Author: Badalian Vardan

ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC.
Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807
Fax: 416-512-1736
E-mail: [email protected]

Message from the President of the Zoryan Institute

K. M. Greg Sarkissian

On our 25th anniversary, it is with a great sense of excitement that we
launch this newsletter to provide you with information and commentary. Many
dramatic changes have profoundly affected the Armenian world since 1982.
Accordingly, in planning for the next 25 years, Zoryan must consider how to
employ its scholars and specialists to best address the challenges of our
fast moving world. I would like to share with you some major factors that
influence our thinking in this process.

Armenia and Karabagh

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to the independence of Armenia and
Karabagh. This created new complexities within Armenia (nation-building,
unemployment, restructuring the economy, health care, education, etc.), in
relations with its neighbours (security, border issues and claimed
territories), and in relations with the Diaspora (its role, participation
and influence in nation-building).

Armenia will continue to be challenged by issues of long-term security,
prosperity and progress, in the absence of normal relations with Turkey, its
largest neighbour and biggest security threat. Azerbaijan is using its oil
revenues to purchase arms-spending $1 billion in 2007 alone-and could reopen
the war on Karabagh at any time. Uneasy relations with Georgia and the West’s
issues with Iran, Armenia’s largest trading partner, further complicate the
security and economic situation.

Genocide and the Relationship with Turkey

Turkey’s AKP-led government has been seeking EU membership for economic
benefits, to promote its westward-looking identity, and to open up freedom
of religion, as Islam, the country’s dominant religion, is restricted under
the current Kemalist constitution. To meet EU standards, Turkey had to
legislate many reforms and confront longstanding taboos. In the process, the
Armenian Genocide has also come to the fore as a taboo for Turkish society
to reckon with. For their part, European countries are using the Turkish
state’s denial of the Armenian Genocide as a tool to block Turkey’s
accession to the EU, complicating Turkey’s already difficult relationship
with Armenia.

While today the reality of the Armenian Genocide has been widely accepted,
tragically, genocide has become a frequent phenomenon to resolve political
conflict (Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Darfur, etc.). Consequently,
there is a new urgency for genocide studies to raise public awareness
crucial for prevention.

Diaspora

Globalization has made Armenia a part of this interdependent world, an
exhilarating, yet potentially dangerous situation, as it is not yet able to
integrate into the world economy. How can the Diaspora and Armenia jointly
convert this into an opportunity, utilizing the fact that 5/8 of Armenians
are dispersed worldwide?

Conclusion

Considering the above, how should we, as Armenians, be thinking about our
shared responsibilities, shared benefits, and shared values? Zoryan, as a
national resource, whose mission is to think critically about the
contemporary issues facing Armenians, must raise such questions, in order to
develop new perspectives and ideas, for both current and future challenges.

In this vein the security of Armenia is our most important shared
responsibility. We have to adopt a pragmatic approach to our problems. We
have to have an effective way of resolving our own differences, and those
with our neighbors in the region. This could only be achieved by
understanding our present and how we got here, in an objective, analytical
manner in order to develop a national agenda which reflects our shared
values. To this end, Zoryan, by bringing Diaspora, Armenia and
genocide-related issues to international academic forums, provides
understanding and generates goodwill towards Armenians. It also undertakes
research, analysis, publication, conferences and university programs to
inform and influence not only specialists and opinion-makers but also to
empower the next generation to face the future with confidence.

I urge you to get involved, be a Zoryan "Friend," and support our mission.
Thank you.

Note:

If you would like to see the Newsletter please provide me,
[email protected] with an email address at which you can
recieve attachments. It is a ten page, 1.5 mb, PDF.

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Jan 2 2008

Accused killer of Turkish-Armenian journalist named

Samast’s identity was previously protected as it was believed he was
a minor when the shooting of Dink took place.

Güncelleme: 15:03 TSÝ 02 Ocak 2008 Çarþamba

ISTANBUL – The man accused of murdering prominent Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink almost one year ago can now be named by the
media, after authorities lifted a ban on publishing his identity
Wednesday.

The man standing trial for the January 19, 2007, slaying of Dink has
been named as Ogun Samast. Till now, the media have been forbidden to
publish Samast’s name as he was believed to be under the age of 18
when he allegedly shot Dink outside the office of the newspaper
Argos, of which he was the editor.

However, the results of medical tests conducted on Samast revealed he
is currently 19 years of age, meaning he was not a minor when the
allegedly gunned Dink down in Istanbul.

Samast is standing trial for the murder of Dink along with a number
of other men accused of involvement in the crime or inciting Samast
to commit the shooting.

Detained a few days after the shooting, Samast, who has links to far
right wing Turkish groups, admitted to killing Dink.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 2 2008

US President approves the bill to cut assistance to Armenia by $17.5
million

[ 02 Jan 2008 23:06 ]

US President has signed the 2008 fiscal year aid bill which is to
provide $17.5 million less to Armenia compared to 2007, APA Bureau
reports.

The bill, signed by President Bush, is an unchanged version of the
budget expenditures item passed by the both houses a day earlier.

The 2008 overall package, known as the omnibus bill, envisions
providing $58.5 million in economic assistance to Armenia within the
Freedom Support Act.

The omnibus aid bill includes $19 million for Azerbaijan.
Also, the United States will render $3 million in foreign military
financing (FMF) assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan in equality.
The 2008 budget items infuriated the US-based Armenian organizations.
/APA/

Zerkalo, Azerbaijan
Dec 20 2007

The MP that keep himself in cotton-wool

This is the brand of the `hermetic’ parliament that has nothing to do
even with the fate of Karabakh

by Ibrahim Bayandurlu

Here is the respectable press secretary of the [Azerbaijani] Foreign
Ministry joining the chorus of bureaucrats at different levels who
declare that this or that unit or institution of the executive branch
of power does not report to the parliament.

"Executive reaction"

The other day revered Xazar Ibrahim [press secretary of the Foreign
Ministry], whose knowledge and deep intellect leave no space for
doubts, has essentially made a sensational, but quite an ordinary for
the Azerbaijani public statement: "Azerbaijani is not a
parliamentary, but a presidential republic. The foreign minister of
the country reports directly to the Azerbaijani president and
therefore there is no need for him to address the parliament."

I would like to note that according to the national portal Day.az, it
was exactly how the diplomat commented to the media on the initiative
of several members of parliament to invite the Azerbaijani foreign
minister to the legislative body to update MPs on the negotiations
with Armenia.

"Several ministries are subordinated directly to the president and
one of such state structures is the Foreign Ministry. That is why the
foreign minister reports to the president," Mr. Ibrahim added.

Knowing the deep knowledge and professionalism of this person one may
suggest with a high likelihood that such an anti-parliamentary move
is a reaction to the initiative of the MPs, which was prepared and
coordinated in the higher executive-bureaucratic and official
circles. I will try to address my journalistic words of intelligent
disagreement to those people, but not to Xazar Ibrahim, who deserves
every praise as an honest and unfortunately rare expert of his
business.

Parliament can invite foreign minister

First of all, the respectable gentlemen are deeply deluded from the
constitutional and legal viewpoint. It should be noted above all that
despite the presidential model of work of the executive authorities
in the country (under the constitution the president is the head of
state and administers the executive branch of power), the Milli
Maclis [parliament] of Azerbaijan has quite serious powers and
functions. In particular, in accordance with Article 94 [of the
constitution], "the general rules established by the Milli Maclis of
the Republic of Azerbaijan", the parliament identifies the rules of
ratification and invalidation of international covenants. Under
Article 95 of the national "Legal Bible" [the constitution] the Milli
Maclis has the authority to establish diplomatic missions of the
Republic of Azerbaijan abroad at the presentation of the president of
the country, ratify or invalidate international covenants, as well as
agree to the declaration of war or the conclusion of peace on the
basis of the appeal from the president. This is in view of the fact
that the president of Azerbaijan does not have a permanent
representative in parliament. This creates a situation in which the
parliament has the right to demand that the foreign minister provide
clarifications on certain issues. But this is not all. In accordance
with the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which is
an inseparable part of the constitution, the government of Azerbaijan
is accountable to the Milli Maclis. It means that if the entire
Cabinet of Ministers is accountable to such a legislative and
representative body as the Milli Maclis, the foreign minister is also
accountable to the parliament as a member of the government. It is
like two and two is four. Nobody denies or challenges the truth in
the statements like "the Azerbaijani foreign minister reports
directly to the president". But this constitutional provision, which
is as clear as a day, does not invalidate another constitutional
provision saying that the foreign minister like any other member of
the government reports and is accountable to the parliament. This
gives the Milli Maclis a right to initiate parliamentary hearings on,
say the Karabakh problem, and urge [Azerbaijani Foreign Minister] Mr
[Elmar] Mammadyarov to provide clarifications on certain issues
related to this problem.

The statement of the Foreign Ministry also has some political
minuses, which are both internal and external. Let us start with the
fact that the parliament, being a supreme and nationally elected
representative body, provides a vital arena "for letting off steam of
a public outcry". This is a kind of shied against lightening through
which the public gets a certain minimal static from illusions of
general agreement and consensus.

Sacred topic

In the meantime, the Karabakh problem is a sacred topic for
Azerbaijanis. The parliament’s ignoring this topic would drive public
passions beyond the political system. Why to give an aggressive and
protesting mob a charge (forgive me for tautology) to supply the rest
of the society with uncompromising opposition in the run-up to the
presidential race when it is possible to ensure the discussion of
this issue in the parliament with the participation of the foreign
minister? MPs do not know what to answer their voters, especially
refugees who ask: "Why do not you consider the Karabakh issue
comprehensively? Why do you not invite Elmar Mammadyarov to address
the Milli Maclis? What does he discuss with the Armenians, etc". I
would like to assure you that there may be and there are people with
high legal education among refugees who will find a good
counter-argument to the argument of the press secretary of the
Foreign Ministry and then start hurling abuse at different people
>From petty Z from a housing department to the high and inaccessible
A.

President’s key argument?

There is a foreign policy moment here. President Ilham Aliyev quite
often says that the people of Azerbaijan will not be reconciled to
the occupation of its territories. So, why do you, Mr officials,
deprive the parliament, which is elected by that people of
Azerbaijan, of the right and opportunity to invite a government
official and discuss the problem of the liberation of the above
mentioned territories? It is quite evident that the will of the
Azerbaijani people is the key argument in the hands of the president
in his interaction with the international communication. Relying on
this will, Ilham Aliyev demands that the world community and
international organizations crack down on the aggressor.

By the way, the late [Azerbaijani President] Heydar Aliyev understood
the aforementioned facts very well. It was not by a mere chance that
the patriarch with a true sweep of statehood held broad discussions
of the Karabakh problem in the Milli Maclis with the participation of
the wide public and personally attended the parliament for this
purpose. This was a message to the world powers: "Yes, it is true
that I control everything in my country. But in the Karabakh issue
even I am vulnerable to the will of the Azerbaijani people like any
other ruler."

But different times have come, bringing to the agenda such an issue,
too: how to convince [US Secretary of State] Condoleezza Rice that
the Azerbaijanis have made up their mind on the basis of the formula
"either Karabakh or death" and therefore the Azerbaijani government
should be assisted in returning the occupied territories? What if her
assistant [US ambassador to Azerbaijan] Ann Derse sends her a
telegram saying: "yesterday the Mayor’s Office of Baku refused to
give permission to a public organization to hold a rally dedicated to
the Karabakh problem. Police prevented protesters from attempting to
have an unsanctioned rally in the evening. Today the foreign minister
rejected the invitation of MPs to come to the parliament to discuss
the Karabakh problem, saying through his press secretary that
Azerbaijan is not a parliamentary, but a presidential republic and he
himself directly reports to the president of the country. Therefore,
there is no need for him to address the parliament."

In a word, it is not serious, gentlemen, not serious at all…

[translated]

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Dec 28 2007

Armenia’s president opens overpass, tunnel in Yerevan

YEREVAN, December 28. /ARKA/. The opening ceremony of an overpass on
the Barekamutyun (Friendship) Square and tunnel on the crossroads of
Orbeli-Baghramyan took place today in Yerevan. `I am sure that every
year we should realize programs that will make better our capital
city,’ RA President Robert Kocharian said during the event.

According to the RA President, large-scale construction will continue
in Yerevan. `Yerevan is richer than we think,’ President Kocharian
said.

He believes social programs implemented in Yerevan will help reduce
poverty in the city.

According to Yerevan’s Mayor Yervand Zahkaryan, the newly opened
transport centers will improve the city traffic. `The new traffic
centers
Barghramyan-Kasyan-Kievyan-Baghramyan-Orbeli were designed in the
1980s, but we were able to implement the project only now,’ he said.
`Our architects have done a tremendous job and have given the
Armenian capital an architectural complex built with great
responsibility.’

Zakharyan pointed out that the newly built 226km long and nine meters
wide overpass on the Barekamutyun Square has seven openings. He
believes the overpass will help improve traffic on the crossroads of
Baghramyan-Proshyan, Kievyan Street and Komitas Avenue.

AMD 1.8bln ($5.9mln) was allocated from the RA state budget for the
traffic centre construction. AMD19.4bln ($63.9mln) was spent for
beautification of Yerevan. Z. Sh. -0–

LEGITIMATE PRESIDENT UNION DEMANDS DISMISSAL OF CANDIDATE OF
AUTHORITIES FROM POST OF PRIME MINISTER

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. For the purpose of providing equal
conditions for all the candidates running for presidency the Legitimate
President Union considers as necessary the dismissal of Serge Sargsian
from the post of the Prime Minister or the stopping of his activities
on that post. The Union calls to all the organizations interested in
the legality of the elections for taking measures to solve that problem.

As Ruben Torosian mentioned at the December 27 meeting, the Prime
Minister, striving for gaining an advantage over his rivals, abuses his
position by applying "a state terrorism." According to him, TV
companies are constantly conducting propaganda in his favour under the
pretence of covering the activities of the Prime Minister. That mode of
action, in the estimation of Ruben Torosian, is a terrorism, as by
creating an illusion of an inevitable victory of the candidate of the
authorities, it incites people to vote for him.

In the words of Ruben Torosian, all those state bodies, which are to
follow the legality of the elections, are the first to make violations.
In his words, the state terrorism is being conducted through all the
four branches of the authorities: the parliament adopts laws serving to
the campaign of the candidate of the ruling party, the executive body
makes use of all the administrative levers, the judicial bodies settle
a score with the rivals of the candidate of the authorities and the
forces supporting them, and the electronic mass media, which are under
the influence of the Prime Minister, the Public Television first of
all, subjects electors to a psychological attack.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Azerbaijan, Turkey going to `fight against’ Armenian Genocide recognition
26.12.2007 14:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan and Turkey will `intensify efforts’ to
prevent the process of the Armenian Genocide recognition, newly
appointed Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic. `Work is
being carried out. I think it will be intensified,’ he said.

When touching on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Turkish diplomat
said, `The Karabakh problem is our pain. I am a Turk and it’s our
common grief,’ he said, Trend reports.

Today, Azerbaijan
Dec 27 2007

Asim Mollazade: "Possible election of pragmatic Levon Ter-Petrosyan
who has an image of a democrat, would be positive for Armenia and
undesirable for Azerbaijan"

27 December 2007 [11:15] – Today.Az

"If Levon Ter-Petrosyan is elected, this will improve a completely
negative image of Armenia, which is famous as Russia’s outpost", Asim
Mollazade, chairman of the Party of Democratic Reforms of Milli
Medjlis of Azerbaijan said regarding possible election of the first
president of Armenia.

He added that Serj Sarkisyan’s election would be positive for
Azerbaijan, as his whole career is bound to war and Garabagh conflict
and his actions are more predictable and less dangerous than
Ter-Petrosyan’s.

"Moreover, position of "the party of war" in Armenia, including one
of its most prominent representatives Serj Sarkisyan, led to the
current isolation of Armenia, making its participation in all
regional projects impossible thus affecting the economic indicators
of this country. However, Azerbaijan wishes that Armenia put an end
to its aggressive policy and start developing in the same direction
with the South Caucasus countries"

He considers that the number of Armenians, who are for peace in the
region, is going up.

"Armenians are tired of the aggressive policy of the leadership of
their country. Moreover, I have been informed that the Armenian
community of Nagorno Garabagh is also grudging over the current state
in Armenia, which suffers from mass outflow of the population due to
the policy carried out by its leadership and which was left beyond
all positive processes in our region. Their resentment is clear as
Armenians see that Azerbaijan and Georgia are rapidly developing
unlike their country which depends on the aggressive policy of its
leadership", he concluded.

/Day.Az/

URL:

Transparency International forecasts ecological catastrophe in Armenia

2007-12-27 17:59:00

ArmInfo. The ecological situation in Armenia worsened in 2007 after the
ore- mining industry has been declared one of economic development
priorities, Executive Director of Transparency International Armenia
Sona Ayvazyan briefed, Thursday.

In 2007, a bill was cancelled, which provided for as much expenses for
ecology as in the previous years. We had to prove that Getar is a river
and not torrential wash and trees are part of forest and not wood
industry zone, S. Ayvazyan said. She stressed that Getar has a natural
rise in the village of Balahovit. In case of further unfavorable
ecological trends, `very little will remain of Armenia in some
thirty-years’.

RAFFI HOVHANNISIAN’S RATING 22 PERCENT

AZG Armenian Daily
25/12/2007

"Jarangutyun" (Heritage) party office informs that according to
"Gallup" statistics Raffi Hovhannisian’s rating is 22 percent in spite
of the fact that he is not nominated as a candidate of presidency.

The statement mainly says that 12 percent of the questioned first of
all mentioned Raffi Hovhannissian as a preferable candidate. His rating
even increased as compared of the index of November. To this 12 percent
they add also 10 percent of the people that are ready to vote for Raffi
Hovhannissian in case of their candidates’ impossible participation.

"Jarangutyun" party mentions that on the whole Raffi Hovhannisian’s
and his party’s rating has increased recently.