Author: Babajanian Karo

CUBA, TURKEY AND THE UNBEARABLE FEELING OF LONELINESS

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Dec 20 2014

It takes courage to accept failure. U.S. President Barack Obama
has shown the world that he can learn from the facts and abandon
a long-failed policy – because U.S. policy toward Cuba has been a
disaster, a remnant of the 20th century. The president’s actions this
week set the stage: No more 20th century obstacles to U.S. policy
making. A country with unresolved issues from the last century cannot
lead in the present. Obama just showed that Americans have the courage
to lead again, and lead by example.

Turkey, meanwhile, is a country not only burdened with 20th century
problems, but also quite a few from the 19th century. Such a country
cannot be a regional anything. We urgently need to come to terms
with our own history and neighborhood. Yet we seem to be going the
opposite way. Not only are we not tackling these old problems, we
are creating new ones.

We used to complain in Turkey that the Americans were telling us to
mend fences with our neighbors rather than worrying about their own.

There are no direct flights to Cuba, after all, because Americans
weren’t allowed to travel there. In this age of constant connectivity,
American cellphones do not function on the island, as there is no
roaming agreement between the countries’ companies.

Now Obama has decided to pick up where his predecessors stopped nearly
half a century ago. Think about it: Every president since Kennedy has
chosen to continue the embargo that was supposed to bring Castro to
his knees. All the while, evidence was mounting against the policy.

Jimmy Carter, coming from an ideological place, wanted to restart
relations with Havana on the condition that it withdraws its troops
from Angola. Castro did not budge. Twenty years into the blockade,
isolation was by that point a badge of honor.

If there is another island similarly frozen in conflict, it surely is
Cyprus. The moment my plane touched down at Larnaca Airport, I got
the shudder of the feeling of being totally alone in this world. It
was because I knew I couldn’t do what is by now almost muscle memory –
turn on my cell phone to check my email. My phone with its Turkish SIM
card was useless on the southern, Greek side of the island, because
Turkey does not recognize it and therefore its telecom providers
cannot ink agreements with their Greek-Cypriot counterparts.

That is an uncomfortable feeling, since we are all now accustomed to
being constantly connected via the digital grid. The few adventurous
Americans who have gone to Cuba probably welcomed the opportunity
to unplug, and many describe with fondness the old cars and shoddy
roads as being akin to going back in time. Ask the Cubans though,
and you are likely to get a much different tone. There is a reason
why we are connecting our economies and cultures across borders. It’s
just a better way to live.

South Nicosia is not the only capital that Turks are not on talking
terms with. We officially recognized the Republic of Armenia in 1991,
but have still yet to establish normal diplomatic relations with it.

Relations with Tel Aviv have been all but cut, and now even Cairo
is on the list – we are just not talking to them, and they aren’t
sending us any cards either. I am not even counting Damascus –
that is a different story. In fact, the only capital in the Levant
where Turkey currently has an ambassador is Beirut. We also have an
ambassador-level appointment to Palestine, who stays in Jerusalem.

Why is our circle of resentful neighbors growing? Why are we at each
other’s throat? What can we do to stop that circle from widening?

Perhaps we need to change the way we engage them.

Remember the old joke: A man is happily driving on the highway when
an announcement comes on the radio: “Beware of the car on the highway
driving the wrong way.” The man is annoyed, he’s trying to concentrate
on the road. “Just one?” he thinks to himself. “They’re all going
the wrong way!”

December/20/2014

ANOUSH BAGHDASSARIAN SPREADS AWARENESS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE THROUGH DEBUT PLAY

December 22, 2014

Anoush Baghdassarian, 19, of Great Neck (New York), published her
first play “Found,” focusing on the impact of the Armenian genocide
when she was still a senior at Great Neck South High School.

Baghdassarian, now a college freshman, hopes her play can be used
as an educational tool in schools. (Credit: Anoush Baghdassarian)
Reported by newsday.com

Growing up in Great Neck, Anoush Baghdassarian spent her Sundays in
school at the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs in Bayside, reading
stories of her country and learning how her heritage has been shaped
over time.

“When I was young, in second, third grade, I was captivated by the
stories of our past, what makes my culture,” Baghdassarian, 19, said.

“I just wanted to learn more.”

REBETS: ARMENIA’S MEMBERSHIP IN EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION TO CREATE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR BUILDING UP FREIGHT TRAFFICT

YEREVAN, December 22. /ARKA/. Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian
Economic Union will create favorable conditions for building up freight
traffic, South Caucasus Railway CEO Viktor Rebets told journalists
on Monday.

It will spur economic activity as well as industrial growth and
exports and as a result, freight traffic will grow.

Rebets said that the country’s accession to the Eurasian Economic
Union will have no impacts on the company’s price policy.

In his words, the company shapes its price policy taking into account
market environment in Armenia, and approaches applied in other member
countries don’t impact the company’s price policy.

Rebets said.

On December 4, the Armenian National Assembly ratified the agreement
on Armenia’s accession to the union.

South Caucasus Railway, a subsidiary of Russian Railways, runs
Armenian Railway, which was handed over to the South Caucasus Railway
on February 13, 2008 for 30-year concession management with a right
to prolong the management term for other 10 years. ($1 – AMD 456.17).

–0—

BUSINESSES’ PRIVATE SUCCESS VITAL ALSO FOR ARMENIA’S ECONOMY – PRESIDENT

20:42 * 22.12.14

The Armenian president stressed the private sector’s role in the
country’s economy as he hosted representatives of the business
community on Monday.

Congratulating the businessmen on the coming New Year and Christmas
holidays, Serzh Sarsyan said he finds that the well-being of hundreds
and thousands Armenian citizens is linked also to the activities and
achievements of private enterprises.

He also addressed difficulties and uncertainties of the past year,
saying that they may also continue in 2015 due to unforeseen reasons
not depending on Armenia alone. But he emphasized the need of joint
efforts by the authorities and the business community for ensuring
maximum perfect results.

“In any state of the world and in any economy – such as the United
States and the common economy of the European Union – complications
and difficulties are always possible. In countries like ours such
complications and difficulties may occur more frequently. It is
extremely important here to avoid searching for culprits or putting
the laurels on our shoulders once the situation stabilizes a little,”
he said.

The president further spoke of economic developments. “I have to
note nonetheless that in my impression, Armenia’s business community
did not work badly in 2014 and managed, in major part, to overcome
the existing difficulties. Considering this context, where you have
worked, dear businessmen, considering the economic situation around
the globe, including Europe, Russia and our region, the year should
be considered effective,” Sargsyan added.

He then introduced the businessmen to the perspectives opening to the
country in light of new integration processes. “The new year brings
along new opportunities which are linked to Armenia’s membership
in the Eurasian Economic Union. But we are also aware that new
opportunities are simultaneously new challenges. I have no doubt that
our entrepreneurs are competitive and have serious things to say. So
they will voice their statements also inside that new economic union.

You can say that with your deeds, your effective work and new ideas,”
he president added.

Sargsyan said he feels that most of the plans outlined for next year
will have been accomplished by his 2015 end-of-year meeting with
businesspeople. “I wish all those realized dreams to bring welfare
to our people and state,” the Armenian leader said at the end.

AZERBAIJAN IN THE MIDDLE

WPS Agency, Russia
December 18, 2014 Thursday

by Gennadi Sysoyev
Source: Kommersant, No 230, December 18, 2014, p. 6

HOW OFFICIAL BAKU MANAGES TO REMAIN EQUIDISTANT FROM RUSSIA AND THE
WEST IN THEIR CONFRONTATION; An update on Azerbaijan. Its financial
independence enables Baku to promote a well-balanced foreign policy.

Deterioration of the confrontation between Russia and the West forces
other countries to choose sides. Azerbaijan is one of the few sovereign
states that retains everyone respect and remains equidistant from
both conflicting sides.

Official Baku itself calls its foreign policy “well-balanced”.

Azerbaijan backed the UN resolution that condemned absorption of the
Crimea by Russia. It all but forced Russia to abandon the Gabala radar
installation located on its territory. Azerbaijan is active in gas
and oil pipeline projects that bypass Russia. On the other hand, this
country denies Kosovo official recognition. It will have nothing to do
with the Nabucco project despite the efforts of the Western community
to involve Azerbaijan in it. Baku refuses to participate in the EU’s
Eastern Partnership program which Moscow views as openly anti-Russian.

Neither is Azerbaijan in a hurry to sign an agreement of association
with the European Union. Last but not the least, Azerbaijan adopted
NATO standards for its Armed Forces… but weapons for the army are
bought from Russia.

Faud Akhundov of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration said,
“Russia has no foreign partners more comfortable and easy-going
than Azerbaijan. The Russians keep badgering us to consider and
join the Eurasian Economic Union or even CIS Collective Security
Treaty Organization. What for? To maintain Armenia that occupies
Nagorno-Karabakh? Our relations with Russia are fine even without
membership in these structures.”

“Our policy is neither pro-America nor Pro-Turkey. It is
pro-Azerbaijan,” political scientist Mubariz Akhmedoglu said.

Practically all experts agree that it is financial independence that
enables official Baku to promote its well-balanced policy. The Oil
Trust is known to contain almost $37 billion, and the country’s gold
and hard currency reserves are estimated at $15 billion. All of that
is a considerable safety cushion.

“Azerbaijan can afford to pay its debts, both state debts and private
ones, and still retain over $30 billion,” to quote Jamal Pashayev of
Pasha Holding, one of Azerbaijan’s largest private companies. “It
means that we will be able to proceed with our projects even with
oil prices being as low as they currently are.”

[Translated from Russian]

Pashayev’s words indicate that changes in official Baku’s foreign
policy in the foreseeable future are unlikely.

INVESTIGATOR ABUSES HIS POWERS, DIRECTS WITNESS DURING INTERROGATION

11:32 | December 22,2014 | Official

In the course of the preliminary investigation reviewed in his
proceeding, the Investigator of Lori Regional Investigation
Administration of the Investigation Committee of the Republic of
Armenia, by using his official position contrary to the interests of
his service, out of other personal interests when interrogating the
witness to the case urged the latter to give testimonies about the
circumstances unfamiliar to the latter.

A criminal case was launched with regard to this case in the Special
Investigation Service as per the materials prepared on basis of the
report of the Prosecutor of Lori region in accordance with Part 1 of
Article 308 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.

A preliminary investigation is underway, the SIS Press Service reports.

HEAD OF NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE OF ARMENIA: NSS IS NOT GOING TO WATCH POWER CHANGE ATTEMPTS FROM THE SIDELINES

by Tatevik Shahunyan

ARMINFO
Monday, December 22, 10:42

In his statement dedicated to the professional holiday of the
National Security Service employees, Gorik Hakobyan, Head of the
National Security Service, urged some politicians to abstain from
irresponsible statements on forcible shift in power.

The National Security Service has told ArmInfo that Hakobyan recalls
the “unfortunate results of color revolutions leading to long-term
instability and a socio-economic crisis”.

Hakobyan says that Armenian people “have failed to avoid social
polarization, intolerance, malice and hatred”. “Immense efforts were
exerted to normalize the situation. However, some politicians have
failed to draw lessons and are trying to involve people in shady
undertaking again by their irresponsible statements calling for
forcible shift in power and rebellion”, said Hakobyan. He adds that
the National Security Service is not going to watch this from the
sidelines. He assures that the special services will take all measures
to prevent any unconstitutional attempts to destabilize the situation.

At the same time, he admits that constitutional expression of
discontent cannot be forbidden.

Hakobyan also points out possible involvement of Armenian Diaspora in
the opposition’s plans, formation of opposition headquarters abroad
and adds that this is fraught with “non-constructive consequences”.

“It is only the Armenia-Diaspora-Artsakh triunity that can help
Armenian people gain success. On the contrary, the “export” of domestic
political conflicts to the Armenian communities in foreign countries
may cause discord among Armenian people. It is the citizens of Armenia
that should resolve the domestic political problems, and the foreign
citizens, regardless of their nationality, have no right to interfere
in these problems”, says Hakobyan. He also expresses bewilderment at
some politicians’ attempts to get financial means from abroad.

WHAT IS KNOWN IN THE WORLD IS UNKNOWN IN BAKU

Saturday, 20 December 2014 16:05

For years and especially for the last few months, the Azerbaijani
authorities have been heavily criticized by international structures
for the unprecedented total violation of human rights and persecution
of dissenters. The U.S. State Department, the European Union, the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and a number
of international human rights organizations have repeatedly issued
statements condemning the actions of the Azerbaijani leadership on
suppressing the opponents of the ruling regime in Baku.

In particular, during the recent PACE debates on the situation of human
rights in Azerbaijan, it was stressed that all human rights activists,
who had cooperated with the Council of Europe, were behind bars.

And here is quite a fresh example – the statement issued a few
days ago by the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)
uniting dozens of NGOs in Europe. The statement condemns the mass
repressions of the Azerbaijani authorities against democratic and
human rights activists and public figures. “During the arrest, the
rights of political prisoners are grossly violated, they are tortured
and treated inhumanely”, this is just one quote from the document,
which contains a lot of tough and hard-hitting assessments. In its
statement, the coalition of European NGOs urges the Azerbaijani
authorities to immediately release all political prisoners, and the
international community calls to continue any forms of pressure on
the Azerbaijani Government to stop the crackdown on the civil society.

Azerbaijan has long been reputed to be a dictatorial state, the
President of which, intoxicated by the smell of oil and petrodollars,
imagines himself the undisputed idol. In these conditions, to hope that
official Baku will learn lessons from the international criticism and
will take corresponding steps to improve the situation with human
rights is, at least, naive. Moreover, those in Baku believe that
the matter isn’t at all the respect for human rights and it is the
subjective choice of Azerbaijan as a target, because its independent
policy allegedly worries seriously the anti-Azerbaijani forces in
the USA, which… have ties with the Armenian lobby. However, the
paradox is that Azerbaijan does not simply ignore the criticism. It
displays aggression against those who “dared” to criticize and demand
its respect for democratic principles and norms of a civilized society.

Even the USA has not escaped this fate. It has recently been listed
among the most stringent critics of Azerbaijan. The State Department
expressed concern about the growing restrictions in Azerbaijan in
relation to civil society activists, noting that the Government
did not comply with its international obligations in the field
of human rights. The reaction was immediate: the spokesman for
the Azerbaijani President regarded the statements of the State
Department and representatives of some international organizations
as “continuation of the biased campaign against Azerbaijan, which is
not based on any facts and realities”. Moreover, he actually accused
the State Department of lying, stating that “it presents false and
biased information to the international community”. Krylov’s fable
about the elephant and the pug is truly immortal…

It is obvious that the tone of Azerbaijan in the controversy with
its critics in the West has changed in the recent years, becoming, as
mentioned earlier, more aggressive. Most likely, this is due to both
the lack of any grave arguments in Baku justifying its dictatorial
actions and the fact that Azerbaijan was forgiven almost everything
for a long time, and being confident of its innocence and impunity,
it afforded a lot. As a result, the Azerbaijani authorities have
lost the sense of reality, admitting the possibility of attacks even
on authoritative international organizations. But, the Azerbaijani
authorities would change their own principles, if they didn’t connect
even the human rights situation in their country and the objective
criticism against them with the issue of Nagorno Karabakh.

As it turned out, representatives of the Azerbaijani authorities have
their own version of changing their tone towards the West. A few days
ago, the head of the Social and Political Issues Department of the
Azerbaijani President’s Administration, Ali Hasanov, gave an interview
to ANS TV channel, expressing resentment with almost the entire world.

“We have long tried to prove to the world that Armenia is an aggressor
and Azerbaijan was subjected to aggression. We believed that the world,
the Council of Europe, OSCE, NATO, and the United States did not know
about it. But after 10 years, we understood that they were well aware
of this. Why then no sanctions have beenimposed on the separatist
leaders of aggressive Armenia so far?”, complains the official. Then
heexpressively sums up, “Just due to all this, we started talking
with the West on its own language. We say if human rights are indeed
so valuable for these circles, then let them restore the basic civil
rights of one million people expelled from Nagorno-Karabakh”.

Hasanov’s imagination can paint anything, even a million of refugees
from Nagorno Karabakh, the Azerbaijani population of which even in
the Soviet period was no more than 40 thousand people. But, this is by
the way. As for the sanctions to curb the aggressor, what Hasanovsaid
is a pebble thrown to their own garden, because, deliberately or
undeliberately, he can say whatever he wants, but the facts testify
to the contrary. Namely, the violation of the rights of thousands and
thousands of people in Artsakh and unleashing a war against them is
real aggression. Following Hasanov’s rhetoric and paraphrasing it,
we can say that, apparently, the world, the Council of Europe, OSCE,
NATO, and the United States know about it.

Leonid MARTIROSSIAN

Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper

UN VILLAGEOIS ARMENIEN A ETE BLESSE PAR DES TIRS AZERBAIDJANAIS

ARMENIE

Selon le Ministère de la Defense, dans la nuit de 12 a 13 decembre,
la partie azerbaïdjanaise aurait tire de manière intense en direction
des villages frontaliers de la region du Tavouch. La partie armenienne
a ete contrainte de riposter pour faire taire les tirs azerbaïdjanais.

Un habitant du village Berkaber a ete blesse aux pieds.

Dans un entretien avec Lragir.am, le porte-parole du Ministère de
la Defense, Artsrun Hovhannisian, qualifie de >
la situation sur la frontière, cette tension n’etant pas > pour la partie armenienne. Selon le porte-parole,
l’Azerbaïdjan deplorerait plusieurs pertes au cours des derniers jours.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 15 decembre 2014

lundi 22 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com

L’AZERBAIDJAN A RESTITUE A L’ARMENIE UNE FAMILLE ARMENIENNE EN CAPTIVITE DEPUIS 4 ANS

ARMENIE

L’ensemble de la presse annonce qu’un couple armenien et leurs
trois enfants mineurs sont retournes en Armenie, vendredi dernier,
par l’intermediaire de la Croix rouge, après près de cinq ans de
captivite en Azerbaïdjan. Ils avaient fui l’Armenie de leur propre
gre en janvier 2010, le père de famille ayant ete poursuivi pour
un crime. De retour en Armenie, les membres de la famille ont subi
un examen medical. Aucune trace de mauvais traitements n’aurait
ete decelee. Les medecins ont decrit leur etat de sante comme >. Ils affirment toutefois avoir vecu des >
durant ces annees. Un haut fonctionnaire du Ministère de la Defense a
declare que le père de la famille etait >
pour avoir franchi illegalement la frontière.

Extrait de la revue de presse de l’Ambassade de France en Armenie en
date du 15 decembre 2014

lundi 22 decembre 2014, Stephane (c)armenews.com