Author: Andres-Papazian

THE US STATE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES AID TO THE ARMENIAN KINDERGARTEN

Aysor
July 14 2010
Armenia

On July 14th a group of U.S. officials headed by Daniel Rosenblum,
Director of the Office for Assistance to Europe and Eurasia, U.S.
Embassy representatives, Manvel Javadyan, the Community Governor of
Avan administrative region, international NGOs, parents and other
guests participated in the opening ceremony held by International
Relief and Development (IRD) for the renovated laundry, dishwashing
and sanitary facilities of kindergarten #54 in Avan, Yerevan.

In January 2010 IRD received funding from U.S. DOS for this small
reconstruction project -$12,000. The local government provided
furniture to the laundry, ironing and dishwasing facilities. The
construction company “V. Aghababyan” Ltd. donated two laundry machines
(5kg each) to the kindergarten.

The kindergarten is attended by 200 children of 2.5-6 years. The
physical conditions were equally bad in all facilities – old, broken,
obsolete, rusty, leaking, etc. The most unacceptable situation was due
to the fact that all plates, glasses and other kitchen utensils were
washed and kept in the same place where children wash their hands –
right next to the lavatory pans!

Laundry, ironing, dishwashing rooms and the toilet for the youngest
group of children were renovated.

From: A. Papazian

F. AKIN: “MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DEVOURED FOR FEAR”

Aysor
July 14 2010
Armenia

Yesterday in the “Moscow” cinema took place the first night of film
“Soul Kitchen” taken by the originally Turkish director Fatih Akin who
considers himself German. The presentation was held in an over-crowded
hall. Many of them were watching the film sitting on the floor.

According to the director it was his only film which doesn’t tell
of his fatherland, Turkey. This movie is about a restaurant owner
whose girlfriend is getting a work invitation and is leaving him. The
restaurant owner makes up his mind to sell the restaurant first and
follow his girlfriend, and then because of the circumstances does
everything to keep it.

Before the presentation of the film the journalists had the chance to
meet F. Akin. The director who was aware of the century long problems
between Armenia and Turkey is sure that the relations between of two
nations will be normalized when “the fear of looking into the eyes
of the truth will be overcome. The art can hold the hand of the man
and lead him through the dark rooms of the truth.”

“In my fatherland many souls have been devoured driven by fear. I
don’t know whether I speak as a father or as a man, but I hope that
we will overcome that fear and the problems will be solved, and I
hope I will also see that,” the director explained.

The film “Soul Kitchen” is a winner of multiple prizes like special
prize of jury of Venice international film festival, “Youth film” prize
etc. You can watch it also on July 15 at 19:00, in “Nairi” cinema.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA EXPECTS SUPPORT FROM UN IN SOLVING PROBLEMS OF REFUGEES

Panorama
July 14 2010
Armenia

On July 13, the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandyan
met with the newly-appointed UN High Commissioner for Refugees to
Armenia Damtew Dessalejne, who handed his credentials.

Dwelling on perspectives of cooperation, Edward Nalbandyan said the
government of Armenia considers a priority to provide apartments to
families of persons deported from Azerbaijan and living in temporary
houses and expects their support in solving these problems, MFA
information department reported.

Damtew Dessalejne highlighted the efficiency of cooperation between the
Armenian government and the Office of High Commissioner for Refugees
stressing that the office will continue implementation of different
programs to address problems of refugees.

Minister Nalbandian presented the Ambassador Dessalejne the latest
developments on Artsakh issue.

From: A. Papazian

NA SPEAKER: ARMENIA CANNOT REPLACE NAGORNO KARABAKH

Aysor
July 14 2010
Armenia

Armenian National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan in his speech
at the European Parliament (EP) spoke about two issues of pivotal
significance for stability, long-term peace and cooperation in our
region, specifically, Nagorno Karabakh settlement and Armenia-Turkey
normalization.

“The Nagorno Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement is of vital
importance. The issue has a resolution, specifically, on the basis of
principles of international law stipulated by OSCE Helsinki Final Act
– territorial integrity, nations’ self-determination, and non-use of
force,” Mr. Abrahamyan said adding: “Unfortunately, Azerbaijan staying
loyal to its non-constructive policy continues the arms race at the
expense of its oil superprofit in the region violating all norms
established by the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE).

Azerbaijan’s leadership constantly makes bellicose statements by
sowing hostility towards Armenians in its society.”

The NA Speaker reminded that even on the threshold of negotiations of
regional cooperation Azerbaijan does not give up threats of undertaking
operations, and the military doctrine adopted by Azerbaijan lately
is another evidence of it.

“However, Azerbaijan’s policy posing danger for the whole region has
not been assessed by respective international instances so far,” Mr.
Abrahamyan stressed.

Mentioning that the Nagorno Karabakh problem “has many delicate sides”
the NA Speaker stated that “the Armenian side expects mostly unbiased
and balanced approaches” in the issue of adoption of public statements
and documents expressing positions.

“Therefore I have wrote to the President of the European Parliament in
connection with the resolution “On Necessity to Work out Strategy by
the European Union in the South Caucasus.” The resolution includes
non-correct formulations regarding Nagorno Karabakh since the
resolution author not having information about problem nuances has
never visited the region and never consulted with negotiation process
mediators – OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, specifically, representative
of European Union member France. That is why key facts regarding the
conflict settlement were disregarded:

– Nagorno Karabakh people’s right to self-determination cannot be
opposed to the principle of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity
since Nagorno Karabakh has never been part of either Azerbaijan
proclaiming independence in 1918 or current Azerbaijan being the
latter’s successor.

– Azerbaijan in response to the peaceful and legal process of exercise
of Nagorno Karabakh people’s right to self-determination used force and
made a large-scale war against Nagorno Karabakh people in 1991-1994,
and the situation in the conflict zone is the consequence of that war.

– Armenia represents Nagorno Karabakh Republic and protects its
interests since NKR is not recognized internationally yet, however,
Armenia cannot replace Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia cannot assume
commitments instead of Nagorno Karabakh on issues concerning NKR
vital interests. Therefore, recognition of Nagorno Karabakh as a
negotiating side by Azerbaijan will contribute to establishment of
efficient and complete negotiations,” NA Speaker said stressing that
disregard of these facts can have a negative impact on the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement process.

The NA Speaker said that the recent Azerbaijani provocation, in
which 5 Armenian and 1 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed, was not a
mere accident.

“I would like to mention that resolutions adopted by the European
Parliament have interesting ideas on mechanisms of further deepening
the relations between the South Caucasus and European Union,” Hovik
Abrahamyan concluded.

From: A. Papazian

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS PREPARING A PENTALATERAL MEETING OF FOREIGN MINISTERS IN ALMATY

Panorama
July 14 2010
Armenia

At the moment the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are preparing a
pentalateral meeting in the frames of the non-official meeting of
the OSCE Foreign Ministers due in Almaty July 16-17, Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandyan told reporters at a joint conference with
his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski in Yerevan today.

Note that earlier media reported about a pentalateral meeting between
French, Russian Foreign Ministers, the US Secretary of State, as well
as the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in Almaty.

“The Co-Chairs are trying to organize the meeting, though, it’s not
fixed yet,” the FM said.

“If such a meeting takes place, first we should find whether Azerbaijan
is ready to continue Nagorno-Karabakh settlement talks basing on
the latest version of Madrid principles presented at St. Petersburg
meeting, as agreed in Petersburg,” Minister Nalbandyan highlighted.

From: A. Papazian

TO BE PUBLISHED “A HISTORY OF MODERN IRAN” BY ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN

Iran Book News Agency
July 14 2010

“A history of modern Iran” by Ervand Abrahamian has been rendered into
Persian by Mohammad Ebrahim Fatahi and it is to be published by Ney.

IBNA: In a reappraisal of Iran’s modern history, Ervand Abrahamian
traces its traumatic journey across the twentieth century, through the
discovery of oil, imperial interventions, the rule of the Pahlavis and,
in 1979, revolution and the birth of the Islamic Republic.

In the intervening years, the country has experienced a bitter war with
Iraq, the expansion of the state and the struggle for power between
the old elites, the intelligentsia and the commercial middle class. The
author is a compassionate expositor. While he adroitly negotiates the
twists and turns of the country’s regional and international politics,
at the heart of his book are the people of Iran. It is to them and
their resilience that this book is dedicated, as Iran emerges at the
beginning of the twenty-first century as one of the most powerful
states in the Middle East.

Ervand Abrahamian is a historian of Middle Eastern and particularly
Iranian history. An Armenian born in Iran and raised in England,
he received his M.A. at Oxford University and his Ph.D. at Columbia
University. He teaches at the City University of New York (CUNY) where
he is Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College and the
CUNY Graduate Center. He has taught at Princeton University, New York
University and Oxford University. He is currently working on a book
about the 1953 Iranian coup d’état for Cambridge University Press.

A history of modern Iran” by Ervand Abrahamian has been rendered into
Persian by Mohammad Ebrahim Fatahi and it is to be published by Ney
in 352 pages.

From: A. Papazian

E. NALBANDIAN:PENTALATERAL MEETING IN ALMATY IS NOT ANNOUNCED YET

Aysor
July 14 2010
Armenia

“The Minsk Group co-chairs, in the frameworks of informal meeting of
the OSCE foreign ministers, are trying to prepare a five-sided meeting,
but it is not affirmed yet,” Edward Nalbandian informed today on the
joint press conference with Polish FM Radoslav Sikorski.

“If such a meeting takes place we first of all should find out
whether Azerbaijan is ready to continue the talks on Karabakh conflict
settlement based on the last version of Madrid principles presented in
St. Petersburg, on which we reached an agreement in St. Petersburg,”
added the Minister.

By the request of the journalists E. Nalbandian touching also upon
the Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar Mamedyarov’s statement that on
the meeting of Almaty Qelbajar and Lachin issues will be discussed,
said that “to all other imaginaries the Armenian deputy minister has
already answered.”

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN’S INITIATIVE IN UN TO DAMAGE NEGOTIATION PROCESS

Aysor
July 14 2010
Armenia

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan at a joint press
conference with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski touched upon
Azerbaijan’s regular initiative of passing a resolution on Nagorno
Karabakh settlement at UN General Assembly.

“That initiative will only damage the Nagorno Karabakh negotiation
process. I think the countries supporting the negotiation process
also hold this opinion,” Mr. Nalbandyan said.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN SIDE SHOULD HAVE REJECTED ‘ILLUSIONS AND POLITICAL HALLUCINATIONS’

news.az
July 14 2010
Azerbaijan

Fikret Sadikhov Azerbaijani political scientist Fikret Sadikhov
has commented on the opinion of Armenian political scientist Stepan
Grigoryan.

‘No doubt that the interest to the Karabakh conflict is connected
with definite hopes that appeared during the negotiation process that
continues for already many years. We have witnessed a hopeful statement
on the conflict from the heads of leading countries-United States,
Russia and France- in Toronto at the summit of G8 during which a thesis
on inviolability of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the
need to withdraw Armenian troops from all the occupied Azerbaijani
lands was voiced clearly.

US Secretary of State Clinton who visited Azerbaijan in early July also
confirmed the principle of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. On
this background a number of sentences voiced by Armenian expert
Grigoryan causes bewilderment.

For example, he is satisfied with the fact that ‘the conflict parties
hold talks though hard and ineffective instead of fighting’.

Naturally, no one in Azerbaijan is against the talks. But it seems
that a part of Armenian political scientists believe in the permanence
of these ‘ineffective’ talks and preservation of status quo. It is
unclear whether Grigoryan remembers that the talks have already been
held for about 20 years. How long does he think they must continue
to yield fruits?

Does anyone in Armenia consider that thus it is possible to make
official Baku recognize Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state
formation? Throughout these years the Armenian side should have
rejected illusions and political hallucinations.

As for a special position taken by Armenia during August events of
2008, Grigoryan speaks of, I have never noticed the firm position of
Armenia on events in Georgia, which cannot be attributed to Azerbaijan
that declared support for the territorial integrity of Georgia in
clear since the beginning, he said.

From: A. Papazian

POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER: ARMENIA IS PRAGMATIC WITH TURKEY

Aysor
July 14 2010
Armenia

Armenia is pragmatic in Armenia-Turkey normalization process. Polish
Foreign Minister RadosÅ~Baw Sikorski declared at a joint press
conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan today
in Yerevan.

“I want to welcome the fact that Armenia has a very pragmatic approach
on the way of Armenia-Turkey normalization,” Minister said.

RadosÅ~Baw Sikorski also touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh settlement
saying that Poland will do its utmost for problem peaceful resolution.

“As you know, Poland is also a link with OSCE and will do its utmost
for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict to be solved peacefully,” Mr.
Sikorski said.

From: A. Papazian