Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA: BEYOND THE SILK ROAD

Easier Travel

April 3 2012

Following a successful ‘reconnaissance’ trip with some adventurous
hikers in 2011 (and no other trekkers were encountered on the entire
trail), this unusual group trip is now a firm part of the Walks
Worldwide programme for 2012.

This is a trekking and cultural journey through Armenia’s landscapes
and history and includes a straightforward ascent of Aragats South
peak, Armenia’s highest mountain.

Armenia lies on the crossroads between East and West and for a
relatively small country has more than its fair share of diverse
landscapes watched over by mighty Mount Ararat just across the border
in eastern Turkey (once within the borders of Armenia, and lost during
the war).

Dramatic canyons, volcanic formations, turquoise lakes, lush forests,
expansive highlands and spectacular mountains rising to over 4000m
all help to create unique ecosystems and varied climatic zones.

The country is home to a rich abundance of flora and fauna too
including the Caucasian leopard, wolf, lynx, bear and Asian wild
sheep. Here amongst these wild landscapes nomadic Armenian shepherds
and Yezidi Kurds can still be encountered. Armenia has always been a
place of collisions between the great empires of antiquity and middle
ages. Rome, Persia, Byzantium, Arabs, Seljuks and Mongols have all
passed through and left their mark.

Armenia possesses a wealth of UNESCO World Heritage sites too
including ancient monasteries and churches. The Silk Road passed
through Armenia and Marco Polo is known to have travelled over
Armenia’s Sulema Mountains describing how the locals lived amongst
the rugged landscapes.

This is a trekking and cultural journey through Armenia’s landscapes
and history.

The trips depart on 3 June, 8 July & 9 September & cost from £1245 pp.

This includes all transportation, 9 nights’ accommodation (3 & 4 star
hotels), all meals, baggage transfers and an English speaking guide.

Fully-bonded, Walks Worldwide can book flights on request.

For more information, visit walksworldwide.com.

ALL WE NEED IS REGULATION
by Badrya Darwish

Kuwait Times

April 3 2012

Why people in the Middle East or in Kuwait in particular think that
building mosques is the only thing they can offer as charity? I am
writing this in the light of the news coming these days about building
mosques, churches and introducing new rules for building husseiniyas
(religious centres for Shiites). MP Tabtabaei has criticized Sheikha
Fareeha after she supported the right of Armenian Christians in
Kuwait to build a church for themselves. Some time ago she helped
Coptic Christians in Kuwait build a church in Hawally, where mainly
Egyptian Christians go. That encouraged the Armenian community to
approach the sheikha to help them out.

I am not against building mosques, churches or husseiniyas. I think
there should be municipality rules and regulations introduced for
the construction of worship places. The first thing that should be
considered is the number of worshippers who will go to that worship
house. If it is only a few people who belong to some sect, it is not
worth to build a special worship house. They can use another one.

Many people donate to build mosques but what if the area is crowded
with mosques? I think the municipality should have a say and not
just the donor. Should there be one mosque and another mosque and
yet another mosque in the same area? There are many ways to do charity.

You can build a school if the area is full of mosques. You can build
wards in hospitals and build special centres for various medical
treatments. There are hundred ways of charity in Islam and I am sure
in other religions too.

Charity can also go for sports sections for youth. I am sure if you
offer kids in the area a playground and keep them off the street, this
is a nice way of charity and investment in the health of the future
generations. Why nobody has ever thought of donating for a semi-free
nursery for working mothers for those who are on low salaries and
cannot afford nannies or maids. This is another nice way to do charity.

Even building parks for people to walk and building walking paths is
a kind of charity. Charity should not be limited. The sky is the limit.

It should not be up to a government official or an NGO to decide
which church, mosque, husseinya or worship house should be built. It
is not only about the worship house, it is about the infrastructure in
the area, the buildings, traffic and streets. You don’t put something
where there is no parking, for example. Or you might hinder traffic.

Professionals and experts from the municipality have to decide. A
committee should be formed to study thoroughly the necessities of
society. It is as simple as that.

Why are we making a big issue of simple things which only need
regulations? Or are we in Kuwait used to argue for the sake of arguing?

ATMOSPHERE OF COMPROMISE BETWEEN AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PARTIES EMERGES AT EURONEST MEETING – ARMENIAN MP

Vestnik Kavkaza
April 3 2012
Russia

On Tuesday at a plenary meeting of the Euronest Parliamentary
Assembly in Baku Armenian lawmakers began to express protests and
dissatisfaction with the condemnation of the aggressive policy of
Armenia, Trend reports.

The delegation of the Armenian deputies said that it’s dissatisfied
with the fact that they are called fascists.

Azerbaijani MP Fuad Muradov responded by saying that during the Baku
meeting nothing new has been said.

“We stand by our positions on the issues that we raised in Strasbourg,
Brussels and Washington, and our position is confirmed by international
documents,” Muradov said.

He called on European lawmakers not to allow interference in the
assembly’s work.

Another Azerbaijani MP, Malahat Ibrahimgyzy, said that international
values and the rule of law should be mandatory for all.

“If we’re talking about the rule of law, we must also note the
international rule of law. There is no room for emotion. We refer
to documents that have been adopted by such reputable organizations
as the UN, the European Union and the OSCE. Let them express their
dissatisfaction with these documents, not speeches,” she said.

MP Azer Karimli said that until the Nagorno-Karabakh is resolved and
the occupied lands are returned, cooperation between Azerbaijan and
Armenia under the Eastern Partnership is impossible.

The head of the Armenian delegation, Vahan Hovhannisyan, spoke finally
in a different way.

“After intense discussion at the Euronest meeting, an atmosphere of
compromise between the Azerbaijani and Armenian deputies emerged. This
is favorable position between two countries experiencing tensions. I
hope that the present favorable position between the deputies of the
two countries will create a compromise between the two countries. And
it helps a constructive resolution of tensions,” he said.

The second session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly opened in
Baku on Monday.

TURKEY ENDANGERS EU MEMBERSHIP PERSPECTIVES: FOREIGN MINISTER OF CYPRUS

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 3, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS: The main obstacle in registering a
progress in the Cyprus issue is the Turkish position, Foreign Minister
of Cyprus Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis said at a joint press conference
with Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian.

“Turkey has occupied the 37% of the Republic of Cyprus, they keep
45000 soldiers on our land. Turkey supports creation of two independent
states, whereas international community has come to an agreement that
Cyprus must reunite and create a federal state. We stand up for that
position,” said Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis.

In answer to Armenpress’ question how she will comment on Turkey’s
threats that it will freeze the negotiations with the European Union,
if the Cyprus issue is not settled till the Cyprus’ presidency at the
Council of Europe, Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis said in this regard at a
level of the Council of Europe Turkey has been given a distinct answer.

“Turkey’s threats have been condemned by heads of European states and
Foreign Ministers. If Turkey decides not to cooperate with Cyprus’
presidency, they will endanger the perspectives for EU membership. A
country that is a candidate for membership must not adopt such a
behavior, or else the consequences are unavoidable.

WB AND IMF TO PROVIDE ARMENIA WITH $200 MILLION

Vestnik Kavkaza
April 2 2012
Russia

Armenia may receive $150 million from the World Bank, Armenian Prime
Minister Serzh Sargsyan said, News Armenia reports.

Armenia has improved its position by 6 points in the Doing Business
rating, taking the 55th position in the list.

Armenia joined the WB in 1992 and the World Development Association
in 1993. It has received $1.6 billion.

The prime minister said that the IMF concluded monitoring of programs
for expanded financing and crediting. The IMF will provide Armenia with
a tranche of $56 million by late May for the Extended Fund Facility
(EFF) and the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The IMF will provide
a total of $279 million.

Sargsyan said that the Asian Development Bank has given Armenia $500
million for the North-South Road construction.

SWISS DROP GENOCIDE PROBE AGAINST TURKISH MINISTER

Expatica

April 2 2012
Switzerland

Swiss prosecutors said Monday they would drop a probe into alleged
remarks by Turkey’s EU affairs minister denying the Armenian genocide,
as the official enjoyed diplomatic immunity.

“After consultations with the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs,
prosecutors of canton Zurich came to the conclusion that no criminal
proceedings would be opened against Egemen Bagis, because as a Turkish
EU minister he enjoyed immunity during his entire stay in Switzerland,”
said prosecutors in a statement.

Denial of the Armenian genocide is a crime under Swiss anti-racism
laws.

Bagis reportedly made the comments to a journalist during a visit to
Zurich after attending the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in
end-January in Davos.

According to Turkey’s English-language newspaper Today’s Zaman, he
was asked about his views on a newly-adopted French bill criminalizing
denial of the Armenian genocide and responded: “Switzerland is another
country where it is a crime to deny the so-called genocide”.

“Here I am in Switzerland today, and I’m saying the 1915 incidents
did not amount to genocide. Let them come arrest me.”

The paper said a complaint had been filed by members of Switzerland’s
Armenian community.

Armenia says that planned massacres and deportations under the Ottoman
Empire left more than 1.5 million of its people dead in 1915, but
Turkey maintains there was no genocide, saying there were no more
than 500,000 fatalities as a result of civil strife and the impact
of World War I.

FORMER BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL MICHAEL RUBIN COMMENTS ON AZERBAIJANI-ISRAELI RELATIONS

Turan
April 2, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC. March 30, 2012: TURAN’s Washington, DC correspondent
Alakbar Raufoglu interviewed Michael Rubin, a resident scholar at
the American Enterprise Institute who worked as a Pentagon adviser
on Iran and Iraq during the first administration of George W. Bush:

According to the new article at the Foreign Policy, Israel has gained
access to airfields in Azerbaijan near Iran borders, which it could
use to make more feasible its attack on Iran. So, if these new reports
are correct, then “the United States now believes that Israel has been
granted access to air bases in Azerbaijan”- what does it mean? Why
Azerbaijan? Taking into consideration that Azerbaijan – which shares
a long border with Iran, is also threatened by Iran’s nukes.

First, it’s important to consider the source: The article was written
by Mark Perry who, like Seymour Hersh, has a habit of exaggerating.

But, Israel and Azerbaijan have long had strong relations for
practical reasons: They both faced invasion by hostile powers upon
their independence, and they continue to face neighbors who seek to
undermine their stability.

It is in Azerbaijan’s interests to cultivate relations with the
outside world if nothing else than to preserve its independence. This
is a common strategy among small states surrounded by much larger
countries. Kuwait, for example, has always maintained its freedom by
refusing to accept the dictates of Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Iraq. Qatar,
too, has maintained its independence by refusing to be either a Saudi
or Iranian puppet-even establishing informal relations with Israel.

In comparison, Armenia has allowed itself to become a virtual satellite
of Russia and Wikileaks documents also show how it has subordinated
itself to Iranian interests. It has lost much of its independence
and is distrusted in the West.

Ultimately, the only way for Azerbaijan to maintain the respect of
Iran is to be independent of it and if that requires maintaining strong
relations with Israel and the United States, as far as I’m concerned,
that’s great for Washington and good for Baku.

There are some reports in the Israel media claiming the US is leaking
this classified information in order to dissuade Israel. So why is the
US doing that? Is Israel does take advantage of Azerbaijani airfields,
what is that mean for the US?

The distrust between the United States and Israel has not been this low
since the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s. The Israelis suspect
that the Obama administration has reconciled itself to a nuclear Iran
and that if they forewarn the Americans of any military strike on
Iran, the White House will leak word and undercut the surprise upon
which the Israelis depend. The Obama administration, meanwhile, fears
that an Israeli strike will be a strategic disaster, and would raise
the price of oil in the run-up to the November elections. If Israel
were able to access the Azerbaijani airfields, Israel would be able
to strike deep into Iran with greater surprise and with less need
for refueling. If the Obama administration or the U.S. intelligence
community did leak word of secret Israel-Azerbaijan dealings, then
the purpose was to make it harder for Israel to act with surprise
and to increase Iranian pressure on Azerbaijan.

Regardless of their accuracy, such leaks are a betrayal of
U.S.-Azerbaijan trust and inexcusable.

Baku officials say the country will never allow use its territory
against Iran. Some believe that these whole is about arming Azerbaijan
for a looming “next war” with Armenia and providing them deterrence
against Iranian meddling with their internal affairs. Then it’s
about Israel improving its tactical capabilities vis-a-vis an Iranian
strike…

That may very well be a more plausible explanation. The Armenians
receive assistance from Iran, and so it would make sense if
Azerbaijan could access Israeli weaponry and training. Clearly,
neither Armenia nor Russia are sincere about ending the occupation
of Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey is occupied elsewhere, and so it makes
perfect sense for Azerbaijan to reach out to friends to right a wrong
that Azerbaijan has suffered for two decades (Turan).

EGYPT’S COPTIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH BOYCOTTS ISLAMIST-DOMINATED PANEL

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 2, 2012 – 21:33 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox church has decided to
boycott an Islamist-dominated panel charged with drafting the future
constitution, AFP reported citing the official MENA news agency.

The official MENA news agency reported that the decision was taken
unanimously by the 20 members of the Holy Synod to remove the two
church officials who sit on the committee.

The church “considers it inappropriate to continue to be represented
given the reservations of various political forces on how the
constitutional commission was composed,” the report said.

The commission comprises of 100 members selected by the parliament,
but is mainly made up of members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi
fundamentalists who also are the majority among lawmakers.

Several parties and secular figures in recent days have withdrawn from
the panel, saying their presence was used only as a collateral for the
Islamists to draft a basic law that reflects their political-religious
ideologies.

Al-Azhar, the key reference institution in Sunni Islam, also announced
its withdrawal, distancing its ideology of moderate Islam from that
of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi fundamentalists.

The Copts or Egyptian Christians constitute six to 10 percent of the
country’s population of about 82 million. Their patriarch, Shenouda
III, an ardent defender of his community, died March 17 at age 88
and has not yet been replaced.

The church’s decision to boycott the panel comes after the Brotherhood
said Saturday it was nominating a candidate for the presidential
election on May 23, breaking its earlier promise of not contesting.

The decision to nominate the group’s deputy leader Khairat al-Shater
– a business tycoon and the group’s main financier — has sent shock
waves through political circles.

FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND RUSSIA ISSUE A JOINT STATEMENT

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 2, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS: On the occasion of 20th anniversary
of establishment of Armenian-Russian diplomatic relations Foreign
Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian and his Russian counterpart
Sergey Lavrov issued a joint statement. Besides that, the ministers
officially canceled the stamps dedicated to 20th anniversary of the
diplomatic relations, according to Armenpress.

“The diplomatic relations between our countries were established
based on the centuries-long friendship of our two people,” said Edward
Nalbandian. The Minister emphasized this anniversary is signified by
positive results, and pointed out the high-level political dialogue.

He highlighted the productive work of the Intergovernmental Commission
on Economic Cooperation and Inter-Parliamentary Commission. The
relations between the regions of Russia and provinces of Armenia
are developing as well. The minister also pointed out the successful
cooperation in scientific and humanitarian spheres. “The potential of
our cooperation is laid in the huge judicial-contractual basis that
exists between us. About 200 agreements have been signed between the
two countries,” said Edward Nalbandian.

For his part, Sergey Lavrov said this anniversary signifies new
qualities of bilateral relations. He stressed that there is quite
an active political dialogue between the two parties, and the state
visits of the presidents of the two countries come to prove that. The
cooperation within international organizations was mentioned as well,
including in frame of the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, BSEC.

SWISS PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE REFUSES TO LAUNCH CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST TURKISH MINISTER

news.am
April 02, 2012 | 19:52

The Prosecutor’s office in Zurich, Switzerland refused to launch a
criminal case against Turkish Minister for EU Affairs Egemen Bagis,
who denied the Armenian Genocide in Switzerland.

The statement issued by the Prosecutor’s Office said that Bagis had
made remarks concerning the 1915 events on January 30, 2012 which
has caused great fuss in the media, CNNTurk reports.

“During consultation with the Swiss MFA we found out that while
making that statement Bagis was protected by diplomatic immunity,”
the statement of Zurich’s Prosecutor’s Office said.

Earlier the Swiss MFA had announced that all the foreign diplomats
who had come to participate in the World Economic Forum in Davos had
diplomatic immunity. Depending on the circumstances the immunity could
be cancelled but the final decision must be made by the prosecutor’s
office.

Egemen Bagis said he can claim that the events of 1915 were not
genocide against Armenians even in a country where the denial is
criminalized.