Author: Andres-Papazian

GEORGIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN FLATTERING THE TURKISH-AZERBAIJANI TANDEM TO THE PREJUDICE OF ARMENIA
Karen Ghazaryan

“Radiolur”
17:45 26.10.2012

The Turkish-Azerbaijani factor has strengthened as a result of the
policy the Georgian authorities have been conducting over the past
years, President of the Javakhk Compatriotic Union, MP Shirak Torosyan
told a press conference today. According to him, these steps do not
stem from Georgia’s interests in the long-term perspective.

Expert of Turkish studies Hakob Chaktyan said, in turn, that Georgia
has always been flattering the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem to the
prejudice of Armenia.

Both speakers are confident that the strengthening of the
Turkish-Azerbaijani factor in Georgia has a certain limit, which
the authorities will not cross, and this is clear to both the new
authorities of Georgia and the superpowers, which have interests in
the region.

Shirak Torosyan does not insist that the Georgian-Azerbaijani relations
are on a very high level. According to him, there are many factors
hindering the development of those relations. Hakob Chakryan noted,
in turn, that the three countries do not agree on all issues.

President of the Javakhk Compatriotic Union says global political
and economic interests make the Georgian and Azerbaijani authorities
ignore all kind of controversies and give preference to regional and
geopolitical factors.

This policy produced practical results, including the construction
of the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline and
other projects that would cost cheaper, if constructed through the
territory of Armenia.

The same applies to Georgian-Turkish relations. As a result of
Georgia’s policy, the Turkish factor strengthened in the country.

According to MP Shirak Torosyan, this policy of Saakashvili’s regime
derives from the current situation and contradicts Georgia’s interests
in the long run. He noted that throughout the election campaign the
“Georgian Dream” opposition bloc was promising the people to weaken
the Turkish factor in the country. The current policy will show to
what extent this will be realized.

From: A. Papazian

PM SARGSYAN DEFENDS TURNING MFA BUILDING INTO HOTEL

Business | 25.10.12 | 13:55

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has defended the recent
decision to sell a government building now housing the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs for a private investor to turn it into a hotel.

He said the matter concerning the building in central Republic Square
was first discussed two years as part of general reconstruction in
the center of Yerevan.

“It is rational to have another posh hotel in Republic Square,”
Sargsyan told media on Wednesday. “There is always a shortage of
hotels when more than two international events are taking place in
Yerevan at the same time. And five-star hotels in the city center
are the best places for investors.”

The Armenian prime minister said Argentinean-Armenian businessman
Eduardo Eurnekian had made a “beneficial proposal” for the state.

“The bargain was of bilateral benefit and it will be purposeful to
have another high-class hotel in the Square,” he said, stressing that
there will be no architectural changes in the building.

From: A. Papazian

WHY GEORGIA MATTERS

October 25, 2012 1:28 pm

By Edmond Y. Azadian

While Azerbaijani dynastic rule continues its repressive policies
against the opposition and while Armenia is engaged in a witchhunt and
the decimation of the opposition in preparation for the forthcoming
presidential election, Georgia has been moving credibly towards
democratic rule, as a role model in the Caucasus region.

Mikhail Saakashvili’s United National Movement, which swept to
power in 2003 through the Rose Revolution, acceded defeat to Bidzina
Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream Coalition, in the last parliamentary
election held on October 2. As Ivanishvili forms his cabinet as the
new prime minister, Georgia enters into an era of cohabitation between
the ruling Georgian Dream and Saakashvili’s team, who will continue
his term as president for another year.

A very familiar political setup in Europe, but it is a novel experiment
for the nations, which gained independence after the collapse of the
Soviet Union.

During his nine-year reign, Saakashvili transformed Georgia at a
rapid pace, with the help of the West. He virtually ended corruption,
reintroduced the rule of law and reformed the economy by moving
towards prosperity. The West invested $10 billion to turn Georgia
into a showcase, to demonstrate to the other nations in the region
that siding with the West has its tangible rewards. Russia did not
learn the lesson to emulate Western approaches in the region. Moscow
instead hardened its grip on Armenia’s economy without sensitivity
to the economic polarization in the country, helping the rich to get
richer and driving the rest of the population to destitution.

But in Georgia, Saakashvili’s reforms were achieved at a stiff cost
domestically and regionally. Indeed, his hostile policies with regards
to Moscow resulted in territorial amputation; during a 2008 war with
Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia were snatched from Georgia, most
probably forever.

Georgian rulers, including former leaders Shevardnadze and
Gamsakhurdia, have been insensitive towards the ethnic makeup of their
country, conducting a xenophobic policy against them. The new emerging
ruler Ivanishvili does not seem to be any different, as one of his
first pronouncements was directed towards Armenians. He is reported
to have said, “Why do ethnic Armenians live in Georgia when their own
homeland is next door?” The statement demonstrates an obscene level of
insensitivity towards history; most of the Armenians living in Georgia,
except for those in the capital Tbilisi, have been in Georgia because
portions of historic Armenian territories were incorporated into that
country during the murky years of 1918-1920. If Javakhk Armenians one
day decide to leave Georgia, they have to move their native land to
Armenia as well.

Domestically, Saakashvili’s fall came as a consequence of his
zero-tolerance policy, which sent minor offenders to jail for
unusually long terms. A video of prison tortures was released at the
most convenient political period before the parliamentary elections.

The video undermined the president’s tough policies. That, coupled with
his fallout with the spiritual leader of Georgia, Patriarch Ilia II,
brought about the demise of Saakashvili’s regime.

The Patriarch wields a very strong political influence in the country.

He also symbolizes Georgian nationalism. In his haste to reform the
country and to please his patrons in the West, Saakashvili passed
legislature to recognize the legal existence of other religious
denominations in the country, especially giving equal rights to the
Armenian Church, which touched a raw nerve in Georgia. Particularly,
it irritated the Patriarch, who was already enjoying the lavish
contributions of the billionaire tycoon Ivanishvili. The Patriarch
influenced the electorate to side with the rising opposition. From
now on, no political leader can ignore the Patriarch’s power in
the country.

Unfortunately, the Armenian Church and the Catholicos do not enjoy
similar clout in Armenia, courtesy of the opposition and Mr. Levon
Ter-Petrosian, who insulted the Catholicos and his docile press
unleashed an indecent campaign against him.

The new leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili, is an enigmatic figure, a
reclusive billionaire, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes to
be $6.7 billion, mostly from business dealings in Russia. He has
no record of earlier political involvement and his rash political
pronouncements are blamed on his inexperience. Upon his victory,
he called for Saakashvili’s resignation before his term is up. That
alarmed capitals in the West. He has retracted his statement since;
he has also retracted his statement about the Armenians, which some
political observers attribute to Javakhk Armenian voting patterns
favoring Saakashvili’s party out of fear of reprisals.

His political credo seems simple and simplistic: “It is Europe,
Euro-Atlantic integration and NATO. There is no substitution,” he
said in a recent interview. In the same breath, he plans to improve
relations with Russia. These two are mutually exclusive propositions,
which can lead nowhere, as NATO’s advances in the Caucasus are anathema
for the Kremlin.

Armenia and Georgia are strange bedfellows. Christian Georgia has
always sided with Turkey and Azerbaijan in UN votes. Tbilisi’s
government has also cooperated with Baku and Ankara in isolating
Armenia politically, economically and militarily by building pipelines
for energy transportation and rail infrastructure in the Caucasus by
bypassing Armenia.

Yet, Georgia remains our main trade route with the outside world as
the US continues its sanctions against Iran, rendering Armenian-Iranian
relations into a risky political business.

Georgia’s ruptured relations with Russia continue to affect Armenia’s
relations with Moscow, Armenia’s strategic partner. Any improvement
between Moscow and Tbilisi will impact favorably on Armenia’s relations
with the outside world.

Of course, we should not pin our hopes for an early easing of tensions
in the lives of Armenians in Georgia. With the Patriarch fanning the
flames of nationalism to continue holding Armenian churches hostage
and the repressive measures against Javakhk

Armenians, the immediate future does not seem promising.

Mr. Ivanishvili’s reckless statement about Armenian presence in
Georgia can only aggravate the plight of Armenians in Georgia. Sooner
or later, the Georgians will realize that the friendship with Turkey
and Azerbaijan will contribute to the demise of the Christians in
the region.

Turkey, by giving a contemporary spin to it historic rivalry with
Iran, is actually not contributing to the West’s interests. Using
the West’s interests as a cover, Turkey and Azerbaijan are trying
to revive the old dreams of Pan-Touranism, extending Turkey’s power
to Central Asia. At that time, Armenia will be at risk as well as
Georgia. Souring relations at the point will be too late for Georgia.

Our love-hate relations with Georgia have to be addressed through a
policy of political realism.

That is why Georgia matters.

From: A. Papazian

OBVIOUS AND INCREDIBLE THINGS AZERBAIJAN DOES NOT WANT TO NOTICE THE OBJECTIVE PROCESSES ONGOING IN THE WORLD

Wednesday, 24 October 2012 14:22

On October 15, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Scotland’s
First Minister Alex Salmond signed an agreement defining the terms
of a referendum on the secession of Scotland from the United Kingdom.

The document known as the “Edinburgh agreement” provides a referendum
in the fall of 2014, in which the Scotch will vote “for” or “against”
their independence.

This political event, though very important, can hardly be regarded
as sensational. The issue of Scotland’s secession from the UK has
repeatedly risen, and the objective development of the process had
to lead logically to what happened in this mid-October. However, it
should be noted that the result of the future referendum doesn’t seems
predetermined yet, as it isn’t a fact that it will certainly result
in an act of secession of Scotland. The matter is that, according
to opinion polls, today only 28% of the Scotch support the idea of
independence and 53% oppose it.

We’ll know the real results of the referendum only after two years. In
any case, the decision of the referendum will have major political
significance for the future of both the United Kingdom and Scotland.

And for us – in the context of the Karabakh conflict settlement –
just the fact of an agreement between London and Edinburgh on the
conduct of such a plebiscite is no less important. When similar things
happen in the world, relating, in particular, to the proclamation
and recognition of a new state, we project them voluntarily or not
to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh relations.

It is important to note that the Edinburgh agreement reflects the
trends of the modern world development and totally fits in with today’s
process of formation of new states. If we take the same Europe, the
issue of independence of Flanders from Belgium and Catalonia from
Spain is considered. Canada has held referendums on the secession of
francophone province of Quebec. Last year, a new state of South Sudan
and earlier – Kosovo appeared on the political map of the world. I must
say, the motives of aspirations for independence are different – from
political to economic, but they are based on the desire to determine
their own future and to take full charge of their own destiny.

But, let’s recall the Edinburgh agreement. The first thing that catches
your eye is London’s respect of the Scottish people’s will. “I was
always ready to express my respect to the people of Scotland: they
voted at the elections for the party that wanted to hold a referendum,
and I made the referendum a reality”, said David Cameron in an
interview to BBC immediately after signing the agreement. In turn,
Alex Salmond noted that both parties to the agreement had pledged to
respect the result of the referendum, regardless of its outcome.

Agree that such a consensus between the political opponents on the will
of the people in the context of the relations between Nagorno-Karabakh
and Azerbaijan seems merely incredible. Azerbaijan did not display any
respect to the will of the Artsakh people expressed at the referendum
for independence and unleashed large-scale aggression to destroy the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Even today, after more than twenty years of
independent existence of the NKR, Azerbaijan is not going to notice the
objective processes taking place in the world and to give up its cave
psychology. Moreover, Baku considers the geopolitical shifts caused
by the tendencies of formation of new independent states as a threat
to its own expansionist policy. It is obvious that these processes
cannot bypass Nagorno-Karabakh. Let us recall the recent resolutions
of the U.S. states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts calling on the
U.S. President and Congress to recognize the independence of the NKR.

All this cannot but worry the Government of Azerbaijan, which is
afraid of possible international recognition of the NKR as of death.

Hence is the nervousness and even hysterical behavior of President
Aliyev who, in early October, again defying the historical truth and
reality, stated that “Nagorno Karabakh is an ancient Azerbaijani land
and it will be fully integrated into the state of Azerbaijan as the
land of Azerbaijan”. In medicine, such behavior is called paranoia, so
it is senseless to call on Aliyev to follow the example of the British
Prime Minister and to respect the choice of the people. But, it is
worth to quote member of the U.S. House of Representatives Adam Schiff
and to address the quotation rather to the international mediators
in the process of the Karabakh conflict settlement than to Aliyev:
“It is unacceptable that the people of Artsakh – mainly Armenians and
Christians – find themselves in Aliyev’s hands. Glorifying a murderer,
he and his people have shown their true nature and have provided
convincing arguments for faster recognition of the independence
of Artsakh”.

Leonid MARTIROSSIAN Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper

From: A. Papazian

“ARTSAKH. GARDEN OF ARMENIAN CULTURE AND TRADITIONS” BOOK PRESENTED IN GERMAN STUTTGART

ARMENPRESS
OCTOBER 25, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS: The presentation of the book titled
“Artsakh. Garden of Armenian culture and traditions” took place in
Stuttgart the capital of the state of Baden-Wurttemberg in southern
Germany in the framework of “Days of Armenian culture” on the
initiation of local Armenian community.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of NKR MFA, German
historian, Dr. Peter Halfter was the main speaker of the event. He
presented the most interesting and dramatic episodes of Artsakh
history, Tsitsernavank, Amaras, Gandzasar, Dadivank historical and
architectural monuments and especially highlighted the importance of
excavations in Tigranakert.

At the end of the presentation Dr. Peter Halfter referred to the
process of negotiation on the peaceful settlement of Artsakh and
Azerbaijani conflict and Haroutyun Grigorian representative of NKR
in Germany answered to the questions of the presents.

From: A. Papazian

NEW CLASHES IN ALEPPO: THE REBELS ATTEMPTED TO PENETRATE INTO SEVERAL ARMENIAN DISTRICTS

ARMENPRESS
OCTOBER 25, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Contrary to the peaceful situation
in Aleppo lasting already several days today a heavy shooting was
heard in the morning. Spokesman of the National Primacy of Aleppo
Jirayr Reisyan said this in a conversation with “Armenpress” adding
that the rebels attempted to penetrate into several districts, where
a lot of Armenians live. Reisyan also added that even now one can
hear shooting, but there is no information about the damage or human
casualties. The Army does its best to repulse the rebels.

Talking about the clashes in Ashrafie district Reisyan said that there
are few Armenians living there and that one of the most peaceful
districts is now engaged in violent clashes. As to the New Village
district, then the most dangerous there are snipers, but fortunately
there are no casualties yet.

The humanitarian aid from Armenia to Syria is still in the airport
and they are doing everything to take it out of there.

Reisyan informed us that for the security reasons all the schools of
the Armenian National Primacy are still closed. But some schools are
still partially working.

The Armenians from Damascus informed “Armenpress” that the situation
in the central districts of the capital is calm. But everything in
the city is under the strict surveillance, all vehicles are being
searched. In the far districts of Damascus the situation is tense,
although nothing extraordinary happened yet.

Facebook profile of “Aleppo News Network” says that the rebels were
forced to go back to the French hospital from Sryan district. There
are snipers settled inside the buildings of Ashrafie district.

The clashes in Syria lasting more than 18 months caused the death of
30,000 men, including four dozens of Armenians.

From: A. Papazian

THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE CARRIED OUT THE GENOCIDE AND THE GERMAN SIDE PROVIDED THE IDEOLOGICAL SUPPORT: TURKISH COLUMNIST

16:38, 25 October, 2012

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The Turkish society and intellectuals
do not stop talking about the photograph published in British the
Independent by Robert Fisk, where are depicted Turkish and German
soldiers proudly standing by the human skulls.

As reports “Armenpress” columnist of Turkish Radikal review Ezgi
Basaran talked about this photograph published in the British magazine
and focused on the events of the Armenian Genocide in 1915. Basaran
mentioned that the participation of the German side in the Genocide
must still be examined.

The Turkish columnist writes: “My viewpoint on this question is clear.

The Germans could prevent the Genocide, as the Turkish army was in the
orbit of influence of Germany in that period. Turkish Ottoman Empire
initiated the Genocide and the German side provided the ideological
support.”

The author of the article in the Independent Robert Fisk mentioned
that this photograph, which has never been published before, can
be probably dated to the summer of 1915. The Independent writes the
following about the photograph: “Human skulls are scattered over the
earth. They are all that remain of a handful of Armenians slaughtered
by the Ottoman Turks during the First World War. Behind the skulls,
posing for the camera, are three Turkish officers in tall. But the
two other men are Germans, both dressed in the military flat caps,
belts and tunics of the Kaiserreichsheer, the Imperial German Army. And
another man is standing on the far right, who is dressed in Kurdish
clothes. It is an atrocity snapshot – just like those pictures the
Nazis took of their soldiers posing before Jewish Holocaust victims
a quarter of a century later.”

Viewed 297 times

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN EDITION OF BOURNOUTIAN’S ‘CONCISE HISTORY’ PUBLISHED

Armenian Weekly
October 25, 2012

Before the publication of A History of the Armenian People, a
two-volume set commissioned by the AGBU from 1993-94, teachers
in the U.S. and abroad were hard-pressed to find a comprehensive
text on Armenian history. With his seminal treatise, scholar George
Bournoutian quickly changed that. Today, the text-a sweeping account
that ranges from ancient times to present-day-is required classroom
reading. Updated and redistributed in 2002 as a single volume,
A Concise History of the Armenian Peoplehas been reprinted in five
different editions, numbering 20,000 copies in four languages, Arabic,
English, Spanish, and Turkish. Now, Bournoutian is celebrating the
release of the book’s newest translation: the much-anticipated Armenian
version made possible by AGBU. The translation, which was funded by
the AGBU Cleveland Chapter, was done by Artsvi Bakhchinyan in Yerevan.

Armenian Edition of Bournoutian’s ‘Concise History’ Published On
Wed., Sept. 19, Bournoutian debuted his latest work at the AGBU
Armenia Representation Office in Yerevan among dozens of academics,
professionals, and students. The diverse crowd included visitors
from Japan, who are looking forward to the upcoming release of the
Japanese edition. Before signing their copies, Bournoutian took
the audience through each step of his research process, pointing
to the book’s various documents and maps that fill its some 500
pages. He described the inspiration for the ambitious text-to create
a resource on Armenian culture and history that would be accessible
to all readers, Armenian and non-Armenian alike. By the mid-1990’s,
he had achieved that goal; the original book had been reissued three
times, putting it out of print. That, as Bournoutian described at
the event, and the region’s changing political landscape, prompted
him to revisit the project. The new edition combined two volumes,
tracing centuries of Armenians’ struggles and contributions worldwide,
while at the same time placing them in a modern context.

In addition to the AGBU event, Bournoutian was invited to the American
University of Armenia (AUA), where he presented his most recent work,
The 1823 Russian Survey of the Karabakh Province: A Primary Source on
the Demography and Economy of Karabakh in the Early 19th Century. For
Bournoutian, who has organized and taught the very first Armenian
history courses at the University of Connecticut, Glendale Community
College, New York University, Ramapo College, Rutgers University,
and Tufts University, such speaking engagements help ensure that the
story of the Armenian people is told and heard around the world.

Dr. George Bournoutian is a professor of Eastern European and
Middle Eastern history at Iona College, and a recipient of the IREX,
NDEA, and Mellow Fellowship awards. He has taught at the California
State University at Fresno, University of California, Los Angeles,
and Columbia University, and has authored dozens of articles and
publications on Armenian history.

Established in 1906, AGBU is the world’s largest non-profit Armenian
organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and
promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational,
cultural, and humanitarian programs, annually touching the lives of
some 400,000 Armenians around the world.

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs,

From: A. Papazian

YEREVAN MUNICIPALITY DOING PRECIOUS LITTLE TO HALT ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION

hetq
13:19, October 26, 2012

Citing yesterday’s collapse of a building under construction in
Yerevan’s Ring Park as yet further proof of the municipality’s policy
of allowing urban development to run amuck in the Armenian capital,
destroying the architectural fabric of the city, a group of civic
groups have singled out past and current officials as directly
complicit in the process.

The groups state that former Yerevan mayors Yervand Zakharyan,
Gagik Beglaryan and Karen Karapetyan, along with current mayor Taron
Margaryan, have permitted such illegal construction and have little
understanding of what rational urban planning entails.

The civic groups point to yesterday’s collapse of an illegal building
as a prime example of such negligence and indifference.

The Yerevan Municipality’s Press Office has since stated that the
developers of the building in question had been fined 2 million AMD.

The fine was paid and construction continued.

The groups argue that the municipality appears more interested in
collecting fines than implementing practical steps to enforce the
laws on the books.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN FM TO DISCUSS SAFAROV CASE WITH AZERBAIJANI COUNTERPART – ANALYST

news.am
October 26, 2012 | 05:46

A serious progress cannot be expected from the upcoming meeting between
the Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs-namely, Edward Nalbandian and Elmar
Mammadyarov-with respect to settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
because this meeting is aimed at ensuring dialogue, political scientist
Alexander Markarov told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In his words, after Ramil Safarov’s release Azerbaijan was considering
it probable that Armenia would withdraw from the negotiation process,
but this did not happen. “The Armenian party yet again will present
its position in connection with Safarov’s extradition and [subsequent]
pardon,” the analyst said.

Markarov noted that during their meeting both FMs will discuss the
preparation of the fundamental principles for the resolution of the
Karabakh question. As per the political scientist, other developments
and discussions are not expected.

From: A. Papazian