Author: Antonian Lara

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Nov 29 2008

Western Hypocrisy on Armenian Issue

by Mehmet Kamis

The Armenian issue has always been used by the West as a problem that
is kept shelved and repeatedly brought to the agenda when the time is
right for Western interests.

The West treats this issue as a vehicle for cornering Turkey and
making it do whatever they want it to do.

After they obtain what they seek from Turkey, they shelve it again
only to put it to use once again when it is needed. They do whatever
is needed to prevent Turks and Armenians from becoming friendly
again. Indeed, Armenians started to concentrate on Turkey’s forced
migration and make a blood feud out of it after they migrated to
Western countries, didn’t they? Those who have created animosity and
hatred between Armenians and Turks, who had been living peacefully for
a thousand years, have used this issue for their own interests. This
is most successfully done by France. It uses the genocide claims like
the sword of Damocles against Turkey. Recently, the US, too, has
repeatedly used a bill on Armenian genocide as leverage while
bargaining with Turkey.

After President Abdullah Gul went to Yerevan to watch the match
between the national teams of Armenia and Turkey, Turkish-Armenians
relations entered a period of thawing, and the second stage of this
period started when Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian came
to Istanbul. While he came for another purpose, this visit has made
significant contributions to the improvement of relations between the
two countries. Speaking to Today’s Zaman, Nalbandian even said they
were optimistic about the commission of historians proposed by Turkey
to investigate into the forced migration of Armenians. Now, it is said
that Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan is expected to visit Turkey in
response to Gul’s visit. Most likely, Sarksyan will come to Turkey to
watch the match between Turkish and Armenian national teams in 2009.

In this process of rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia, a strange
statement was made by the Vatican. The timing of the statement was
considerably striking. Cardinal Walter Kasper, chairman of the Papal
Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, said that "the Armenian
genocide was true" when Nalbandian was visiting Turkey. Speaking to
the Vatican radio ahead of a visit by several Armenian clerics to Pope
Benedict XVI, Kasper said, "Genocide is not an allegation, but is a
reality." Moreover, he indicated that the pope had used the term
genocide as well. What Kasper was trying to say was obvious. He was
telling Armenians, "Do not forget 1915 and the hatred we
manufactured."

After 1915, we saw World War I and World War II. The Germans killed
millions of Frenchmen while millions of Germans were killed by the
French and the British. The various sides of World War II, in which
about 40 million people died, soon forgot what had happened and became
allies. On the other hand, our conflicts are growing in size each day
and wearing ourselves out. Whenever we tend to forget about our past
issues, some people pop out to remind us of them.

One thing is certain: it is never the Armenian side which benefits
from this hatred and animosity. Armenia is an Eastern Christian
nation. They must be aware of the fact that big Christian states have
been using them for 100 years. The countries that incited them against
the Ottoman Empire in the 1900s are not reaping what they have sown
against Turkey. But, Armenians gain nothing from this.

So many things happened in the early 1900s. Armenians killed many
civilian Turks seeing the recruitment of many male Turks into the army
as an opportunity. In a rare measure, the Ottoman Empire forced them
to migrate to other places. During this migration, many Armenians
died. Such incidents had happened many times since the creation of the
Earth. For example, hundreds of thousands of innocent people were
killed in Iraq during the last several years. If a record of such
events had been kept throughout history, no nation could remain
unashamed towards another nation, and there would be nothing but
hatred on earth. How many years can a nation live with feelings of
revenge? Moreover, can revenge amend things? It will do nothing but
produce new causes for revenge.

The FINANCIAL, Georgia
Nov 28 2008

EBRD Board Directors to visit Georgia and Armenia
28/11/2008 15:22

The FINANCIAL — Representatives of the shareholders of the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development are arriving in Tbilisi on
December 1 for a five-day visit to Georgia and Armenia.

During their visits, the EBRD Board Directors will meet with
government representatives, members of the diplomatic and business
communities and representatives of civil society. They will also have
the opportunity to visit EBRD projects in both countries.

Representatives of the Board in the delegation will be Alain de
Cointet, representing France; Carole Garnier, representing the
European Community; Ib Katznelson, representing Denmark, Ireland,
Lithuania, and FYR Macedonia; David Martinez Hornillos, representing
Spain and Mexico; Kalin Mitrev, representing Bulgaria, Poland and
Albania; Hans Sprokkreeff, representing the Netherlands and Mongolia;
Joao Cravinho, representing Portugal and Greece; and Igor Podoliev,
representing Ukraine , Romania, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia. During
their visit, the Board Directors will be accompanied by Michael Davey,
EBRD Director for the Caucasus and Belarus.

In Georgia, the Board Directors will meet government representatives
headed by Finance Minister Nika Gilauri, who is also the EBRD Governor
for his country. In Armenia, where the EBRD delegation will start its
mission on Thursday, meetings have been scheduled with President Serge
Sargsian, Prime Minister Nerses Yeritsyan and Minister of Finance and
EBRD Governor Tigran Davtyan.

The EBRD has significantly increased its activities in Georgia and
Armenia in recent years and invested more than $400 million in Georgia
and almost ??¬200 million in Armenia in all sectors of the
economy. Both countries are part of the Early Transition Countries
Initiative, launched in April 2004, which is using a streamlined
approach to financing to mobilise investment and encourage economic
reform.

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
for Justice and Democracy

Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel/ Fax: +32 2 732 70 27/26
Website :Eafjd

—————————————— ——————————-

PRESS RELEASE
Saturday 29 November 2008
Contact : Varténie ECHO
Tel. / Fax. : +32 (0) 2 732 70 27

CALL : WORKSHOP OF ORGANISATIONS AGAINST GENOCIDE DENIAL TO BE HELD IN
BRUSSELS

An EU Framework Decision adopted yesterday will ban denial in Europe

The European Armenian Federation invites all the organisations working
against genocide denial ` associations of genocide victims’
descendants, associations of Human Rights and associations fighting
against racism, xenophobia and denial ` to a workshop that will be held
in Brussels, at the beginning of 2009. This meeting will aim to prepare
the implementation of the EU Framework Decision against Racism and
Xenophobia in the laws of the EU member States. Experts of the European
Commission and political leaders of the European Parliament will also
take part to the meeting.

The Framework Decision against Racism and Xenophobia gives a
legislative framework to harmonise the penal laws of the member States
in the area of racism and xenophobia with a special focus on genocide
denial. A political agreement has been reached about this Decision and
it was formally adopted this20Friday 27 November by the European Council.

However, the Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, France and Poland
stated some restrictive remarks.

From now on, the member States have to transpose this Framework
Decision in the national laws in a two years period. There is no
mandatory specification on the way with which they will have to
implement the Decision but they are bound to provide an effective
compliance to its provision: an individual who would be targeted by a
penal decision which would not comply to the Framework Decision could
then file a case in the Court of Justice of the European Communities.

Actually, when genocide deniers from foreign States are threatening
European citizens, it is crucial that the relevant organisations
mobilise to ensure that in each Member State an appropriate
implementation of the Framework Decision is made.

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy has
continuously worked with legal experts from the European institutions
to ensure the wording of this Framework Decision will effectively
penalise the genocides deniers.

The European Armenian Federation will communicate further details about
the workshop it will organise in Brussels.

Agence France Presse — English
November 27, 2008 Thursday 5:41 PM GMT

Armenia sees robust growth despite crisis, regional tensions

YEREVAN, Nov 27 2008

The Armenian parliament on Thursday approved a state budget that
forecasts only a small drop in economic growth despite the global
financial crisis and regional instability.

The budget forecasts economic growth of 9.2 percent in the ex-Soviet
republic next year, only slightly down from this year’s forecast 10
percent.

Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian told lawmakers the budget "gives
preference to macro-economic and financial stability, which will
strengthen our country’s immunity in conditions of economic crisis."

The budget puts revenues at 2.9 billion dollars (2.2 billion euros)
and expenditures at 3.1 billion dollars (2.3 billion euros). Social
spending will account for 47.2 percent of the budget while defense and
security will take 22.4 percent.

Inflation is forecast at four percent and the minimum monthly wage
will rise to 100 dollars (77 euros) per month as of January 1.

The budget was approved by a vote of 81-5.

Armenia’s economy, fuelled by its booming construction and service
sectors, grew 13.8 percent in 2007 after an average of 12.6 percent in
the previous three years.

Armenia’s recent growth comes despite it being landlocked, short of
natural resources and having fraught relations with two neighbouring
states.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have imposed economic embargoes and cut off
relations with Yerevan over its backing of ethnic Armenian separatists
in Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh.

Growth rates were expected to fall due to the global financial crisis
and aftershocks of the war in August between Russia and neighbouring
Georgia, which raised fears of instability in the region and disrupted
regional trade.

Armenia to become member of Eurasian Development Bank by the end of the
year

2008-11-28 13:24:00

ArmInfo. Armenia may become a member of Eurasian Development Bank by
the end of the current year, Deputy Energy and Natural Resources
Minister Iosif Isayan told ArmInfo correspondent.

He also added Armenian Constitutional Court has already discussed the
agreement on Armenia’s joining the bank and on 1 December the decision
will be directed to the parliament for ratification. He also said
Armenia’s joining Eurasian Development Bank is very much important as
the latter is an investment bank which finances various projects in the
CIS countries. Eurasian Development Bank is interested in Armenia in
the projects in the sphere of energy, transport and agriculture.

To note, Eurasian Development Bank with 1,5 bln dollars authorized
capital was founded in January 2006 on the basis of agreement between
the governments of Russia and Kazakhstan.

TURKISH, AZERI AND ARMENIAN FMS TO MEET IN HELSINKI?

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.11.2008 13:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish, Azeri and Armenian Foreign Ministers are
likely to come together during a meeting of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Helsinki scheduled for
December 4-5 to discuss the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement,
Turkish FM Ali Babacan was quoted by Hurriyet daily as saying.

"We have fixed progress in relations with Armenia," Babacan said.

Ali Babacan, Edward Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadyarov held their
first-ever trilateral meeting in New York in September.

Babacan confirmed late on Tuesday the decision to continue talks was
made during his meeting with Nalbandian.

U. S. REPUBLICAN PARTY LEADERS SELECTED

De Facto
Nov 26, 2008

YEREVAN, 26.11.08. DE FACTO. The House Republican Conference met
last week to select its leaders for the 111th Congress, reported the
Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA), a member of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues and a cosponsor of H.Res. 106, the Armenian
Genocide resolution, was elected to serve as Republican Whip. As the
second highest ranking person in Republican Leadership, Rep. Cantor is
responsible for mobilizing votes, coordinating strategy and acting as
a liaison between rank and file Members and the leadership. Minority
Whip Cantor replaces outgoing Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), who voted
against H.Res. 106 in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in
October of 2007.

Armenian Caucus Member and H.Res. 106 cosponsor, Representative
Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), will also serve in the House Republican
leadership. Rep. McCotter was re-elected as Chairman of the Republican
Policy Committee. In this role, McCotter will be responsible in
crafting winning policies that can help the Republicans regain control
of the House, which they lost in 2006. In addition to cosponsoring
H.Res. 106, McCotter also supported H..Res.102, honoring the life and
legacy of slain Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and calling
for the repeal of Article 301 of Turkey’s Penal Code that effectively
punishes discussion of the Armenian Genocide.

Representative Cathy McMorris (R-WA), cosponsor of the H.Res.106
and cosigner of the 2006 Armenian Genocide letter, will serve as
Republican Conference Vice-Chair.

Rounding out the other posts, Representative John Boehner (R-OH) won
re-election as Republican Leader and followed the Administration’s
opposition to H.Res. 106; Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), who voted against
H.Res.

106 in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, will serve as Republican
Conference Chairman; Rep. John Carter (R-TX) will be Republican
Conference Secretary and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) will serve as
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman.

"The new Congress and Administration will provide important
opportunities on a wide variety of issues. We look forward to working
with the incoming leadership, and in particular, Armenian Caucus
members and supporters Reps.

Cantor, McCotter and McMorris, especially as we gear up for our March
2009 Advocacy Conference," stated Bryan Ardouny, Executive Director
of the Assembly.

ANKARA ENGAGED IN POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT, ARA PAPIAN SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.11.2008 16:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia needs diplomatic relations with Turkey,
but Turkey needs them more, leader of Modus Vivendi center, historian
and diplomat Ara Papian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Ankara engaged in political advertisement and Yerevan helps this
process, according to him.

Yesterday, during a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian, Turkish FM Ali Babacan said Ankara could send an envoy
to Yerevan without establishment of diplomatic relations in exchange
for Armenia’s consent to form a commission of historians to study
the fact of the Armenian Genocide.

"It will be nothing but appointment of an ambassador at large. Armenia
has a representative in the BSEC, who can also be named an ambassador
at large," Mr. Papian said. "Establishment of diplomatic relations is
a means of communication. At that, Armenia favors Turkey’s ambitions
in the region, for some reason."

"Formation of a commission of historians to study the fact of the
Armenian Genocide is a condition Armenia can never accept. Consent will
mean that Armenia questions this historical fact. Yes, it will be good
to have an open border between Armenia and Turkey but we must never
forget that it was Turkey, who closed the border," Mr. Papian said.

AGREEMENT SIGNED ON PROVISION OF 10 MILLION DOLLAR CREDIT BY EBRD TO CONVERSE BANK

Noyan Tapan

Nov 25, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. An agreement on provision of a
10 million dollar credit to Converse Bank by the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was signed on November 25. The
agreement was signed by the Head of the EBRD Armenia Office Michael
Weinstein and the CEO of Converse Bank Ararat Ghukasian. Under
the agreement, the credit will be provided to Converse Bank in
two tranches, at market interest rates and for a three-year period
and will be spent on development of small and medium enterprises,
regardless of the Armenian region where the given enterprise is
located. Converse Bank will receive the first tranche in January 2009.

The Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) Arthur Javadian was
present at the signing ceremony. In his words, the Armenian banks
currently do not have any liquidity problems, and foreign credits
enable to protect the Armenian banks from the possible impact of the
global financial crisis.

According to A. Ghukasian, under the indicated credit program of EBRD,
Converse Bank will provide credits for a 4-year period, at an interest
rate of about 16% – depending on risks related to the borrower.

The CBA chairman said that the rumors that Armenian banks do not give
credits are not true. According to him, the total amount of crediting
grew by 50% this year as compared with last year. A. Ghukasian added
that Converse Bank will continue crediting with its own money, but
the attraction of external resources for this purpose will help meet
the developing economy’s growing demand for credits.

A. Javadian announced that the provision of consumer credits has been
reduced a bit because this type of crediting contains more risks as
compared with crediting of enterprises. Besides, new risks emerged
which makes banks more careful when choosing borrowers.

To recap, Converse Bank CJSC was founded in 1993. Its current
shareholders are Advanced Global Investments CJSC (95%), whose main
shareholder is Argentinean-Armenian businessman Eduardo Eurnekian,
and the Armenian Apostolic Church (5%). The bank has 25 branches in 13
Armenian cities and employs 500 people. As of October 31, 2008, the
bank’s overall capital amounted to 13 billion drams (more than 42.6
mln USD), its assets made 63.9 bln drams, liabilities – 50.9 bln drams.

DATA COLLECTING GROUP’S MESSAGE

Panorama.am
19:46 20/11/2008

The data collecting expert group, structured by the order of the
President of Armenia, made an announcement asking all the TV and
radio companies, mass media in Armenia and the citizens to provide
any information they have – records, video records, etc which could
have direct connection with March 1-2 events.

Address – 134A office, 19 M. Baghramyan av., 0095, Yerevan,
tel. 521385, fax 588469, e-mail [email protected].