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CARDINAL TARCISIO BERTONE TO VISIT ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.01.2008 14:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ January 7, at a meeting with Ambassadors accredited
to Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI requested Armenian Ambassador Edward
Nalbandian to convey his warm greetings and wishes for a Happy New
Year and Merry Christmas to Armenian people, Armenian President and
Catholicos of All Armenians, the RA MFA press office reported.

January 8, Amb. Nalbandian met with Vatican Secretary of State,
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone to discuss the details of his forthcoming
visit to Armenia.

200-300 GRAMS IN EACH KILOGRAM

A1+
[03:16 pm] 10 January, 2008

Abgar Yeghoyan, chairman of "Consumers’ Rights Protection" NGO
announced today that one would hardly meet scales that weighted
correctly in the trade centers in Armenia. Majority of consumers are
deceived about 200-300 grams in each kilo. According to him, this is
one of the spread violations in the trade centers. "It has a widely
expended phenomenon and negatively influences on the establishment
of fair economic competition in the country", noted Abgar Yeghoyan.

Chairman of "Consumers’ Rights Protection" NGO mentioned that according
to the RA Law on "Securing unity measurements" once a year scales in
the trade enters should be checked in the Republic, while according
to "2007 facts of the RA National Institute of Metrology, about 6000
scales of 25 000 have been checked in the Republic". Those who use
unchecked scales, should be fined with 50000-100 000 drams.

Abgar Yeghoyan ensures that if scales worked correctly, New Year rise
in prices would be 15-20 percent. According to him, index of checked
scales could be violated when the conditions and rules of the usage
of scales were altered.

Reflecting on the hand scales used in the street trade, Mr Yeghoyan
mentioned that might deceive for 300-500 grams. "Scales used in the
streets are not checked and they show lower weight than other scales
do. Those hand scales are the property of physical individuals, who are
not registered as enterprisers, thus, the law does not refer to them".

"Consumers’ Rights Protection" NGO has made a number of proposals
to the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development to settle these
problems. "We offer to use checking scales in the trade centers, to
take stricter measures of punishment in case violations", informed
Abgar Yeghoyan.

PRESS RELEASE
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)
395 Concord Ave.
Belmont, MA 02478
Tel.: 617-489-1610
E-Mail: [email protected]

HRANT DINK COMMEMORATION
TO FEATURE PROMINENT SPEAKERS

The first anniversary of the murder of Istanbul Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink will be marked on Friday, January 25, at 7:00 p.m., at the
Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, 3325 North
Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91504. This special event will feature
talks by Prof. Taner Akçam of the University of Minnesota, Prof.
Richard G. Hovannisian of the University of California, Los Angeles, and
Stephen A. Kurkjian, formerly of the Boston Globe.

The evening’s program is co-sponsored by the Organization of Istanbul
Armenians of Los Angeles, the Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in
Modern Armenian History at UCLA, and the National Association for
Armenian Studies and Research, and will take place under the auspices of
the Western Diocese, His Eminence, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate.
Simon Acilacoglu, President of the Organization of Istanbul Armenians,
will give opening remarks and Abp. Derderian will offer closing remarks
and a prayer. There will be a musical performance by Salpi Kerkonian
(flute) and Sosi Kerkonian (harp). Edvin E. Minassian, Esq., Vice
President of the Organization of Istanbul Armenians and Treasurer of the
Armenian Bar Association, will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

One Year After: Possibilities and Difficulties

The murder of Hrant Dink, the Turkish-born Armenian founder and editor
of the newspaper Agos and passionate advocate of Turkish-Armenian
dialogue, stunned and horrified the world and prompted an unprecedented
demonstration of hundreds of thousands taking to the streets of Istanbul
waving signs saying "We Are All Hrant Dink" and "We Are All Armenian."
The brutal slaying of the peace-loving, reconciliation-oriented Dink
underscored both the possibilities and the difficulties of
Armenian-Turkish dialogue and reconciliation efforts.

His prosecution under Turkey’s Article 301 for "insulting Turkishess"
and the subsequent prosecution of his son, Arat, for the same "crime"
raise serious questions about free speech in Turkey and have dramatized
the difficulties faced by journalists in a country seeking entry into
the European Union.

To mark the first anniversary of his death, a program has been organized
that will not only pay tribute to this courageous man but also bring
together a group of speakers who are well qualified to put both his life
and his untimely and tragic death in some meaningful perspective.

Profiles of Featured Speakers

A pioneer among scholars of Turkish origin, Prof. Taner
Akçam is the author of A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the
Question of Turkish Responsibility, a groundbreaking study that makes
extensive, unprecedented use of Ottoman and other sources largely
unexamined in English-language works, as well as From Empire to
Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide, Dialogue Across
An International Divide: Essays Towards a Turkish-Armenian Dialogue, as
well as numerous other books and articles in Turkish, German, and
English. Akçam, a close friend of Hrant Dink, will discuss his final
conversations with Dink which took place only two weeks before his
death.

Prof. Richard G. Hovannisian is the holder of the Armenian
Educational Foundation Chair of Modern Armenian History at the
University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of the
four-volume history The Republic of Armenia, Armenia on the Road to
Independence, and has edited and contributed to more than twenty books
including The Armenian Genocide in Perspective; The Armenian Genocide:
History, Politics, Ethics; The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern
Times; Remembrance and Denial; Looking Backward, Moving Forward; The
Armenian Genocide: Ethical and Cultural Legacies; and six volumes on
historic Armenian cities and provinces. He recently co-chaired a
special session on "On Hrant Dink and Armenian-Turkish Relations" at the
Middle Eastern Studies Association 2007 Annual Meeting in Montreal. He
will reflect on Hrant Dink’s legacy now and in the future

Stephen A. Kurkjian recently retired from the Boston Globe
after a career of more than thirty-five years at the paper during which
he won three Pulitzer Prizes and more than twenty other regional or
national awards for his investigative reporting. The Globe’s Washington
bureau chief from 1986-1991, he had previously been a founder and the
head of the Globe’s Spotlight investigative team. He is a member of
NAASR’s Board of Directors and serves on its Executive Committee. In
January 2007 he traveled to Istanbul to witness and cover the funeral of
Hrant Dink and its aftermath. He presented his initial report in a
Globe feature and in a talk at NAASR in February 2007, following up with
a lengthy article in the AGBU Magazine in April. He has continued to
follow the murder investigation and related developments in Turkey and
will give an updated report and personal view.

More information on the Hrant Dink commemoration may be
obtained from NAASR by calling 617-489-1610, e-mailing [email protected], or
by writing to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478; by contacting
the AEF Chair at [email protected], or by contacting the OIA by
calling 818-342-6378 or writing to Organization of Istanbul Armenians,
19726 Sherman Way, Winnetka, CA 91306. The Western Diocese can be
contacted at 818-558-7474 or [email protected].

OPPOSITION GOES ON HUNGER STRIKE

Lragir
Jan 8 2008
Armenia

Levan Gachechiladzeh, the candidate of the united opposition of
Georgia who has lost the election according to the result released
by the Georgian Central Election Commission stated on January 8 that
from January 9 his supporters go on hunger strike in front of the
Public Television of Georgia.

"We go on a hunger strike until two of our demands are met,"
Gachechiladzeh stated, Interfax reports. According to him, their first
demand is an opportunity to broadcast their address live because they
are now in an information vacuum. The second demand is to hold the
second round of the election.

Earlier Gachechiladzeh and his supporters had entered the office
of the Georgian central election commission and demanded the chair
of the CEC to resign or negotiate with the opposition the recount of
votes. The spokesman for Gachechiladzeh’s headquarters said they found
an immense difference from the figures released by the CEC when they
compared it to records of the polling stations, which is evidence to
fraud. The opposition is likely to dispute the results, and if no fair
investigation is carried out, the opposition promises to go on protest,
and in that case people will give their answer to the government.

In the meantime, the president of Georgia Mikhail Sahakashvili held
a news conference with local and foreign media and said the election
is evidence that Georgia is a democratic country, and has advanced
towards progress during his office.

BUSH DOES NOT WARRANT ECONOMY GROWTH IN USA

AZG Armenian Daily
09/01/2008

International

President George Bush recently said that the further economic growth
in the United States cannot be warranted, although the economy of
the country is laid upon firm foundations. According to the President
of the United States the recent economic prognostications are rather
complicated. The further economic growth can be affected by the fall in
the finance and real estate markets, as well as high prices for energy.

According to BBC, the presidential board is at present considering a
package of measures for encouraging economy growth. It is supposed
that lowering the taxes shall help overcoming economic decline. No
certain decisions are taken.

In December 2007 the unemployment level in the USA reached 5%, highest
indicator for the recent two years. Only 18 thousand new vacancies
were created in the USA that month.

"I WILL NOT STOP, UNTIL YOU KILL ME"

A1+
[06:43 pm] 08 January, 2008

Levan Gachechiladze, the presidential candidate of united opposition
announced today that the united opposition of Georgia would go on a
hunger strike in front of the Public TV building started from tomorrow.

He noted that they had no opportunity to make speeches on "MZE",
"Rustavi 2" and "Public" TV companies to present the public the real
situation after the elections. The hunger strike will last as long
as they are allowed to speak on the TV.

The opposition demands quitting rigging election results and running of
the second stage. Levan Gachechiladze appealed to Michael Sahakashvili
and Nino Burjanadse: "I will not stop, until you kill me".

ARMENPRESS

MESSAGE OF KAREKIN II, SUPREME PATRIARCH AND
CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS ON THE OCCASION OF THE
FEAST OF THE HOLY NATIVITY AND THEOPHANY OF JESUS
CHRIST

ETCHMIADZIN, JANUARY 6, ARMENPRESS: In the Name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
`In this the love of God was made manifest among
us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the
world, so that we might live through Him.’ 1 John 4:9
Dearly Beloved Faithful,
Our souls are enveloped once again with the
all-renewing ineffable mystery of the Holy Nativity
and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ. And today, we
along with all who await the Savior, rush toward the
manger, to be joined in faith in the humble cave of
Bethlehem with the joyous shepherds and wise magi
bringing gifts to the Savior of the world; to bow down
before the infant, to see the light of God’s mercy
descending to the earth, and praise the Holy Birth of
the Son of God with the angels, `Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men’.
It is the Son of God, the only begotten of the
Father, who has come to the world as love manifested.
He conquered the world with infinite love, changed the
course of history, and granted mankind distanced from
God the grace of salvation and eternal life – grace to
return to God. `In this the love of God was made
manifest among us, that God sent His only begotten Son
into the world, so that we might live through Him.’ (1
John 4:9)
The Holy Nativity and Theophany of our Savior has
been proclaimed for two millennia through the
sacrifices of the martyrs, the lives of the saints,
the genuine faith of innumerable souls, and through
virtuous deeds. The Gospel of hope that gives life is
preached to renew the lives of men and women through
philanthropic values, and by cultivating the paths of
peace, justice and human rights. The recognition and
understanding of Christianity through the living
presence of God have born plans of transforming
societal life and brought forth a world outlook and
culture of valuing human life, called to serve the
welfare of the world and the happiness of mankind.
However, the spheres of the life of humankind have
not always been bountiful with the belief in the
presence of God. Alongside the beneficial golden
stalks of the harvest, we see the damaging growth of
weeds. The world today resembles Bethlehem where the
wise and the humble worship the newborn Christ Jesus,
believing in the saving grace He gifts to us. But the
world also resembles the other Bethlehem – the one
which denied shelter to the Savior, where exist Herods
who crave power and massacre children, Judases who
betray innocents to death for thirty pieces of silver,
Pilates who wash their hands in the face of injustice,
and manifold modern day crucifixions – wars,
terrorism, falsehoods, need and helplessness. As long
as we continue in paths such as these which distance
us from God, the world shall always feel the need for
peace and justice, the want of kindness, humility,
mercy and compassion.
Indeed dear ones, this is not the Will of God, this
is not the calling of the world and man. God’s gift is
the life renewed by Christ. God’s gift is the love
revealed by Christ, which through the great and
miraculous Holy Birth of our Lord and Savior has
connected the four corners of the world today under a
brilliant and glorious rainbow. And the star of
Bethlehem which disperses the darkness, shines above
the crises, intrigues and lawlessness of the world,
and gleams hope with love from heaven to renew the
souls of mankind with the invitation of the creation
of a new life: `…and on earth peace, good will toward
men’.
With this sacred mystery of the Holy Nativity, it
is the greatest commandment of love which is conveyed
to the world, `A new commandment I give to you, that
you love one another’, says the Lord, `even as I have
loved you, that you also love one another.’ (John
13:34). There is no greater power which transforms the
life of man, nations and societies than love, which
`is not jealous or boastful, is not arrogant or
rude…does not insist on its own way, does not rejoice
at wrong, but rejoices in the right, …it bears all
things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things’ (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
This is how that world shall be born, where peace
and justice reign, where good and goodness are
fruitful with brotherly love, solidarity among
peoples, and cooperation among states. Truly, human
efforts to transform life shall not be in vain with
true love and the belief of the presence of God in the
world. The path of the Lord is always the path of new
life, always toward the better, toward the perfect,
which shall become reality through man’s works of
faith, and the mercy and blessings of God.
Dearly pious sons and daughters,
On this joyful day of the Holy Nativity and
Theophany, we offer thanks to the Lord, Who has
granted His grace of salvation to our people as well,
blessed our lives with the light of hope, faith and
love and the spirit of creation. Relying on the
Savior, it is with His commandment of love that our
forefathers in the homeland and the dispersion were
able to withstand the tribulations of centuries,
struggled to keep their individual identity and
heritage, and once again build a new and vibrant life.
The spirit of love towards one another has turned into
care, attentiveness, effort, devotion and heroism
within Armenian life dispersed around the globe.
With that spirit today within the free shores of
Armenia and Artsakh, and on the horizons of the
renaissance of Armenian spiritual and national life
throughout the world, the hopes and prayers of our
forebears and the faith of our people are manifesting
themselves as works of patriotism and love of Church –
as good fruits of our lives. It is with that same
spirit that we shall continue to live today as well,
to triumph over the imperatives facing us, to defend
the values of liberty, justice, human rights,
philanthropy and honesty, though which the God-loving
soul of our people shall continue to be cared for;
through which our life in the homeland and the
Diaspora shall be strengthened.
Therefore, dear ones, let us advance with the
unflinching faith of a pilgrim and always work in
unison and with one will under God’s blessing, for it
is truly said that through division the great become
small, yet through unity the small become great.
It is with the great tiding of the Holy Nativity of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we greet you
once again, our dear faithful, and bless all of you.
We extend our greetings of fraternal love in Christ to
the incumbents of the hierarchal sees of our Apostolic
Holy Church: His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the
Great House of Cilicia; His Beatitude Archbishop
Torkom Manoogian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem; His
Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian, Armenian
Patriarch of Constantinople; and all of the oath-bound
clergy of our Church.
We extend our pontifical blessings and greetings to
the President of the Republic of Armenia, Robert
Kocharian; the President of the Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh, Bako Sahakian; to all Armenian state
officials, and to the leaders and representatives of
diplomatic missions accredited to Armenia.
Let us pray together that the heavenly graces and
gifts of love of the Savior’s Holy Nativity and
Theophany increase in the world, leading all of
humanity to the desired paths of goodness, justice and
reconciliation.
From this holy altar of the descent of the only
begotten, with prayers and appeals for the blessings
of the Savior, we once again convey the renewing
tiding of the Holy Nativity from the Mother See of all
Armenians:
Christ is Born and Revealed, Great Tidings to you
and us.

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Dec 5 2007

Turkish agency gives details of Turkish president’s visit to USA

Ankara, 5 January: Turkish President Abdullah Gul will visit the
United States between 7 and 11 January as the formal guest of US
President George W. Bush.

Gul will depart from Ankara for US at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday.

On January 8th, Gul will meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Enhanced Coverage LinkingSecretary of State Condoleezza

Rice, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Robert Gates.
At 6:10 p.m., Gul will meet Bush, and they will hold a joint press
conference after their meeting.

Following his meetings at White House, Gul will proceed to Turkish
Embassy in Washington and hold a press conference to Turkish
journalists.

On January 9th, Gul will proceed to New York and meet UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon over dinner. Gul will pursue his meetings in New
York on 10 January too.

He will have a breakfast with Turkish and US businessmen and finance
circles. Gul will also give conference on Turkish-US relations at
Foreign Policy Council, and meet representatives of several Jewish
organizations and leaders of Mesketian Turks the same day.

Gul will depart from the United States on 10 January.

Many regional and international matters including fight against
terrorism, energy cooperation, bill on Armenian allegations, future
of Iraq as well as status of Kirkuk will be discussed during Gul’s
meetings.

Gul, during his meeting with UN SG Ki-moon, will discuss Iraq and
Cyprus issues as well as Turkey’s candidacy for non-permanent
membership to UN Security Council.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, Energy & Natural Resources
Minister Hilmi Guler and State Minister Mehmet Simsek will accompany
Gul.

ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC.
Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807
Fax: 416-512-1736
E-mail: [email protected]

Message from the President of the Zoryan Institute

K. M. Greg Sarkissian

On our 25th anniversary, it is with a great sense of excitement that we
launch this newsletter to provide you with information and commentary. Many
dramatic changes have profoundly affected the Armenian world since 1982.
Accordingly, in planning for the next 25 years, Zoryan must consider how to
employ its scholars and specialists to best address the challenges of our
fast moving world. I would like to share with you some major factors that
influence our thinking in this process.

Armenia and Karabagh

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to the independence of Armenia and
Karabagh. This created new complexities within Armenia (nation-building,
unemployment, restructuring the economy, health care, education, etc.), in
relations with its neighbours (security, border issues and claimed
territories), and in relations with the Diaspora (its role, participation
and influence in nation-building).

Armenia will continue to be challenged by issues of long-term security,
prosperity and progress, in the absence of normal relations with Turkey, its
largest neighbour and biggest security threat. Azerbaijan is using its oil
revenues to purchase arms-spending $1 billion in 2007 alone-and could reopen
the war on Karabagh at any time. Uneasy relations with Georgia and the West’s
issues with Iran, Armenia’s largest trading partner, further complicate the
security and economic situation.

Genocide and the Relationship with Turkey

Turkey’s AKP-led government has been seeking EU membership for economic
benefits, to promote its westward-looking identity, and to open up freedom
of religion, as Islam, the country’s dominant religion, is restricted under
the current Kemalist constitution. To meet EU standards, Turkey had to
legislate many reforms and confront longstanding taboos. In the process, the
Armenian Genocide has also come to the fore as a taboo for Turkish society
to reckon with. For their part, European countries are using the Turkish
state’s denial of the Armenian Genocide as a tool to block Turkey’s
accession to the EU, complicating Turkey’s already difficult relationship
with Armenia.

While today the reality of the Armenian Genocide has been widely accepted,
tragically, genocide has become a frequent phenomenon to resolve political
conflict (Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Darfur, etc.). Consequently,
there is a new urgency for genocide studies to raise public awareness
crucial for prevention.

Diaspora

Globalization has made Armenia a part of this interdependent world, an
exhilarating, yet potentially dangerous situation, as it is not yet able to
integrate into the world economy. How can the Diaspora and Armenia jointly
convert this into an opportunity, utilizing the fact that 5/8 of Armenians
are dispersed worldwide?

Conclusion

Considering the above, how should we, as Armenians, be thinking about our
shared responsibilities, shared benefits, and shared values? Zoryan, as a
national resource, whose mission is to think critically about the
contemporary issues facing Armenians, must raise such questions, in order to
develop new perspectives and ideas, for both current and future challenges.

In this vein the security of Armenia is our most important shared
responsibility. We have to adopt a pragmatic approach to our problems. We
have to have an effective way of resolving our own differences, and those
with our neighbors in the region. This could only be achieved by
understanding our present and how we got here, in an objective, analytical
manner in order to develop a national agenda which reflects our shared
values. To this end, Zoryan, by bringing Diaspora, Armenia and
genocide-related issues to international academic forums, provides
understanding and generates goodwill towards Armenians. It also undertakes
research, analysis, publication, conferences and university programs to
inform and influence not only specialists and opinion-makers but also to
empower the next generation to face the future with confidence.

I urge you to get involved, be a Zoryan "Friend," and support our mission.
Thank you.

Note:

If you would like to see the Newsletter please provide me,
[email protected] with an email address at which you can
recieve attachments. It is a ten page, 1.5 mb, PDF.

The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), DC
Dec 30 2007

Fundamental Interests

For the past several days, Turkey has been conducting air strikes
against the PKK in the mountains of northern Iraq, using intelligence
provided by the United States. It is worth a look at the sequence of
events in U.S.-Turkey and U.S.-Kurdish relations.

Relations between the United States and Turkey have been rocky since
the accession to power of the AKP government and its refusal to grant
the United States permission to enter Iraq from Turkish soil,
complicating the early stages of the war. In addition, Turkey’s
decision not to join the coalition minimized its impact on political
and military arrangements in the north after Saddam’s fall. On the
other hand, Turkey has permitted the United States to resupply the
troops, and is today the largest investor in Northern Iraq, wedding
itself to the forces of stability and free markets in the
mainly-but-not-only Kurdish area. At the same time, Congressional
flirtation with a resolution on Armenian history infuriated the
Turks, and Iraqi Kurdish failure to deal with remnants of the PKK
living in the mountains of the north – and receiving support from
Iran, which holds the back end of the mountains -infuriated them
more.

The PKK, the Kurds and the government of Iraq all seem to believe
that the American commitment to securing Iraq’s borders would ensure
that Turkey would absorb cross-border PKK terrorism without response.
Not so. Dozens of soldiers and civilians have been killed inside
Turkey and Turkey has indeed gone after the perpetrators. The Iraqi
government has pronounced itself `outraged.’ An adviser to Prime
Minister al-Maliki, said, `We deplore the interference in our
territory… we want to solve this problem through peaceful
negotiations and diplomatic means.’

It may, in a backhanded way, be a good thing that the Baghdad
government finds itself defending, at least rhetorically, its
northern province and northern citizens – the Shiites and Sunnis have
had trouble figuring out where Kurds belong in the new Iraq. But the
Iraqi government should first `deplore’ terrorism that takes place
from its territory, not Turkey’s response.

The PKK is to the Kurdish people what Hamas, the PIJ and the PLO are
to Palestinians. They are the terrorist wing of people who have
grievances – some of which are legitimate and some of which are not;
some of which can be resolved politically and some of which cannot be
solved at all. Diplomacy is the art of managing what can be managed,
but nothing can be managed as long as people and their
representatives protect and support terrorist organizations.

The United States and Turkey have fundamentally compatible interests
in the broader region and American intelligence support for Turkey
was right and necessary. At the same time, as Israel has learned with
its Gaza experience, air strikes alone will not solve the problem.
The United States should be ready to step in with multiparty
diplomacy, but only when the ground rules are understood – the PKK
cannot be party to any talks and the talks will be for the purpose of
figuring out how to close off support of the PKK and providing
additional stability for the countries of the region.

tion/view/categoryid/650/documentid/4007/history/3 ,2359,650,4007