
Israel, Hamidi Zare reminded that Tehran does not recognize any such
country as Israel, and called possibility of war as tattles.

Israel and its close ally the United States accuse Iran of seeking
a nuclear weapon, while they have never presented any corroborative
document to substantiate their allegations. Both Washington and Tel
Aviv possess advanced weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear
warheads.

Iran vehemently denies the charges, insisting that its nuclear program
is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has
always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number
of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.

Speculation that Israel could bomb Iran has mounted since a big
Israeli air drill in June. In the first week of June, 100 Israeli
F-16 and F-15 fighters reportedly took part in an exercise over the
eastern Mediterranean and Greece, which was interpreted as a dress
rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear installations.

Iran has, in return, warned that it would target Israel and its
worldwide interests in case it comes under attack by the Tel Aviv.

A US attack on the Syrian village of Sukkariyah on October 26, has
also raised speculation about the likelihood of a US unilateral strike
on the Islamic Republic.

The United States has also always stressed that military action is
a main option for the White House to deter Iran’s progress in the
field of nuclear technology.

Iran has warned it could close the strategic Strait of Hormoz if it
became the target of a military attack over its nuclear program.

Strait of Hormoz, the entrance to the strategic Persian Gulf waterway,
is a major oil shipping route.

Meantime, a recent study by the Institute for Science and International
Security (ISIS), a prestigious American think tank, has found that a
military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities "is unlikely" to delay
the country’s program.

The ISIS study also cautioned that an attack against Iran would
backfire by compelling the country to acquire nuclear weaponry.

Intensified threats by Tel Aviv and Washington of military action
against Iran contradict a recent report by 16 US intelligence
bodies which endorsed the civilian nature of Iran’s nuclear plans
and activities.

Following the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and similar
reports by the IAEA head – one in November and the other one in
February – which praised Iran’s truthfulness about key aspects of
its past nuclear activities and announced settlement of outstanding
issues with Tehran, any effort to impose further sanctions or launch
military attack on Iran seems to be completely irrational.

The February report by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International
Atomic Energy Agency, praised Iran’s cooperation in clearing up all
of the past questions over its nuclear program, vindicating Iran’s
nuclear program and leaving no justification for any new UN sanctions.

The UN nuclear watchdog has also carried out at least 14 surprise
inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites so far, but found nothing to
support West’s allegations.

Following the said reports by the US and international bodies, many
world states have called the UN Security Council pressure against
Tehran unjustified, demanding that Iran’s case be normalized and
returned from the UNSC to the IAEA. – FNA

EDWARD NALBANDYAN: A LOT IS DONE TO IMPLEMENT PACE RECOMMENDATIONS

Panorama.am
19:01 15/12/2008

In this recent period a lot is done to implement the reforms and
the PACE recommendations of resolutions 1609 and 1620, announced
the Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan during a press
conference today.

"There are some points on which the authorities still work. This is
not the point to implement reforms in a day or two. I don’t think that
somewhere else so much work could be done in a short period of time,"
mentioned that Minister.

The Foreign Minister said that making reforms is a continuous action
and the authorities do it consciously as our country and people
need them.

POLICEMEN DON’T SWING TRUNCHEONS AT PEOPLE

A1+
[08:43 pm] 15 December, 2008

The Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) ended in Athens a few
days ago. The forum featured 480 participants from 18 countries. The
forum aims at assessing media landscape and freedom of expression in
developing countries, find ways of protecting the right of speech and
journalists from violence. The forum was attended by President of A1+
Company Mesrop Movsesyan. The participants discussed different issues
and exchanged viewpoints.

"Alongside with Zimbabwe and Azerbaijan Armenia ranked the first on
the list. It is a great shame for us. But we couldn’t share a lot as
our means of struggle are not productive," noted Mr. Movsesyan.

Forum was held during the "mass riots" in Greece. Mesrop Movsesyan
drew parallels during the March 1-2 unrest in Yerevan and December 7
coup attempt in Greece. In both cases the disorders were stirred up
by injustice, said Mr. Movsesyan. On the whole, he was surprised at
the functioning and independence of the Greek Parliament.

"Laws work perfectly in Greece. The law bans police access to
schools. The authorities wanted to amend the law but thanks to the
opposition’s efforts the amendments were not even put to the vote. It
is due to mention that the opposition doesn’t form parliament majority
in Greece," he says.

Mesrop Movsesyan is impressed by the solidarity of the Greek
people. "The assassination of an Armenian youth united a whole nation
which is not the case with the Armenians. Even if we unite for a
common goal we don’t struggle till the end, till the final triumph."

He also noted that Greek demonstrators broke shop windows but none of
them robbed the shops. Just on the contrary, people beat the robbers
if they were such. Demonstrators simply wanted to set the shops on
fire. By the way they only targeted at the shops of well-off people."

Mesrop Movsesyan is also surprised at the dignified stance of local
policemen. "For the first time in my life I felt deep respect towards
these people. For the first time I saw a policeman carrying out
his main duty – keeping public order. They didn’t swing bludgeon at
innocent people. Instead of disclosing and punishing real criminals our
policemen settle accounts with suspects. Policemen should avert crimes
rather than punish people. I have seen no Greek policeman shooting
demonstrators. They only used tear gas to disperse the mob. The only
policeman shooting the 15-year-old youth dead is now in custody. Greeks
have showed their might, and now the government are ready to resign.

DJAVAKHQ: FILM BY "AZD PRODUCTION" IS READY

Panorama.am
19:02 15/12/2008

A film about "Djavakhq: what is history silent about" by "AZD
Production" company is produced, said the founder of the company,
producer and director Hayk Harutyunyan to Panorama.am.

"Saying Djavakhq you imagine the pages of your history book, Brothers
Zakaryan, the invasion of Tmbkaberd, Parvana, Queen Tamar and the
migration of Erzrum. When you see Djavakhq, you understand that the
pages of history book tell too little. Surely it tells too little,
as only visiting Djavakhq you find out that in an Armenian school
Mendeleyev table is translated into Georgian; here you find out 180
years old Testament which tells about its life…This is a particle
of Erzrum which will be discovered in this film," said H. Harutyunyan.

Note that "AZD Production" was founded in 1997 and more than 50
films have been produced since then. In the last three years films
about historic Armenia have been produced – "Welcome to Karabakh",
"Western Armenia", "Mystery of Noah’s Ark" and films about Cilicia.

MONITORING TO BE CONDUCTED IN NAGORNO KARABAKH

Panorama.am
13:21 16/12/2008

Today Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Monitoring Mission will conduct a monitoring in the front line of
Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. The monitoring is to take place
in Veyssali village, Khodjavan region. The personal representative
of the OSCE President Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk is currently in
Nagorno Karabakh to be present at the monitoring.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAMS OF 2009 IN TESTING SYSTEM

Panorama.am
13:57 16/12/2008

Finally the dream of school graduates and those who are going to
pass university entrance exams comes true. Instead of 4 joint exams,
in 2009 all the entrance exams will be organized in joint testing
system. In a few days all the schools of Armenia will receive the
examples and exam guides. This year Chemistry, Physics, Biology,
Geography, History subjects are added to the joint testing system.

"Painting, Rhetoric, Music and Oral Exams are not included in the
joint testing system," said the Deputy Minister of Education and
Science Bagrat Esayan.

The Deputy Minister of Education said that the applications are
received from January 15 up to March 15.

SUPER GM TOURNAMENT IN NANJING CONTINUES

Panorama.am
14:10 16/12/2008

After the fifth round of super GM tournament in Nanjing the number
of the leaders of the tournament have increased. In the fifth round
Armenian chess player Levon Aronyan met with Chinese Bu Xiangzhi and
the game ended in draw.

Veselin Topalov defeated Russian representative Peter Svidler and
gained one point. After this round Veselin Topalov, Levon Aronyan and
Bu Xiangzhi have three equal points and lead the tournament. Ukrainian
Vassily Ivanchuk met with Armenian Sergey Movsisyan who presents
Slovakia in the tournament and the game ended in draw.

December 16 is a free day for the participants of the tournament and
tomorrow the sixth round will start.

Note that GM Vladimir Akopian ended the second round in a draw with GM
Dmitry Jakovenko (Russia) in the FIDE Grand Prix tournament in Elista.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OBAMA’S TURKISH PARTNERS: A DEMOCRATIC TURKEY THAT HAS RESPECT IN MUSLIM CAPITALS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE WEST NEEDS
By Mustafa Akyol

Newsweek
December 15, 2008

For years Ankara’s foreign policy was fixated on a few narrow
topics–how to handle the Greeks, the Kurds and Armenians–and Turkish
policymakers seemed unable to solve even these chronic problems, let
alone the problems of others. But these days Turkey has tackled such
regional concerns with a new gusto–making the first real headway
on the Cyprus issue in decades, for instance–while playing a far
larger role in global affairs. In May Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan’s government mediated indirect peace talks between
Syrian and Israeli officials in Istanbul. The talks are now ongoing,
and further meetings have reportedly been scheduled. Erdogan also
recently stepped forward to offer help to U.S. President-elect Barack
Obama to deal with Iran, which Turkey’s prime minister and many others
expect to be Obama’s biggest foreign-policy challenge. On November
11 Erdogan told The New York Times his government was willing to be
the mediator between the new U.S. administration and Tehran. "We are
the only capital that is trusted by both sides," he reiterated later
in Washington. "We are the ideal negotiator."

This surge of interest in becoming something of a global
peacemaker is in part the result of the ongoing process of Turkish
democratization. The nation’s old elite consisted of the more
isolationist Kemalists, the dedicated followers of Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, who established a republic without democracy in 1923 to
westernize and secularize the nation. For many decades to come,
society remained divided between the dominant Kemalist center and
the more traditional periphery it kept under its thumb. But things
fundamentally changed after the election victories of Erdogan’s
Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2002 and 2007. The "other
Turkey" was now out of the periphery and into power, and while it
proved to be more religious than the old elite, it also proved to be
more pro-Western, and more committed to the European Union accession
bid than its growingly xenophobic secular rivals.

This was not simply a convenient tactic, as some have argued. Turkey’s
conservative Muslims had been undergoing a silent reformation since the
1980s, as evidenced by the country’s growing "Islamic bourgeoisie,"
which sees its future in global markets, not Sharia courts. Ideas
about the compatibility of Islam and liberal democracy flourished,
as recently evidenced by headscarved women rallying in the streets
for civil liberties for all.

Meanwhile, Ahmet Davutoglu, an erudite scholar who became Erdogan’s
chief adviser, outlined a new foreign-policy vision. Turkey had
unwisely denied its cultural links with the Middle East for decades,
he argued, but the time had come to turn Turkey into a "soft power"
that exports peace, stability and growth in its region. Hence came the
rapprochement in recent years and months with Greece, Lebanon, Iraq,
Iraqi Kurdistan and most recently Armenia, where President Abdullah
Gul paid an ice-breaking visit in September.

Kemalist Turks dislike this "neo-Ottoman" approach, which prescribes
closer relations with other Muslim nations. When Erdogan greets his
Arab counterparts "in the name of God," they are horrified and argue
that the country’s secular principles are under threat. And to garner
support from Westerners who are concerned about political Islam,
for good reasons, they try to depict the AKP as Taliban in sheep’s
clothing. But, in fact, a democratic Turkey that has respect in Muslim
capitals, that can speak their language and that is willing to use this
leverage for peace and reconciliation is exactly what the West needs.

Some in the West fear this approach as well, taking notice of AKP’s
interests in Islam and the rampant anti-Americanism in Turkey, and
sometimes conflating and confusing the two. Yet that anti-American
wave is a reaction to the Iraq War and its aftermath. By empowering
the Kurds in the north, the post-Saddam era unleashed the deepest
of all Turkish fears: the emergence of a Greater Kurdistan. In other
words, anti-Americanism is almost a derivative of anti-Kurdism, and,
not too surprisingly, is strongest in the nationalist circles, which
include the Kemalists. These groups, represented by the two main
opposition parties, deride the AKP as American puppets and Kurdish
collaborators. A 2007 bestselling book, whose Kemalist author was
covertly financed by the military intelligence, even argues that both
Erdogan and former AKP member President Gul are actually covert Jews
who serve "the elders of Zion" by undermining Ataturk’s republic.

Turkey’s new elites are not covert Jews as some fringe Kemalists
fantasize, of course. But neither are they creeping Islamists as
smarter Kemalists portray. In fact they are Muslim democrats, who
can both take Turkey closer to becoming a true capitalist democracy
and inspire other Muslim nations to follow a similar route. For
sure, they need to combat ugly nationalism inside their borders and
take continued steps toward deepening liberal reforms. With such a
combination of sound domestic leadership and visionary foreign policy,
they would be ideal partners for the Obama administration in its own
effort to reach out to the troublesome actors in the Middle East.

Akyol is a columnist for Istanbul-based Hurriyet Daily News &
Economic Review.

"PACE TO INFLICT PENALTIES ON ARMENIA"

Panorama.am
15:12 16/12/2008

How will PACE assess the implementation of its recommendations by
Armenia? Alexander Manasyan, the President of "Civil Research Academy"
NGO says that our people need democratization, and that our future
depends on democratization activities, hence we should think of these
things instead of preparing some reports for Europe.

"If we have home consensus and all the political bodies are saturated
by dedication and love towards their country, we’ll have what to say
to Europe and we are given that chance," said A. Manasyan.

Note that tomorrow the PACE Monitoring Commission in Paris will
hear the Commissioner of Human Rights Thomas Hammaberg’s report
about Armenia.

Politician Levon Shirinyan who was present at the press conference says
that most probably Europe will inflict penalties on Armenia. "Being a
nation which creates European values, we have gone too far from them
and we are going to be fined for that. That will be a good chance to
increase the pressure and influence on Armenia," he says.

BAKO SAHAKYAN RECEIVED ANDRZEJ KASPRZYK

Panorama.am
13:17 16/12/2008

On December 15 the President of Nagorno Karabakh Bako Sahakyan received
the personal representative of the OSCE President Ambassador Andrzej
Kasprzyk, reported the information service department of the NKR
President’s Administration.

According to the source the officials have discussed the ongoing
situation in the region, the negotiating processes of the Karabakh
conflict, as well as a few questions on the monitoring to be conducted
in the front line of Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress