Author: Andres-Papazian

FARS News Agency, Iran
April 28, 2011 Thursday

Iran, Armenia to Increase Cooperation in Building Railway

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Deputy Minister of Road and Transportation Reza
Pilpayeh announced that a number of Iranian companies are prepared to
help Armenia with the development of its railway system.

“Iranian companies have expressed their readiness to create a
consortium for building roads and railways in Armenia and connecting
their rail network to Iran’s,” Pilpayeh said on Wednesday.

Quoted by MNA, he said that the rail network will be 540 kilometers,
of which 480 kilometers will be in Armenia and 60 kilometers in Iran.

He added that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had been signed
between the two sides but the agreement had yet to be implemented.

With the implementation of the agreement, Armenia’s rail network will
be effectively connected to international waters via the southern
Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.

Pilpayeh also announced the readiness of Iranian companies to
participate in the construction of 624 kilometer of road inside
Armenia which will directly link Iran to the Georgian Republic.

From: A. Papazian

Interfax, Russia
April 29 2011

EU hopes for revival of Yerevan-Ankara normalization process

YEREVAN. April 29

EU hopes for revival of Yerevan-Ankara normalization process
The European Union regrets that Armenia and Turkey have not yet been
able to normalize their relations.

It is sad that the sides have not been able to reach an agreement on
the final steps and to put the finishing touches to their important
accords, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy
Stefan Fuele said at a joint news conference with Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan.

Fuele said he hoped that this topic would remain on the bilateral
agenda, and the process would be revived when the situation became
more favorable.

Turkey acts in defiance of the international community as it continues
putting forward preconditions to Armenia, Nalbandian said.

“Turkey does not respect its own obligations and the opinion of the
international community, which favors the ratification of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols without preconditions. What can it [Turkey]
achieve by pursuing such an approach? I do not think that Turkey will
be able to achieve much,” the Armenian minister said.

Asked about his attitude to Turkey’s accession to the EU if the border
with Armenia remains closed, Fuele said that apart from 35 mandatory
technical requirements, a candidate country ought to have good
relations with its neighbors.

The EU commissioner said he hoped that Turkey would not be an exception.

tm dp

From: A. Papazian

The Toronto Sun, Canada
April 28, 2011 Thursday
FINAL EDITION

Politics of genocide threaten museum

by PETER WORTHINGTON

Winnipeg’s $310 million Canadian Museum of Human Rights (CMHR) is once
again in the centre of a controversy over whose human rights should
get the most attention.

A full page in the National Post in the form of a letter signed by 105
prominent Canadians, urges two Ukrainian organizations “to stay out of
the debate about the Canadian Museum of Human Rights” (CMHR).

The Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association (UCCLA) and
Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), representing some 1.2 million
Canadians of Ukrainian origin, are miffed that the CMHR plans to have
a Holocaust gallery, while lumping the Ukrainian Holodomor in another
gallery with other historical genocides.

The Holodomor (death by starvation) imposed by Stalin in 1932-33 to
bring Ukraine to heel, resulted in some 4 million deaths (some
estimates are 7 million) that scar the psyche of all Ukrainians.

The UCCLA and UCC feel all genocides should be confined to one portion
of the museum, but if the Jewish Holocaust gets special treatment, so
should the Holodomor.

A Nanos Research poll indicates 60%of Canadians favour all genocides
commemorated in one galley, with 25% favouring a Holocaust gallery,
and other genocides grouped together. Some 15% of were unsure which
they favoured.

There’s been considerable debate about the CMHR ever since it was
proposed by the late Izzy Asper, founder of CanWest and the former
owner of the National Post. Stephen Harper’s government pledged $100
million towards the museum; the province of Manitoba $40 million; the
city of Winnipeg $20 million; private donations $125 million. That
leaves about $25 million still to raise. Annual costs (paid by the
feds) are estimated at $22 million.

It’s ironic that a human rights museum would cause such controversy.

BITTER, NASTY LETTER

The “letter” published in the Post is bitter and nasty towards
Ukrainians. It says the UCC “has, at times, inflated the number of
(famine) victims to seven or even 10 million; the implication is
obvious: Seven or 10 million is more than six million; the Holodomor
deserves more attention than the Holocaust.”

That is somewhat unfair, if not paranoid.

The letter also recalls that the Organization of Ukrainian
Nationalities (OUN) and Ukrainian Insurgent Army (APA) cooperated with
the Nazis, as well as opposing Soviet Communism, and indulged in mass
murders of civilians. Not all Ukrainians, but some.

Holocaust victims were largely innocent of everything except being
Jewish, and the signatories of the letter and CMHR feel their fate
stands as unique lesson to all. Victims of Stalin starving Ukraine
into submission are no less innocent than Holocaust victims.

Unless the issue of how to commemorate genocides can be resolved, it’s
hard to see the CMHR being anything but a divisive symbol of
controversy.

And not only the Holodomor. There is the Armenian genocide, the
Cambodian genocide by the Khmer Rouge, Rwanda and Darfur as genocidal
victims. The Holocaust, which should be an example to all, is often
ignored when other genocides occur.

When passions are involved, compromise does not come easily.

If it were up to me, I’d be inclined to commemorate all genocides in
one gallery, with perhaps special attention to the Holocaust which was
planned and perpetrated by evil people, and was not by impulse or hot
blood. The same applies to the Holodomor– which may have given Hitler
the idea of a “final solution.”

But I’m neither Jewish nor Ukrainian, so the issue seems clearer.

From: A. Papazian

Trend Daily News (Azerbaijan)
April 28, 2011 Thursday 12:22 AM GMT +4

Turkey condemns Canadian PM’s statement on 1915 events

Turkey on Wednesday condemned Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s
statement on the events of 1915, saying he was just looking after his
political benefits and has dealt a blow on efforts to improve ties
between the two countries, Anadolu Agency reported.

Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Harper expressed
one-sided views in his message about the sad part of common history of
Turks and Armenians, adding that “it is quite wrong and unfair. We
condemn strongly and regretfully, and we reject it.”

In his message, Stephen Harper said, “ninety-six years ago, the
Armenian people experienced terrible suffering and loss of life.

“We must never forget the lessons of history. Nor should we allow the
enmities of history to divide us,” he added.

In 2006, the Senate of Canada adopted a motion acknowledging the
incidents of 1915 as “the first genocide of the twentieth century”.

Turkish Foreign Ministry said Turkey had displayed significant
efforts, especially over the past year, to improve relations with
Canada, however, it added that Harper’s statement dealt a blow on
these efforts.

Turkey said it expected Canada to avoid steps that could have a
negative effect on relations that Turkey had been trying to develop in
its region, and adopt a stance which would earn trust in bilateral
relations.

From: A. Papazian

US Fed News
April 28, 2011 Thursday 11:25 AM EST

ENERGY REFORMS IN ARMENIA: ON THE WAY TO ENERGY SECURITY

WASHINGTON, April 28 — The World Bank issued the following feature story:

Entrepreneurs like Marcos Gharibyan are fueling the growth in
renewable energy in Armenia by investing in small hydro-power plants.
Gharibyan took a risk and got a loan to invest in two small hydro
power stations. “We have a small gardening firm. We thought that since
we were bringing in irrigation water, we could just as well build a
hydropower station on that water flow,” Gharibyan explains.

After he built the station, Gharibyan took another leap of faith and
built a 10 kilometer long high voltage power line to connect his
stations so they can feed into the national power grid and he can
recoup some of his investment. Built on a stream of the Azat River,
the stations operate for only 4 months a year. However, regulations
and incentives help to insure a profit.

The market for small hydropower stations is well developed in Armenia
and the government has created incentives for investment. Energy law
mandates that the power distribution grid buy electricity generated by
small hydro power stations for 15 years after they become operational.
The Public Services Regulatory Commission has established feed-in
tariffs for the electricity they produce.

“The feed-in tariffs enable developers to assess, based on technical
parameters, whether it makes business sense to invest without having
to rely on any state official, and the guarantee of 15 years of
purchase meant that the developers could confidently invest in this
area,” says Robert Nazaryan, Chairman of the Public Services
Regulatory Commission.

The end of the energy crisis in the 90’s was the beginning of a new
era for Armenia. One of the lessons learned was to use local resources
efficiently to ensure the country’s energy independence and security.
And as its energy resources are limited, renewable energy is of great
importance.

“The development of renewable energy in Armenia is of triple
importance. First, it uses local energy sources, second it uses
renewable energy sources and third, it uses clean sources of energy,”
says Arayik Marjanyan, Renewable Energy Program Coordinator, Renewable
Resources and Energy Efficiency Fund.

The World Bank provided a $5 million dollar credit to ensure
investments in the sector. The co-financer, the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development, invested $7 million dollars; the
Cascade Universal Credit Organization owned by the Cafesjian family
foundation invested $3 million dollars. Many commercial banks are now
providing loans for the construction of small hydropower stations.
Thus, a favorable legal framework is coupled with the opportunity to
get financing.

Ninety four small hydropower stations are operational in Armenia,
providing about 3 percent of Armenia’s domestic demand for
electricity. Of those, 27 were built under the World Bank’s Renewable
Energy Project. An additional 65 hydropower stations are under
construction. Once they start operating, small hydro power stations
will meet 6 percent of the internal demand for electricity.

Besides providing electricity, small hydropower stations provide jobs.

“There is a lot of construction of small hydropower stations going on
in Vayots Dzor now and it is very efficient; first of all, even the
smallest hydropower station creates 7 new jobs,” says Gagik Avetisyan,
operator of the Yeghegnadzor hydrostation.

The “Artavan-1” small hydropower station is under construction now.
Armen Mikayelyan from Artavan village has been working on it for a
year.

“We are employed now, which is good. If I did not have this job, I
would have to go and cultivate my land and breed the cattle, barely
managing. It isn’t good going abroad for seasonal work, either: you
leave your family behind and your children unattended. It’s better to
work here than abroad,” Mikayelyan says.

The World Bank’s Renewable Resources and Energy Efficiency Fund works
towards securing investments in clean energy. Armenia got a $3 million
dollar grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to identify
its renewable energy potential and attract private investments. The
project designed the scheme for small hydropower stations, and
developed model business plans and guidelines for the renewable energy
sector. This information is available at

Despite remarkable achievements, Armenia’s energy sector faces new
challenges. A main electricity generator- the Metzamor nuclear power
plant – is set to close, as are several thermal power stations.
Depending on demand, Armenia will need an additional 850 to 1350
megawatts of electricity generation capacity.

Its state-owned high-voltage transmission network desperately needs
investments, which are being supported by the the World Bank through a
transmission line rehabilitation project.

Also, the energy sector is vulnerable to interruptions in imported
fuel supply. And the price of imported natural gas is constantly
rising, leading to higher heating and electricity supply tariffs.
Affording energy is a growing concern, especially for the poor.

In order to ensure a reliable and affordable energy supply system,
energy efficiency is key for Armenia.

“We should not produce as much as we want, but rather as much as we
need, and this difference between how much we want and how much we
need is the energy efficiency that we must achieve” explains Armen
Movsisyan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “Otherwise, this
will lead to increase in tariffs, and decrease in reliability and in
the level of energy security. This approach must be applied
country-wide, so that we can have a more reliable and secure system.”

The International Energy Agency says it is 3 times more expensive to
produce one kilowatt/hour of electricity than to conserve it. Thus
energy conservation, too, is a source of energy. A 2008 World Bank
study concluded that energy efficiency improvements could save the
country more than $360 million dollars annually, equivalent to almost
4.5 percent of its 2009 GDP.

“Armenia has a well established energy sector, the institutional
reforms that were implemented have created solid basis for future
development and yielded tangible results,” says Gevorg Sargsyan, World
Bank project leader for the Renewable Energy Project. “However, the
sector faces serious challenges, which may jeopardize its
sustainability. If no measures are taken today, Armenia will face
electricity deficit again. The energy sector needs serious investments
to reinforce the implemented reforms and secure the country’s bright
and warm future.”

From: A. Papazian

Interfax, Russia
April 28 2011

Armenia, Russia discuss regional security – ministry

YEREVAN. April 28

Armenian Defense Minister Seiran Ohanian and Deputy Secretary of the
Russian Security Council Yury Zubakov discussed issues of
Armenian-Russian military cooperation and regional security at a
meeting in Yerevan, Armenia’s Defense Ministry said.

Ohanian and Zubakov said during the meeting that their countries
cooperate effectively in a bilateral format and as members of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization, the ministry press service
told Interfax.

“It was also pointed out that strategic and military technological
cooperation between the two countries can help strengthen regional
stability and security,” the press service said.

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From: A. Papazian

Interfax, Russia
April 28 2011

Tank units hold exercises at Russian base in Armenia

ROSTOV-ON-DON. April 28

Tank and motorized rifle divisions of Russia’s 102nd military base
deployed in Armenia have held tactical exercises at a local training
range, Lt. Col. Igor Gorbul, spokesman for the South Military District
commander, told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.

“Bilateral tactical exercises involving two tank squadrons took place
at the Alagyaz training center to test the skills acquired by
servicemen during the winter training period,” Gorbul said.

During the three-day exercises, the servicemen practiced battlefield
coordination, as well as their skills to operate weapons and military
hardware and to put up fortified installations, he said.

From: A. Papazian

Reporters Without Borders, France
May 1 2011

Armenian newspapers threatened by libel suits with sky-high damages awards

Published on Sunday 1 May 2011.

Reporters Without Borders is concerned about all the libel actions
being brought against Armenian newspapers and the disproportionate
damages being demanded, which threaten their survival and create a
climate that encourages self-censorship. This tendency to use lawsuits
to throttle news media must be reined in.

The repeal of jail sentences for libel and slander in April 2010 was
hailed as a democratic advance but judicial harassment of the media
continues. There were 12 defamation actions during the first quarter
of 2011 alone. Independent newspapers are the leading targets. The
daily Jamanak is currently the subject of three different lawsuits.
Haykakan Jamanak and Hraparak are also being sued.

In most cases the plaintiffs are politicians. On 18 April, Armenia’s
highest appeal court ordered the news website Hetq, founded by the NGO
Investigative Journalists, to pay Ijevan mayor Tavush Marz 450,000
drams (820 euros) in damages and publish a retraction. The suit was
brought over a series of articles about embezzlement by local
officials. Having exhausted all possibilities of appeal in Armenia,
the NGO says it will take the case to the European Court of Human
Rights.

Former president Robert Kocharian’s family are frequent plaintiffs.
His wife, Bella Kocharian, and son, Sedrak Kocharian, are suing
Jamanak for 6 million drams (11,000 euros) over a September 2011
article implicating them in an alleged case of embezzlement. The
newspaper Haykakan Jamanak has already been ordered to pay Levon
Kocharian 3.5 million drams (6,400 euros) in damages.

The former president himself recently sued Hraparak over a 2 February
article describing him as `bloodthirsty’ and subject to `fits of
madness.’ While there may have been grounds for a libel action, there
were certainly no grounds for his request for a freeze on the
newspaper’s assets, which was granted at the first hearing.

The order was rescinded on 11 April, but the former president’s action
is still dangerous inasmuch as it suggest that the real of goal of
defamation suits is to bankrupt independent media. The OSCE, to which
Armenia belongs, has a clear position on this: `The amount of the fine
should not reach the ceiling of bankruptcy of the media outlets or
individual journalists, nor should it endanger their normal work.’

In most cases, the courts seem to do what the plaintiffs want,
imposing the maximum amount of damages. On 7 February, Haykakan
Jamanak was ordered to pay 2,440,000 drams (nearly 16,000 dollars) in
damages to each of the three parliamentarians – Ruben Hayrapetyan,
Samuel Aleksanyan and Levon Sargsyan – who sued it over a 14 October
article quoting a list of Armenian officials and businessmen allegedly
involved in criminal activity. Editor Hayk Gevorgyan said he was
amazed by the court’s verdict and has decided to appeal.

As well as the large amounts in damages demanded by plaintiffs,
newspapers must also pay excessive lawyers’ fees. The abuses are such
that the council of the Armenian Chamber of Lawyers has approved a
proposed directive imposing a ceiling of 300,000 drams (6,400 euros)
on fees in defamation cases. It has been submitted to the legal
department, which will decide whether it should go into effect.

Reporters Without Borders is following all of these cases closely. As
well as those already mentioned, Reporters Without Borders will also
attend the upcoming hearings in the parliamentarian Tigran
Arzakantsian’s lawsuit against the newspaper Yerkir and the lawsuit
that the company Glendale Hills has brought against Jamanak.

Reporters Without Borders has urged participants in the forum on media
freedom held by the human rights ombudsman in Yerevan to discuss ways
to limit defamation suits. Media self-regulation should be developed
and, when legal actions are brought, the courts should respect the
principle of proportionality when awarding damages.

,40201.html

From: A. Papazian

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 1 2011

Turkish, Armenian journalists meet to find `common ground’

01 May 2011, Sunday / SERVET YANATMA, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Participants in the Turkish-Armenian journalism internship program
seeking to foster stronger relations between the two nations together
during their stay in the US.

A Turkish and an Armenian journalist are together in the US on April
24, the day Armenians mark as the anniversary of Armenians being
killed at the hand of Ottomans in 1915. They sit at the same table for
an Easter meal, telling about the cuisines of their culture to their
American host family.

It immediately emerges that their food cultures have much in common.
Many dishes even have the same name. Of course, `serious issues’ also
come to the agenda. However, both of them try to make comments that
would not `disturb’ the other. Young people of the two countries are
now able to discuss many issues without getting hung up on the
`genocide’ debate.

Although Turkey and Armenia have yet to normalize bilateral relations,
things are moving much faster in the civil society wing of the
normalization efforts. Six Turkish and six Armenian journalism interns
came together in the US last week to attend a joint internship
program, in a move to strengthen communication between one another, as
journalists have a role in shaping their country’s today and tomorrow.
In this way, they will obtain direct knowledge about their neighbors
and better understand each other.

The program had many parts. The journalists first attended courses on
American media for a week in Washington. They also had courses on
issues such as journalism, media ethics, conflict resolution and
mediation. The most important part of the program, which is still
under way, is the second phase. The journalists were divided into six
groups, each consisting of a Turkish and an Armenian journalist. They
visited a number of states for three weeks. They follow news stories,
attend editorial meetings and examine the news editing process at
American newspapers. This is of course not a one-sided learning
process. They are also exchanging views about their profession with
their American colleagues.

The internship program is not just limited to the office. Perhaps the
most colorful part of the program is that the interns are staying in
the homes of the staff of local journalists. They are observing their
colleagues’ working methods and lifestyles. This is also a good
opportunity for the three parties — American, Turkish and Armenian
journalists — to get to know one another’s cultures.

The conversations at the dinner tables are mostly centered on Turkish
and Armenian dishes. Americans are asking about them and Turkish and
Armenian journalists are answering. It is impossible to skip 1915
incidents during these conversations. However, the debate aims to
understand each other rather than engaging in an argument. Armenian
journalists are aware of the change in Turkey in recent years in
approaching this issue and they are pleased with that.

Conferences in Yerevan, Ankara

The dates that coincide with the internship program are also
noteworthy. The six teams, each compromising a Turkish and an Armenian
journalist, came together on April 24, the anniversary of the deaths
of Anatolian Armenians during World War I, which is marked as
`Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.’ Some of the Armenian journalists
attended commemoration ceremonies of the Armenian diaspora. Some of
them went to church with Americans since April 24 also coincided with
Easter, one of the major holidays in Christianity.

One major leg of the program is the joint `border projects’ the six
groups will take part in. Some of them will examine the possible
economic outcomes of reopening the Turkish-Armenian border. The border
between Turkey and Armenia has been shut for 14 years due to deep
political disagreements between the two neighboring countries. Some of
them will travel to border villages to question the meaning of the
border for the villagers and some of them will research Armenian
architects in the Ottoman era.

The program is not limited to just those things. In June, six
Armenian and Turkish journalists and the editors of the dailies they
worked as interns for will get together at a conference in Ankara. The
joint border projects will be presented at this conference and the
stories encountered during the projects will be shared with the
public. Soon after this conference, the same team will head to Yerevan
and hold the same conference there.

The program is being carried out by the Washington-based International
Center for Journalists (ICFJ). The project is funded by US Department
of State as well as the US embassies in Ankara and Yerevan. The US
administration believes that the normalization between the two
countries can only be ensured through improvement of dialogue between
the two countries. Journalists are the first group which comes to mind
when the issue is dialogue.

From: A. Papazian

Trend News Agency , Azerbaijan
May 1 2011

Turkish Prime Minister sent rigid message to Armenia about the Nagorno
– Karabakh conflict

01.05.2011 15:31
Turkish Prime Minister Rajap Tayyip Erdogan sent rigid message to
Armenia about the Nagorno – Karabakh conflict.

During meeting with local residents of Igdir prime-Minister said that
normalization of relations with Armenia was impossible without
regulation of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Trend reports citing
CNN-Turk.

Nakhchivan highway was finished and would be opened in the coming
days, he added. Erdogan made statement on “Karabakh and Nakhchivan are
our issues”.

“Sorrow of Azerbaijan is our sorrow, joy of Azerbaijan is our joy.
Here, I once more declare that normalization of relations with Armenia
is impossible without regulation of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

We have always supported Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh and will
support in future. Nobody must expect any other thing from us about
this issue. We gave decent responds to Armenian and pan-Armenian MPs
in PACE”, said the Prime Minister.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. – are
currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

From: A. Papazian