Author: Badalian Vardan

A MEMORANDUM ON 2010-2012 COOPERATION TO BE SIGNED BETWEEN ARMENIAN CULTURE MINISTRY AND ITALIAN MINISTRY OF HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ACTIVITY

ARMENPRESS
Dec 8, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: A memorandum on 2010-2012 cooperation
will be signed between Armenian Culture Ministry and Italian Ministry
of Heritage and Cultural Activity.

Armenian Culture Ministry press service told Armenpress that according
to the initial agreement, for signing the memorandum the Italian
minister of heritage and cultural activity will arrive in Armenia.

An agreement has been reached with the Italian minister to establish
an Armenian cultural center in Rome. In Italy 2012 will be declared a
year of the Armenian book. Museums of Armenian contemporary painting,
as well as Armenian historical museums are intended to open in Italian
towns as well. Collaborative translational and publishing projects will
be worked out; an annual joint award of translation will be defined.

An agreement has also been reached on carrying out restoration works
by Italian professionals in Kobayr’s monastic complex built in 1171
in Lori province.

ERDOGAN SPRINTED IN EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION: ANCA

NEWS.am
12:44 / 12/09/2009

"Turkish Prime Minister Recp Tayyip Erdogan, having secured at least
temporarily, the silence of yet another Administration on the Armenian
Genocide, has used his U.S. visit to further press Turkey’s advantage
– dramatically escalating his genocide denial rhetoric, reinforcing
Turkey’s &’Protocols’ preconditions for lifting its blockade of
Armenia, and attempting to use Ankara’s new found leverage in the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process to deliver a pro-Azerbaijani settlement
of this conflict," reads the press release available on the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) website.

ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian underlined that "Today, more
than seven months into the silence of yet another U.S. Administration
on the Armenian Genocide, it’s painfully clear that Erdogan has not,
as President Obama had hoped, moved toward a full, frank and just
acknowledgement of the facts – but rather sprinted in exactly the
opposite direction, dramatically ramping up his denial rhetoric and
pressing more aggressively against U.S. recognition of this crime."

"As we’ve said from day one, for Erdogan and his government, the
Protocols are not about peace. They represent simply another tactic
by Turkey to extend U.S. complicity in Turkey’s denials from one
April 24th to the next," he added.

"In addition to escalating his Armenian Genocide denial demands,
Erdogan also made clear that his government would not respect either
of the two U.S. priorities for Turkey-Armenia normalization: no
preconditions and a reasonable timeframe," the source reads.

SASSOUNIAN: OBAMA SHOULD FORFEIT HIS NOBEL PRIZE UNTIL HE TELLS THE TRUTH ON GENOCIDE

Yerkir
09.12.2009 15:17

In his Nov. 20 letter to Armenian American organizations, President
Obama once again played shameful word games with the term genocide. At
this point, one has to be incredibly naive to believe that he is
going to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide during the rest of his
term in office.

During the presidential campaign, when then-Senator Obama was making
repeated promises to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, activists
were nervously following the Turkish government’s attempts to use the
false pretext of dialogue with Armenia to prevent him from fulfilling
his pledge after the election.

In early April, during a press conference in Ankara, when Obama was
asked about his views on the Armenian Genocide, he dodged the question
by stating: "My views are on the record and I have not changed views.

What I have been very encouraged by is news that under [Turkish]
President Gul’s leadership, you are seeing a series of negotiations,
a process in place between Armenia and Turkey to resolve a whole host
of longstanding issues, including this one."

Clearly, Presidents Obama and Gul, for their own reasons, were
scheming to undermine the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by
pushing forward the Armenia-Turkey negotiations. They were joined in
this unholy alliance by Russia and the European Union in pressuring
Armenia’s leaders, who were only too eager to comply.

This sinister deal was sealed when on the eve of April 24, Armenia
and Turkey issued a joint press release announcing a roadmap for
reconciliation!

Not surprisingly, in his first April 24 statement, Obama repeated
all the euphemisms and word games that he had strongly condemned when
they were used by his predecessor, President Bush.

Obama used the old and all too familiar denialist terminology of past
presidents, such as "atrocity," "massacre," "terrible events of 1915,"
and most incredibly, "Meds Yeghern"!

In that statement, Obama used the same evasive answer he gave in
Ankara: "I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in
1915, and my view of that history has not changed." Yet, he adamantly
persisted in refusing to state what his actual views were.

Furthermore, Obama urged Armenians and Turks "to address the facts of
the past as a part of their efforts to move forward." He expressed his
strong support for their "courageous and important dialogue…to work
through this painful history…" and applauded the Armenian and Turkish
governments for accepting "a framework and roadmap for normalization."

Consequently, Obama left no doubt that he was going to sacrifice
the truth of the "Armenian Genocide" on the altar of an illusory
Armenian-Turkish reconciliation, using it as a fig leaf to conceal
his erstwhile pledge.

Last month, in a letter to Armenian American organizations, Obama
reconfirmed that his view on "one of the great atrocities of the 20th
century" had not changed. Once again, he failed to detail his views.

The president was responding to a letter from the AGBU, Armenian
Assembly, and Diocese of the Armenian Church of America. The
three Armenian organizations had expressed their support for the
Armenia-Turkey protocols and appealed to the White House to acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide.

In his response, Obama cleverly exploited the expression of support
by the Armenian organizations for the reconciliation process,
and downplayed his campaign pledge to acknowledge the genocide. He
reiterated that "the best way to advance…the just acknowledgment of
the facts" is for Armenians and Turks to address the past "as part of
their efforts to move forward." He pledged "to continue to vigorously
support the normalization effort in the months ahead." The president
was thus using the protocols to undermine all efforts to acknowledge
the genocide.

Keeping his pledge on the genocide is in Obama’s own interests,
as it would help rehabilitate his moral and political credibility
by joining President Reagan and scores of national parliaments,
international organizations, and Holocaust and genocide scholars who
are already on record confirming the facts of the Armenian Genocide.

Obama should not be surprised if Armenian Americans no longer trust
him, and do not support him for re-election. Those who play games
with genocide should not be rewarded.

Anyone who lacks the courage to stand up for the truth does not
deserve a Nobel Peace Prize.

BAKU’S RENUNCIATION OF EASTERN PARTNERSHIP PRINCIPLES CAN HAMPER PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.12.2009 12:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan’s renunciation of collaboration envisaged
by the Eastern Partnership can jeopardize implementation of the
project, Armenia’s top diplomat said.

"Such behavior exhibited by an EU partner state undermines the ideology
of cooperation while absence of reaction from the other participant
countries devalues the concept of partnership," Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian said in Brussels.

The meeting between EU Foreign Ministers and their counterparts from
CIS countries participating in the Eastern Partnership was chaired
by Sweden’s FM Carl Bildt. The next meeting will be held in 2010,
RA MFA press office reported.

WE ARE GOING TO WIN

Lragir.am
09/12/09

Interview By Arman Galoyan

Interview with the member of the Armenian National Congress, the
representative of the candidate at constituency No. 10 Nikol Pashinyan
David Matevosyan

Regardless the problems, after the decision of the administrative
court, they however registered Nikol Pashinyan as a candidate for
parliamentary elections. How would you comment on this decision? Why
did the government yield?

Just from the beginning, the government refused to give a certificate
to Nikol Pashinyan that he has lived the latest 5 years in Armenia.

The government had to dwell on this issue again when we applied to the
administrative court. The decision of the government was influenced
by the thoughtlessness of the formulations of the government as well
as the skillfulness of the presenter of the claim Vahe Hovsepyan and
Lusine Sahakyan, the meetings of the Armenian National Congress with
international representative, as well as the presence of the AGO
group in Armenia on the day of issuing the verdict.

Nikol Pashinyan was registered as a candidate, the lawyer Lusine
Sahakyan presented a petition to change his measure of punishment
but the court refused it and Pashinyan is still deprived of freedom.

They just released a political decision. While, in accordance with
the RA Constitution, the arrest implemented against Nikol Pashinyan
had to be removed when he was appointed as a candidate. Keeping Nikol
Pashinyan under arrest is a violation of the Constitution.

In your opinion, how long are they going to keep him under arrest
violating the Constitution?

Let us remember that there are 15 political prisoners in Armenia now,
one of which is Nikol Pashinyan. Previously, this number was several
times more and each of the prisoners was kept in the prison as long
as the government was able. Now the same is in case of Nikol Pashinyan.

They will keep them under arrest as long as they can.

What are you going to do to release Nikol Pashinyan?

There are ways. One of which is to appeal to the Court of Appeals.

There is another way too. We will apply to the Central Electoral
Commission for its position, and if it gives a document ignoring the
human rights, we will appeal to the Constitutional Court through the
human rights defender.

How are you going to carry out his electoral campaign when he is
in prison?

We have chosen the following strategy. We will carry out the campaign
from house to house, with each voter of the Constituency No. 10. We
will bring them propaganda packages allowing them to get acquainted
with Nikol without meeting him.

At the Constituency No. 10, there is an interesting situation. The
HAK supports Nikol Pashinyan and the government did not put forward
any candidacy and does not support anyone. What are the reasons?

It is early to dwell on this issue. Elections have never been
political processes for the government but only a means to prolong
their activities through money, crimes. I would not like to comment
on the candidates. One of them, Hmayak Hovhannisyan said he is going
to withdraw his candidacy in favor of Nikol Pashinyan. This is a
political stance. I think the government is able to decide which the
candidates to support using its machine of breaches.

Galust Sahakyan said since they are the majority at the National
Assembly, they do not consider expedient to run in these elections.

And the BHK member Aram Safaryan said all the BHK Kentron Candidates
became parliamentarians.

Galust Sahakyan said it just to say something. We have to take into
consideration the fact that just from the beginning the government
decided not to register Nikol. After, they changed their decision and
were obliged to register him. If they decided to register him from
the beginning, I do not know what positions the BHK and RP would have.

Now, a situation when they cannot fulfill what they want is shaped.

In your opinion, what are Nikol’s chances?

We are going to win.

ARMENIA TO EXPORT SUGAR TO RUSSIA AND EUROPE SOON

Tert.am
17:48 ~U 07.12.09

In the case of a shortage, Armenia can produce its own sugar and
export it to Russia and European countries, said Edward Sargsyan,
director of a sugar production plant being built in Akhuria, while
speaking to journalists today, adding that Armenia has already received
a proposal from Russia.

In the director’s words, the plant will be operational in 2010.

Speaking about production volume, Sargsyan announced that of the raw
materials of the sugar produced in Armenia, 45% will be beet sugar
cultivated in Armenia, while the remainder will be partly manufactured
sugar imported from Brazil.

Sargsyan affirmed that the locally produced sugar will be different
not only in quality, but also in taste.

"The produced sugar will correspond with European standards, despite
the fact that the important Brazilian sugar is likewise a product of
the highest quality," explained the director.

As for the price, in Sargsyan’s words, one tonne of locally produced
sugar will be $30-40 USD cheaper than market price.

Other than supplying the local market, the plant in Akhuria is also
working to export its product. Already plans are in the works to ship
Armenian-produced sugar to Georgia and northern Iran.

RA President Serzh Sargsyan, during his visit to Shirak marz
(province), also paid a vist to the sugar factory today. As an aside,
the plant is owned by MP Samvel Aleksanyan.

YEREVAN TO HOST PROCESSION WITHIN "AVAILABLE YEREVAN" PROGRAM FRAMEWORKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.12.2009 18:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On Tuesday, Yerevan will host a procession within
"Available Yerevan" program frameworks, with action participants to
march from National Opera and Ballet Theater to Yerevan Mayor’s office.

The action aims at focusing public attention on disabled people’s
issues.

Action participants plan to find those among Yerevan streets better
accommodated to the movement of disabled people.

Based on the research performed, a program of reforms will be
developed, to be submitted to Yerevan Mayor.

The procession is organized by "Astkhik" Disabled Children’s Parents
Union, within "Available Yerevan" program frameworks.

U.S. WANTS TO TIE BOTH ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO ITSELF: POLITICAL EXPERT

Today.Az
07 December 2009 [14:43]

Day.Az interview with Azerbaijani political expert Rasim Agayev.

Day.Az: What do you expect from a coming meeting between Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama.

Turkish prime minister said earlier that he plans to debate the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well during the meeting. May the U.S.

administration change position towards the Karabakh issue after
the meeting?

Rasim Agayev: I think resolving the Karabakh conflict will be discussed
in relations with the Armenian-Turkish dialogue in Washington. These
two issues are interdependent. Turkish-American dialogue on this
issue will contribute to Washington’s better understanding of the
issue. Therefore, contacts between the U.S. and Turkey in this respect
are very important and useful.

Is the U.S. interested in resolving the Karabakh conflict?

On one hand, the United States has enough influence to persuade Armenia
to promote settlement of the Karabakh conflict. On the other hand,
Armenia is Russia’s ally and the pressure on Armenia could lead to the
Russian-American complications. I think the U.S. does not believe that
they should put pressure on Armenia to meet Azerbaijan’s aspirations in
the Karabakh issue. Washington has its own understanding of the problem
and its interests associated with each of the two conflicting parties.

I believe that the U.S. wants to resolve the Karabakh conflict so
that both sides were satisfied with Washington’s participation in the
negotiation process. The U.S. wants to tie both Armenia and Azerbaijan
to itself with the aim of strengthening in the South Caucasus region.

The United States needs it to pursue more flexible policies in the
Middle East.

How do you assess outcome of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers’ meeting in Athens and the follow-up statements?

I think these statements were made in a bid to show optimism on the
Karabakh negotiations. Indeed, there is a noticeable disappointed in
Azerbaijan at the negotiations. There is an impression of a deadlock.

But I see nothing in statements by the Azerbaijan Foreign that would
back this optimism.

Armenia attends ISAF Foreign Ministers’ meeting

armradio.am
05.12.2009 14:18

On 4 December, Foreign Ministers of ISAF troop contributing nations
met to discuss key priorities for Afghanistan, namely protecting
Afghan people, building Afghan security capacity, and facilitating
governance and development. They adopted a common declaration,
agreeing on the main principles guiding ISAF’s support of
reintegration and reconciliation processes.

The Armenian delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakosyan. This was the first such meeting attended by Armenia.

The meeting was chaired by Anders Fogh Rasmussen. It was attended by
US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, the Foreign Ministers of Great
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Afghanistan and others.

Following this week’s announcement by President Barack Obama on the
sending of 30 000 additional US troops, ISAF Foreign Ministers
reiterated their collective objective to hand over lead security
responsibility to the Afghan forces, starting next year, when
conditions allow. To this end, nations pledged to invest more in
training, equipping and sustaining the Afghan National Security
Forces, through the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan.

Allies and Partners adopted a declaration outlining a new approach for
Afghanistan in which the protection of the Afghan people is given a
particular focus. In support of this approach, at least 25 Allies and
Partners committed around 7 000 troops for 2010, with the possibility
of more contributions to come.

Touching upon the allied partnership between Armenia and NATO< the
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister specially emphasized the cooperation
in the field of peacekeeping. He noted that `with a clear intention of
contributing to international security and stability, Armenia has
decided to send a peacekeeping contingent to Afghanistan.’

The Armenian servicemen are expected to leave for Afghanistan in the
first months of 2010. In this regard Arman Kirakosyan expressed
gratitude to the German Government for comprehensive support.

ANC: ARMENIA RECOGNIZED PRINCIPLE OF TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY IN ATHENS

ArmInfo
2009-12-04 11:03:00

ArmInfo. During the meeting of OSCE MG cochair-countries’ foreign
ministers in Athens, Armenia gave its consent having recognized the
principles of territorial integrity. Such a viewpoint is expressed
in the statement of the Armenian National Congress provided to ArmInfo.

In view of the statement of OSCE 56 countries’ ministers Council of
December 1 in Athens on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement,
ANC notes that having taken part in the afore-indicated statements,
Armenia undertook to achieve the Karabakh conflict settlement within
the frames of nonuse of force or threat of force, territorial integrity
and the nations’ right for self-determination. ‘So, Armenia has first
officially gave its consent for resolution of the conflict within the
frames of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. In this case, inclusion
of a principle of the nations’ right for self- determination in the
document does not compensate the fixed concession of Armenia. Joint
use of the principles of the nations’ right for self-determination and
territorial integrity means the following: irrespective of the degree
of self-determination, given to NKR, it will be realized within the
frames of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity’, ANC statement says.