Author: Badalian Vardan

Beware the Hornet’s Nest

Editorial 5-24-2014
By Edmond Y. Azadian

Armenian-Jewish relations have a very special significance and are
expressed in a variety of dimensions. The basic tenet that binds the
two groups is falling victim to mass murder. The two groups understand
each other and they are poised better than other groups to empathize
with each other, having experienced the horrors of ethnic cleansing or
extermination.

However, those relations may manifest in many different ways when
political considerations weigh in. The fact that the state of Israel
is not among the 20-some nations that that have recognized the
Armenian Genocide is a sore point in those relations. But the saving
grace is that bona fide scholars and legislators in Israel articulate
better than any other group Israel’s moral obligation to recognize the
Armenian Genocide in the face of political expediency.

It does not take a conspiratorial mind to observe the influence of
Israel and its lobbying arm in the US and in this country’s
legislature. Therefore, as the Armenians take up the challenge of
extracting Genocide recognition from the US government, first and
foremost, they have to capitalize on the sympathies of these lobbying
groups.

Also, it is an important factor to harmonize and coordinate Armenian
interests with the political interests of those groups. Working at
cross-purposes guarantees defeat.

In recent years, a controversy has been introduced in these delicate
relations, that of the Armenian Genocide policy of the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL), reflected mainly in the actions and words of its
national director, Abraham Foxman.

A vigorous campaign was conducted mostly in New England and to a
smaller extent, nationally, to expose the ADL’s active participation
with Turkey in defeating all resolutions in the US Congress
recognizing the Armenian Genocide. That campaign yielded some positive
results, especially in discrediting the ADL’s anti-bias program, No
Place for Hate, as a hypocritical façade for the organization’s
disingenuous and active campaign against other human rights causes,
including the Armenian Genocide.

Certainly it was an indirect victory when on the eve of the 2014
Genocide memorial day, the American Jewish Committee released an
unequivocal statement of support, which said, in part, “In a month of
solemn remembrance of the atrocities of the last century — from the
20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide to the annual commemoration
in Israel and the Untied States of the Holocaust — we pause in
mournful tribute to the memories of the estimated 1.5 million victims
of the Medz Yeghern, the genocide of the Armenians, committed in the
final years of the Ottoman Empire.”

We may also consider partial victory in defeating the nomination of
Joseph Berman by Gov. Deval Patrick to the Massachusetts Superior
Court as a result of a sustained and well-orchestrated campaign,
although Mr. Berman’s case was only tangentially germane to the
Genocide issue. A number of negative factors were used against his
nomination: his lack of criminal experience, slight knowledge of drug
issues, his attempts to buy political influence through hefty campaign
contributions and his representation of a Guantanamo inmate. Perhaps
his affiliation with the ADL was the straw that broke the camel’s
back.

The campaign against the ADL and its leader, Foxman, has not abated
for the last few years. On the contrary, it has been gaining momentum,
which culminated in the confrontation between the Ad Hoc Greater
Boston Committee for Human Rights and the Suffolk University
Administration. Mr. Foxman was invited to deliver the commencement
address at Suffolk Law School graduation. The protest against Mr.
Foxman’s presence began in April by Suffolk’s student chapter of the
National Lawyers’ Guild. The main reason for the initiative was Mr.
Foxman’s and the ADL’s long-standing collusion with Turkey, a major
human rights violator, in campaigning to defeat US congressional
resolutions on the Armenian Genocide.

Anti-Foxman actions also included a call to Sen. Edward Markey (D-Ma),
another invitee to the Suffolk ceremony, to boycott the affair.

It was a valiant campaign and an effective exercise of political
activism, which unfortunately did not achieve its intended results.
Mr. Foxman delivered his commencement address, and was awarded an
honorary Juris Doctor degree. And in the melee, he also referenced the
Armenian Genocide.

But the defeat will be more instructive if we are prepared to study
its lessons. Mr. Foxman would not have stood behind the podium had the
Suffolk administration not felt strong on its grounds. It looks also
as if this campaign has reached its point of saturation. In economics
and in politics, there is something called a law of diminished
returns, which warns us not to overstep our boundaries. The fact that
some Jews have also joined the anti-ADL and anti-Foxman campaign
indicates that some internal policy issues or personal quarrels are
involved, which may entangle the Armenians unnecessarily.

Mr. Foxman is a power broker in Washington and the ADL is equally
powerful and no Armenian organization can match their influence should
push come to shove.

The writing is already on the wall; on May 13, 2014, the ADL issued a
statement trying to clarify its position on the Armenian Genocide.
However, the angry tone of the statement is more of a warning than an
apology or clarification. By reiterating its statement of August 22,
2008, the new statement says, “We are deeply concerned by ongoing
questions about our organization’s position with regard to the
Armenian Genocide. The ADL has never denied the tragic and painful
events perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians and we
have referred to those massacres as genocide. All of the ADL’s
anti-hate programs classify genocide as the ultimate crime against
humanity.”

Although there is an explicit acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide,
there is no denial of Mr. Foxman’s or the ADL’s active role against
Armenian Genocide resolutions in Congress. Instead, there is a stern
warning which should be taken very seriously: “There is simply no
basis for the false accusation that we engage in any form of denial
and we believe this characterization of the ADL crosses the boundary
of acceptable criticism into the category of demonization.”

A more ominous echo comes all the way from Jerusalem. Normally the
press in Israel is very favorable to the Armenian cause but an article
published in the Jerusalem Post on May 18 by a novice called Tal
Buenos is vitriolic. Under the title of “Abraham Foxman’s Good Name,”
the writer not only defends his mentor but also attacks virulently the
basic facts of the Armenian Genocide, generously borrowing words and
statements from the official Turkish denialist lexicon.

One of the writer’s laughable statements goes like this: “Foxman is
not a denier. He has never refused to recognize existing facts about
the Armenian tragedy of World War I. On the contrary, he has expressed
genuine interest in learning more facts about what has happened.”

If Mr. Foxman has yet to learn the facts about the Armenian Genocide
after 126 Holocaust and Genocide scholars affirmed the
incontrovertible fact of the Armenian Genocide on June 6, 2007, it is
too late for him to catch up. Besides, if he does not have all the
facts about the issue, why is he campaigning against a cause that he
does not know enough about?

It is very difficult to isolate a single quote statement from Mr.
Buenos’ article, because he offers many gems. The following statement
seems to have been borrowed from Prof. Ahmet Davutoglu’s history
lessons: “It is only through the study of authentic documents that one
may formulate an informed opinion on whether the Ottoman government
acted with the intention to destroy the Armenian people — as the
genocide label would warrant –or in consideration of wartime
necessities to clear vulnerable areas within its territory of a
population whose leaders were colluding with the enemy.”

Mr. Buenos, as a PhD candidate in political science, does not have
enough sense that his same argument may turn against him and may be
used by unscrupulous people in the Holocaust narrative.

One scathing view is the following: “In a dramatic twist, the term
genocide has become a burden on the memory of the Holocaust.”

Then he continues his denials by upholding the uniqueness of the
Holocaust and accuses the Armenians of the very sin that he is in the
process of committing: that the Armenians are politicizing the
Genocide agenda.

Ironically, there is not much about Mr. Foxman in the entire article,
which seems to have been ordered by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

With Israel’s participation, the confrontation has been turning very
ugly and certainly counterproductive. The debate must not pit Jews
against Armenians, genocide against the Holocaust, because then we
will be the certain losers.

Spearheading a political movement is healthy. The fact that we do not
generate enough mobilization undermines the strength of the leaders.
Comparing and contrasting the Genocide and the Holocaust is a
dangerous game. Each case should be analyzed based on their own
circumstances. Otherwise, the exercise undermines the moral foundation
of each case. Both have to be elevated to a universal realm in order
to uphold their lessons for a global audience.

There is an old saying in Armenian which is still topical: Sahman
kachats zenen yuriants, in the classical Armenian, which literally
means, the boundary of the valiants is the extent of their weapons.
Interpreted, it says that overextension may be counter productive but
above all, let’s not stir the hornet’s nest.

Arrested Azerbaijani journalist Rauf Mirkadirov’s father dies after
search conducted without a lawyer

15:08 24/05/2014 >> SOCIETY

This morning in Baku, died Gabibulla Mirkadirov, father of famous
Azerbaijani journalist Rauf Mirkadirov who was accused of high
treason.

According to the agency, yesterday a search was conducted in the house
of the deceased. Earlier Gabibulla Mirkadirov published an open letter
to the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev about his
arrested son.

Yesterday the Azerbaijani news agency Turan reported that staff of the
investigation department for Grave Crimes of the Prosecutor General’s
Office searched the apartment of the parents of the imprisoned
journalist of the newspaper Ayna-Zerkalo, Rauf Mirkadirov, without
lawyers on May 23, the journalist’s lawyer Fuad Agayev told Turan,
noting that the search was conducted where Mirkadyrov had not lived
for a very long time.

As Turan notes the father of Mirkadirov is already 84 years old. His
“two parents suffer from various diseases.”

In the search were involved the investigator of the investigation
department and three operatives with two witnesses. Nothing of value
to the investigation was found.

As for the investigation of the journalist, according to the lawyer,
it has been completed.

Moreover, Azerbaijan portal “Haqqn.az” reported that a search was
conducted in the apartment of Rauf Mirkadirov’s mother-in-law. The
journalist’s lawyer, Fuad Agayev, was surprised at this fact, as
Mirkadirov had never lived in this apartment.
Note that Rauf Mirkadirov, columnist of Azerbaijani newspaper
“Zerkalo”, was arrested on April 18 in Ankara on charges of expiration
of documents. On April 19 Mirkadirov was deported to Azerbaijan, where
he immediately was arrested and put in custody by the MNS on suspicion
of treason. On April 21 the court in Baku sanctioned his arrest for
three months. Mirkadirov is accused of the cooperation with special
services of Armenia; specifically he is accused of making the
transfers of the state secret information, including those about the
dislocation of Azerbaijani Armed forces to Armenia during 2008-2009.

Russian helicopter squadron will be deployed at Armenia’s Erebuni
airfield – Photos

May 24, 2014 | 01:18

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan held talks on Friday with his
Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu.

During the meeting, Sergey Shoygu offered to sign an intergovernmental
agreement on the deployment of Russian military base points in
Armenia, which implies, in particular, to deployment of a helicopter
squadron of the Russian Air Forces at Armenia’s Erebuni airfield.

The parties also discussed the state and prospects of bilateral
military and military-technical cooperation and exchanged views on a
number of security issues in the Caucasus, Russian Defense Ministry’s
press service reported.

They examined the areas of cooperation to maintain peace and stability
in the region in the short and medium term, the report says. The
Ministers noted positive dynamics in strengthening cooperation between
the defense ministries of the two countries and expressed mutual
interest in its further development .

Flag blessing and prayers for the Republic of Armenia across churches in Canada

13:50 24.05.2014

By the order of Bishop Meghrig Parikian, Prelate, Prelacy churches
across Canada will offer prayers and bless the tricolor flag on the
occasion of the 96th anniversary of the first Armenian Republic and
the 23rd anniversary of the current Republic of Armenia this Sunday,
May 25. Requiem service will be offered for the souls of the fallen
heroes of Sardarabad, Bashabaran, Gharakilise, and the new martyrs of
the struggle for Artsakh.

The official definition of the colors, as stated in the Constitution
of the Republic of Armenia, is: “The Red emblematizes the Armenian
Highland, the Armenian people’s continued struggle for survival,
maintenance of the Christian faith, Armenia’s independence and
freedom. The Blue emblematizes the will of the people of Armenia to
live beneath peaceful skies. The Orange emblematizes the creative
talent and hard-working nature of the people of Armenia.”

Statement by Serzh Sargsyan at 15th convention of Republican Party of Armenia

14:00 24/05/2014 >> POLITICS

Today, the President of Armenia and the Chairman of the Republican
Party of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan participated in the 15th convention of
RPA where he made a statement.

Statement by President of Armenia and Chairman of RPA Serzh Sargsyan
at 15th Convention of RPA

Dear republicans,
Honorable guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The Convention of the Republican Party of Armenia is one of the most
important political events of our country, and except touching upon
intra-party matters it will also adopt positions on a number of
national issues.

At the outset, I would like to speak about the Party. About 2 years
have passed since the previous convention. Throughout this time, the
Party has kept on strengthening, crystallizing and expanding; the same
persistent work – the everyday work – is being carried out from Melik
Adamyan Street to Meghri or Tashir. The Party is continuously
developing. The structures, as well as the vertical and horizontal
relationships between these structures become firmer, and this is
indeed obvious.

The perception of the Republican Party among our society, especially
among the young generation is being changed. The Party is becoming one
of the key channels through which active citizens can deliver their
abilities and ideas to various sectors of social life and achieve a
higher level of self-realization. This is the reason we have ensured
such a serious recruitment process at the Party. In spite of purging
our membership roll periodically and not hesitating to fire different
people from the Party, it continues to grow consistently.

Yes, the Republican Party is the ruling political force which
initiates and carries out almost all fundamental reforms in our
country by facing short-lived discontents arising against them. At the
same time, the Republican Party is gradually strengthening its
positions in all communities thereby becoming a guide for communal
life and a real respondent to existing problems, a respondent in word
and deed. The striking illustration of this is the results of all the
elections conducted since our last convention, especially the
elections of local self-governing bodies in different communities in
which the Republican Party has gained convincing victories continuing
to lay down a firm foundation for coming works and victories.

Our party is consistently promoting its international ties as well.
Being a member of the EPP, the RPA has actively participated in EPP
events – conventions, summits, political congresses and others. We
have advanced our relations with a number of EPP member European
parties from Germany, France, Spain, Greece and Cyprus.

Our relations with United Russia Party have risen to a new level –
reciprocal visits, joint events, political contacts. One phase of
Eurasian inter-party consultations initiated jointly with United
Russia has taken place in Yerevan.

In addition, the contacts with the Communist Party of China have been
intensified.

The Republican Party of Armenia utilizes these international contacts
to pursue the national and vital interests of Armenia and Armenian
people, as well as to achieve consolidation of democracy and
modernization of party building.

This is the present reality. However, it does not mean that we are
satisfied with the development rate of the Party. In contrast to
organizational and structural reinforcement works, we are far from
organizing meaningful discussions and building vertical ideological
channels. I see serious unrealized potential here.

The Republican Party is the largest and densest social structure of
our country which is represented in all populated areas and is present
in all population groups, even in smallest ones. This offers a
powerful and natural opportunity to deliver ideas and projects
formulated in Yerevan to everywhere, test them with all our citizens,
examine and bring them back in an enriched form. Moreover, this is the
best mechanism to crystallize the concerns of all social layers
through the party channel, work out and include them in the ongoing
policy agenda. The peasant of Tavush’s Gosh village Artsrun Hovsepyan
should not worry about who to apply and how to do it in order to have
the issue of his house damaged from a landslide addressed, but should
look for a republican living in his amidst being confident that the
latter will help him to put his various concerns on the current policy
agenda.

Possessing this powerful party mechanism, we should give a new impulse
to the abovementioned line of action. It implies persistent work, and
I think that one year is enough to accomplish it.

This is all about inter-party works. Now, I want to talk about the
political landscape and the present and future role of the Republican
Party in that landscape.

It is clear that the evolution of the political landscape and the
civil society in Armenia mirrors the free competition of existing
tendencies, ideas and parties having those ideas. A very interesting
and rich mosaic picture has been formed with little free space on it.
That situation is perfectly represented in the Armenian parliament
which acts as a comprehensive political system.

Naturally, this reality forces us to consolidate, and to tell the
truth, it inevitably results in consolidation. This is true both in
case of the opposition and the ruling party. Moreover, this is a
pivotal achievement on the road to building a modern state.

I think that the ruling party and the opposition are not enemies no
matter how much they criticize each other; even if our citizens get
such an impression produced by wide coverage of passionate political
debates. We do not have to share our homeland; rather than we should
complement each other in order to protect our fatherland and make it
prosperous.

The ruling political party and the opposition are like two hands of a
man; both are necessary because each one performs a clear function.
The mutilation of one does not strengthen the other; the man merely
becomes disabled.

The Republican Party will exclude the prospect of such an event for
our state. It will keep on strengthening its position and role in our
country. However, this should not be done at the expense of other
political forces. Furthermore, the Republican Party will encourage
other political players to unite clearly realizing that teamwork,
crystallization and cohesion are objective imperatives for our
development.

In order to strengthen and promote the political landscape, we will
continue to heal it of its bile, hatred and skepticism. We will shape
our policy based on correctness and respect expecting the same of
other political forces.

I perfectly understand that today’s ruling political force, as well as
the other political parties, is too far to satisfy all the demands of
our citizens regarding the political system. I perfectly understand
(by this I refer to us only in order not to offend others) that we
have not been able to meet simple peoples’ expectations time after
time, we have often tired them out with our clamor, political debates
have been perceived as being idle logomachies, while party competition
being contests end in themselves and having nothing to do with
peoples’ expectations. All of this is very clear. However, we should
understand that implanting a well-functioning political system in our
country is as laborious and time consuming a process as establishing
let us say a government system.

Of course, our state has made huge progress along this road. It is
impossible to compare the present political system with what it was 10
or 20 years ago. Now we are in an absolutely different situation.
However, it is clear that we still have a lot to do both in terms of
promoting the stability and transparency of political parties and
establishing a classic bipolar political system. I mean not only
finding constitutional and legislative solutions but also building up
relevant traditions.

Honorable colleagues,

It is a matter of a plain fact that Armenia’s political forces already
start positioning and repositioning for the 2017-2018 elections.
Everybody does this either latently or publicly. I consider it natural
that the opposition parties are already busy with getting prepared for
the coming parliamentary and presidential elections.

The positions, responsibilities and objectives of the ruling party are
completely different. The coming 3-4 years offer us a great
opportunity to work and make our country move forward. This is exactly
what we are going to do. We still have time until the coming of the
next state elections. We should still ensure the security of Armenia
and Artsakh, as well as sustain economic, social and political
development. We are obliged to make the most of this time period.

Furthermore, in case when the opposition can take part in elections
without real achievements and ruthlessly criticize the authorities,
the ruling party can’t afford such a luxury. The coming years are
going to be very important. For us, they are going to be years of
diligence and concrete outcomes. Everyday work and positive results;
here is the best way to conduct propaganda for a ruling party.

A lot of things in the world do not depend on us, but a lot of things
in our country do depend on us. No force can accomplish more in
Armenia than we, the republicans (at least today). Thus, we should not
deviate from our course and be obsessed with intra-party debates. I am
exhorting you to fight less and work more.

I do not mean that the Republican Party should avoid giving
explanations about its steps. On the contrary, it is our duty to
report and go into details of what we do and why. However, it should
not be done in the form of a campaign. We should not allow the entire
society to be pulled into the pre-election turmoil before the time has
come. It is hard to expect good things to happen when a whole country
is solely concentrated on a political struggle leaving all things
aside.

We will embark on a different road. The government program is ready.
It is an entire complex of interconnected measures directed to proceed
with implementing current reforms, backing manufacturers, creators and
villagers, giving new impulses to small and medium business
development and encouraging honest work.

Taking into consideration the global economic trends and the negative
impulses produced by key markets, the government program has slightly
reduced the economic growth target for subsequent years in order to
raise the level of effective risk management. However, I am sure that
the government will make great efforts at achieving much higher real
results and exceeding the target indicators.

We have seriously examined all our subsequent steps. Mr. Hovik
Abrahamyan has already managed to create positive expectations towards
the government activities with his experience, management skills and
working style. I am confident that everybody, including our
businessmen, workers and peasants, teachers and doctors, will always
be in the focus of the state’s attention. Today the government is
strong and confident and enjoys the support of the Republican Party of
Armenia.

Moreover, there is great responsibility put on the shoulders of the
government members. Their work is going to be measured by concrete
results, as well as by their devotion and diligence toward work. There
are not indispensable persons. Officials neglecting their duties will
be rapidly replaced. Our human resources reserve is multiple times as
large as some people can imagine.

We have defined a new level of responsibility for the activities of
our party members included in local self-governing bodies. All in all,
we are going to pay greater attention to the activities of local
self-governing bodies. Those are primary governing links, and people
expect the so called “state support” first and foremost of local
authorities. The intensive engagement of republicans in this sector is
constantly growing. Consequently, the party channels should promote
much more effective activities regarding the circulation of
initiatives and ideas and supplying them to self-governing links.

Dear republicans,

Coming years are going to be a period of expanding our economic
potential and promoting the public welfare. This is unequivocal. We
will continue to take clear steps and make utmost efforts in that
direction. There will be positive changes concerning both the
promotion of economic management and enlargement of consumer markets.

We have already entered the final phase of becoming a member of the
Customs Union. We expect the Customs Union’s large market to stimulate
our economic growth and are confident that our investment and export
growth rates will be considerably higher. In addition, we are also
going to take individual approaches towards our businessmen and
foreign investors.

The social and economic growth of our country is closely related to
systemic changes. In this regard, the constitutional amendments will
be of essential importance. Those amendments will give completely new
incentives for establishing a stable democratic system in our country
and building a lawful state. We should state clearly and with
self-criticism that more than two decades after gaining independence,
for both objective and subjective reasons, we still can’t assert
unequivocally that we have laid down a firm foundation for our
democracy, have ensured protection of human rights, as well as
independency and impartiality of our courts.

All of us should plainly understand that the stable democracy and the
lawful state are the pillars of our national security. We have no
alternative. Accordingly, the constitutional amendments should help us
fulfill this end purpose.

Our political system has a great need for modernization. It is
over-personified and over-centralized. There is an obvious
disproportion between the real power volume of various bodies and
their political responsibility. The system of the executive branch is
imperfect, lacks a solid internal logic, as well as a clear division
of functions and powers. All of this is quite detrimental to effective
management and the level of public confidence toward the activities of
state officials.

You are aware that the Commission for Constitutional Amendments has
proposed, inter alia, to make a transition to the parliamentary system
of government. Regardless of my preferences, we should make this issue
a subject of serious and impartial discussions, beyond all kinds of
circumstantial speculations. I do not accept the approaches of the
political forces and figures who suddenly decided that there is no
need to amend the Constitution forgetting the fact that until quite
recently they affirmatively demanded the alteration of the political
system. I reaffirm once again what I said at the meeting with the
members of the Commission for Constitutional Amendments: “People,
political forces and today’s passing interests are all short-lived;
the Constitution is for generations.”

The radical changes of any political system are closely related to the
judicial system. All of us should clearly understand that we can
neither ensure secure protection of human rights nor a safe investment
environment without an independent and impartial judicial system.
Thus, one of the primary objectives of the constitutional amendments
is to find up to date and lasting solutions to the existing judicial
issues.

These questions are of primary importance, and they should become a
subject of examination at all levels in our party. We do not have much
time, and I expect that already in summer, the RPA Executive Body will
have an opportunity to scrutinize summaries regarding the results of
such active discussions.

Dear republicans,

Regardless of anything, the primary objective for the coming years,
our present and future objective, is to ensure the security of Armenia
and Artsakh. 20 years have passed since the ceasefire agreement. Yet
for both the victor and the loser the war is not over; it continues on
a different platform. The victor knows well the price of victory paid
with blood and losses during the imposed war. The loser is filled with
a devastating fury to regain a victory; a fury which deprives him of
reason and a desire to conduct constructive negotiations.

Today our neighbor who lost the war launched on his own initiative
tries to wage an information war by editing the history with an axe
and distorting the reality. Bankrupt on the ideological platform, he
prefers form over content, gradually increasing his expenditures on
armaments. Many of you sitting here have enjoyed the taste of victory
and will agree that the war is won not by bullets but by people,
especially by their character, their will, their convictions, their
faith and most importantly their love for freedom. It is won by
citizens, the proud and responsible citizens of our fatherland, united
not around party membership, taste, preferences or pocket contents but
round the conviction of a fair cause.

According to numerous international grades, our neighbor builds an
authoritarian and militarized society, conducting Armenophobic
propaganda day and night and instilling hatred and hostility in his
society.

We know that the militarization of a society reaches an impasse. A
pluralistic society where everyone is free to express his ideas, where
freedom of speech is guaranteed and acceptable decisions are made as a
result of preoccupied debates on essential and main issues, is viable
and strong. We are on the way to building such a society. With all our
shortcomings, we have already covered a long road in this direction.
Likewise, we will continue to fortify the border, strengthen our state
and reinforce our society in coming years.

The development of political and social relations in our country has
entered a completely new phase. We are witnessing processes which are
difficult to perceive at first sight, but are utterly changing the
meaning and rules of those relations. Today, all projects having
public importance succeed only when they are accomplished by stable
institutional units. The role of purposeful movements in social arena
and the role of large and organized parties in political arena are
rising.

This tendency will keep on advancing. There is no alternative to this.
It is driven by the maturity of time and our society. As a result, the
decreasing role of even the brightest personalities will free up space
for group engagement.

With their engagement level and wide availability, large parties
become guides for adjusting political developments and almost nullify
such phenomena as “Hi, I am this and I have come to master you.” The
political landscape makes a transition to the horizontal management
model in which inclusive institutions become key players.

Not seeing these trends means to lag behind the time. Moreover, we
will keep on stimulating the way our political and social landscape
develops. This is the best method to achieve effective democracy and
to raise the self-actualization level of each Armenian citizen.

During protests we can sometimes hear young men chanting these
wonderful words: “We are the lawful masters of our country.” This is
of course a very inspiring fact. We should make each citizen feel
himself the master of his country and realize this possibility
effectively. Citizens’ convictions and protests can be realized
through civil society movements when they are given open opportunities
to be actively engaged in social processes. Citizens’ convictions and
their ideas about state policy can also be realized in the political
landscape through the availability of inclusive and active party
channels. The idea of an omniscient and savior leader is futile, and
leads to a completely different place. People are well aware of it.
Progress is not made by sitting and expecting the president or the
prime minister to appear and tell us what we should do. There is no
such a truth.

Progress is made through unification, combination of opinions, ideas
and discontents, as well as through effective mechanisms allowing us
to highlight them, work out and accomplish. This is exactly the road
along which Armenia has advanced at least for the last few years.

The Republican Party of Armenia dominates the political landscape and
is the largest political structure. Accordingly, our party has to
fulfill a twofold objective. Firstly, it should contribute to
developing and crystallizing the political landscape, as well as to
ensuring equal opportunities to promote political parties and
establish a classic bipolar political system.

Secondly, the development of the Republican Party should not fall
behind the time. Our party will continue to grow stronger accompanied
by the reinforcement of the party-society relations. We should give a
new impulse to intra-party democracy and foster meaningful involvement
of women’s and youth organizations. Along the continuous growth of
bottom-up information channels the people working at 2 Melik Adamyan
Street should pay greater attention to analytic components. We should
make this and multiple other goals our work priorities.

In coming years the entire political system will be overloaded with
work. The ruling party should stimulate this process by continuously
channeling filtered and developed ideas in order to test policy
results on the spot and ensure feedback.

Dear republicans,

Concluding my speech, I call you to get ready for serious and hard
work. The ideas and projects we intend to bring to life, and the steps
we intend to undertake, are of vital importance for our country and
people. The reputation of our party, as well as of the whole country
depends on it. Being the largest party in Armenia is not a reason for
relaxing and filling with unwarranted self-confidence. On the
contrary, we should constantly reaffirm our position as a leading
party with our work, devotion and purposefulness.

I wish all of us effective activities for the glory of our fatherland
and for the welfare of our people.

Thank you for your attention.

EGYPT COULD BE BEHIND MAVI MARMARA CRISIS, FORMER TURKISH ENVOY SUGGESTS

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
May 23 2014

ISTANBUL
by Barcın Yinanc

Oguz Celikkol, who was the Turkish ambassador to Israel during the Mavi
Marmara crisis, voices his suspicion about Egyptian manipulation in
the crisis after it was revealed that a member of Egyptian intelligence
was on the boat

One of the passengers on an aid flotilla raided by Israeli commandos
four years ago is suspected of being a member of Egyptian intelligence,
raising the possibilities of Cairo’s involvement in the deadly
incident that brought Turkish-Israeli relations to an all-time low,
according to Ankara’s then-envoy to Israel.

The Egyptian spy agency member might have exaggerated to Israeli
forces the existence of weapons on the Mavi Marmara, Oguz Celikkol
has said in a new book out today. Nine Turks were killed when Israeli
forces landed on the ship on May 31, 2010.

“I need to mention an incident during the evacuation efforts that
I still cannot explain fully,” Celikkol said in the book, “From One
Minute to the Mavi Marmara.”

Celikkol received instructions from Ankara to send every Turkish
national and those belonging to other nationalities who survived the
attack from Israel to Turkey. However, the embassy received information
that an Egyptian who boarded the plane in Israel disembarked at the
last moment. Israeli officials told the embassy that the Egyptian
left the plane of his own accord and was collected by an official
from Egypt’s embassy in Tel Aviv, preparatory to being sent to Egypt.

“Yet the information we received later indicated that person to be
a member of the Egyptian intelligence organization and that he left
the plane upon instructions coming from Cairo,” wrote Celikkol.

The former diplomat said it was well-known that Egypt cooperated
intensively with Israel in the implementation of a tight embargo
imposed on Gaza. Since it was routine for Omar Suleiman, the head
of the Egyptian intelligence service, to frequently visit Israel,
particular attention was not attached to a visit he made just a week
prior to the Mavi Marmara incident, said Celikkol.

“Yet some information we received later showed that Omar Suleiman
talked about the Gaza flotilla during this visit. The fact that Omar
Suleiman talked about the Mavi Marmara issue during this visit and the
presence of an Egyptian intelligence officer on the ship reveal the
probability that the intelligence agency of the [Hosni] Mubarak regime
could have given wrong and exaggerated information to Israel about the
ship, those present on the ship and even the presence of weapons and
armed militants on the ship. It is understood that Israeli soldiers
might have been in the conviction that there were weapons and armed
people on the ship while they were attacking the ship and that they
searched for weapons and were surprised when no weapons were found,”
wrote Celikkol.

According to Celikkol, Egypt had some reasons to scuttle
Turkish-Israeli relations, including worries about Turkey’s increasing
visibility in the Middle East and its rhetoric aspiring to be a leader
for Arab nations. Egypt might have even sought to produce a physical
conflict between the two countries.

Celikkol also recounted how the Turkish side told the Israeli side
to act in restraint about the flotilla, saying the convoy wanted
to attract international attention and that it would divert to an
Egyptian port at the last minute. The message was given to Israeli
officials many times.

The former envoy was also part of the notorious “low-seat crisis”
when he was received in a lower seat by Danny Ayalon, the Israeli
deputy foreign minister at that time, before the Mavi Marmara incident.

Speaking about the crisis in detail, Celikkol said it was a plot
engineered by Ayalon, even though the latter used to have very close
relations with the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv. When Celikkol started
working in Israel, the information he received about Ayalon was that
he frequently visited the Turkish embassy before he was elected as
a parliamentarian and appointed deputy minister.

A company Ayalon founded with Dov Weissglas, one of the advisers of
former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, conducted lobbying activities
to counter initiatives against Turkey by Armenian lobbies in United
States and Latin America, Celikkol wrote in his book, adding that a
large amount of money was paid to Ayalon’s companies.

May/23/2014

PRESSURE, POLITICS, PERSISTENCE, PAYOFF

Friday, May 23rd, 2014

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

What’s worse than a Genocide denier? A smug Genocide denier!

What warms an Armenian heart? A smug Genocide denier reformed (even
if only superficially).

Of course I’m referring to two time SpitRain Award (my irregularly
bequeathed commendation for shamelessness) winner Abe Foxman, National
Director of the Anti-Defamation League. In his speech at Suffolk
University Law School’s (Boston, Mass.), it seems he finally stopped
denying the Armenian Genocide. He said, “Had there been people of
courage to act in 1915 when the Armenian Genocide was taking place,
had there been international intervention when massacres in Cambodia,
Bosnia, and the genocide in Rwanda were happening, innocent lives in
great numbers could have been saved.”

Of course, this is him speaking, and it is only a passing reference.

The ADL, which he represents, has been just as duplicitous,
so before I fully warm the cockles of my heart, I want to see a
similar, unequivocal, acknowledgement by the organization. Hell, for
that matter, I want to see something more substantive from Foxman,
too. As a reminder, in 2007, they released a statement in which the
“consequences” of Turkish actions in 1915 were described as “tantamount
to genocide”– double-speak for “we’re supporting Turkish denialism”
since consequences do not carry the intent required for killings to
qualify as genocide (a nuance I had missed when first writing about
this matter years ago).

I write all this in spite of the ADL’s statement released just before
Foxman was to speak at Suffolk, in which all they do, really, is
reference and re-release their 2008 statement (intended to “correct”
the 2007 statement), which in turn refers to even older (unspecified,
uncited) acknowledgements of the Armenian Genocide.

If they’re sincere, and if they’re not continuing their Orwellianism,
why not simply say something like: “We want to clear up our stance
on the Armenian Genocide once and for all. The mass murders and
deportations of the 1915-1923 period constitute genocide and the
denialism that has characterized official Turkish behavior is the
final stage of that same genocide.” That should be it. No subsequent
backpedaling language about how a Congressional resolution would be
counterproductive. No other too-clever-by-a-half language to water
down the statement. Just a clean acknowledgement.

If your head is spinning from all the self-referential statements
that ultimately lead nowhere, I don’t blame you. So let’s move on to
what we can learn from the last seven years.

Of course none of this would have happened if various factors
hadn’t woven a web to catch the fly of denial. The first of these was
pressure. We on the West Coast were not as impacted as our compatriots
on the East Coast where many more jurisdictions were using the ADL’s
“No Place for Hate” program that schools sometimes include in their
curriculum. These jurisdictions provided opportunities to go after the
program to expose the ADL’s hypocrisy when this issue first became big
back in 2007. Ultimately, numerous governments chose to disaffiliate
with it. More recently, a candidate for a judgeship in Massachusetts
was ultimately denied appointment, in part because of his affiliation
with the ADL and its two-faced Armenian Genocide policies. Finally,
when it became known that Foxman was to be the commencement speaker
at Suffolk, a petition initiated by some students, National Lawyers
Guild chapter (in the Los Angeles area, you can hear their radio show
on KPFK 90.7 FM, Thursdays at 3:00 pm), and alumni from Suffolk was
also strongly supported by Armenian efforts.

Meanwhile, relations between Israel and Turkey continue to be
strained. This eliminates, or reduces, some of the incentives for
American Jewish organizations to be in bed with Turkey and engage in
Armenian Genocide denial or opposition to a commemorative resolution
passing in Congress. And boy-oh-boy was the ADL in bed with Turkey.

Just review some of the Jewish media’s reporting and the organization’s
own press releases. Foxman, along with others, has even met with
Erdogan, Gul, and more of Turkey’s leaders. The coolness between the
two countries has now existed for over half a decade in some form
for one reason or another (e.g. Gaza, Mavi Marmara, leaders’ egos).

Throughout these seven years, the ADL/Foxman denial club has been
on the receiving end of persistent, if not necessarily very strong,
criticism for its denial, as evident from the examples above, including
occasional articles in the media.

Finally, the pressure, politics, and persistence paid off in the form
of Foxman’s May 17 remarks. Who knows, his upcoming July 20 retirement
from the ADL may even have something to do with it. This carries a
very important lesson. We have many cynics and pessimists among us
who seem convinced that nothing we do matters because everything
is controlled by omnipotent “powers that be” who are untouchable,
impervious to any influence but their own mighty will. This teaches us
the value of applying unrelenting pressure (much as has the progress
in Turkey regarding awareness of the Genocide). The pressure must be
persistent. Otherwise, it’s easy to lose credibility in the court of
public opinion. Then, when the political conditions ripen, the desired
result may be achieved. This is not unlike how Armenia regained its
independence, or the changes triggered by the self-immolation of a
street vendor in Tunisia that brought on the not-necessarily-very-sunny
Arab Spring.

Now, it’s time for more pressure, polite, persistent, pragmatic… all
to push the ADL, and others of its co-denialists, to fully, clearly,
unquestionably, part company with Turkey’s government. The context of
the 100th anniversary may provide the opportunity for these groups,
and even governments, to be more forthcoming.

We’re not done yet. Get to work. Let your Jewish friends know you
want and need their support.

WHO ARE THE HOLY LAND’S CHRISTIANS?

Ha’aratz, Israel
May 22 2014

Their numbers, where they live, what denominations they belong to,
and what their relationship to Pope Francis is.

By Danna Harman

When Pope Francis arrives at Ben-Gurion Airport on Sunday he will be
following in the footsteps of countless Christian pilgrims before
him, who, ever since the 4th century, have been making the journey
to this land — to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, seek blessings,
ask for penance, give thanks or simply breath in a little holy air.

But, while millions upon millions of Christian visitors over the years
will have walked down the Via Dolorosa, lit candles in the Church
of the Holy Sepulchre, or bowed their heads to pray in the Church
of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives — the number of
Christians who actually make their permanent home in Israel or the
West Bank today is relatively small.

According to latest statistics from the Central Bureau of Statistics,
there are currently about 161,000 Christians official residents in
Israel — about 2.1 percent of the general population.

Most of these men, women and children — about 75 percent — live
in the western Galilee, concentrated in the cities of Haifa (with
some 14,000 Christians) and Nazareth (22,500), as well as in smaller
villages such as Shfaram and Kfar Yasif. Other large communities
of several thousand each live in Jaffa and west Jerusalem. The only
completely Christian villages in the entire Middle East, according
to the Foreign Ministry, are in Israel too: Ma’aliya and Fassuta in
northern Israel.

Meanwhile, it is estimated there are today anywhere between
25,000-35,000 Christians in the West Bank — notably in Bethlehem and
Ramallah — and another approximately 12,000 live in East Jerusalem,
a sum total of about 2 percent of the Palestinian population beyond
the Green Line. In Gaza, there are but 3,000 Christians, who make up
less than one percent of the population there.

The majority of all these Christians (more than 80 percent in Israel
and practically all in the West Bank and Gaza) are Arabs. And many,
or even most, of them — including those holding Israeli citizenship —
identify as Palestinians.

Outside of the Arab-Christian population, the Christians in Israel
are a mix, with the largest group being Christian immigrants from the
former Soviet Union – possibly as many as 23,000- who arrived in this
country in the 1990s together with Jewish relatives. Another large
group, whose precise numbers are not known, are the foreign workers,
asylum seekers and refugees from Asia, Africa and elsewhere.

Other, smaller Christian groups in Israel include the approximately
7,000 Maronites of Syrian origin living in the Galilee; The communities
of Messianic Jews and Hebrew Catholics — estimated to be sWhen Pope
Francis arrives at Ben-Gurion Airport on Sunday he will be following
in the footsteps of countless Christian pilgrims before him, who, ever
since the 4th century, have been making the journey to this land —
to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, seek blessings, ask for penance,
give thanks or simply breath in a little holy air.

But, while millions upon millions of Christian visitors over the years
will have walked down the Via Dolorosa, lit candles in the Church
of the Holy Sepulchre, or bowed their heads to pray in the Church
of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives — the number of
Christians who actually make their permanent home in Israel or the
West Bank today is relatively small.

According to latest statistics from the Central Bureau of Statistics,
there are currently about 161,000 Christians official residents in
Israel — about 2.1 percent of the general population.

Most of these men, women and children — about 75 percent — live
in the western Galilee, concentrated in the cities of Haifa (with
some 14,000 Christians) and Nazareth (22,500), as well as in smaller
villages such as Shfaram and Kfar Yasif. Other large communities
of several thousand each live in Jaffa and west Jerusalem. The only
completely Christian villages in the entire Middle East, according
to the Foreign Ministry, are in Israel too: Ma’aliya and Fassuta in
northern Israel.

Meanwhile, it is estimated there are today anywhere between
25,000-35,000 Christians in the West Bank — notably in Bethlehem and
Ramallah — and another approximately 12,000 live in East Jerusalem,
a sum total of about 2 percent of the Palestinian population beyond
the Green Line. In Gaza, there are but 3,000 Christians, who make up
less than one percent of the population there.

The majority of all these Christians (more than 80 percent in Israel
and practically all in the West Bank and Gaza) are Arabs. And many,
or even most, of them — including those holding Israeli citizenship —
identify as Palestinians.

Outside of the Arab-Christian population, the Christians in Israel
are a mix, with the largest group being Christian immigrants from the
former Soviet Union – possibly as many as 23,000- who arrived in this
country in the 1990s together with Jewish relatives. Another large
group, whose precise numbers are not known, are the foreign workers,
asylum seekers and refugees from Asia, Africa and elsewhere.

Other, smaller Christian groups in Israel include the approximately
7,000 Maronites of Syrian origin living in the Galilee; The communities
of Messianic Jews and Hebrew Catholics — estimated to be somewhere
around 6,000; And of course the communities of nuns, priests, monks
and other religious officials who have made Israel or the West Bank
their home specifically to serve in the various churches, seminaries
and monasteries here.

About 45 percent of all the Christians in Israel and the West Bank
belong to communities that are in communion with Rome, and, as such,
accept the rubric of the Catholic Church, says Rabbi David Rosen,
International Director of Interreligious Affairs at the American Jewish
Committee, who received a papal knighthood for his contribution to
Jewish-Catholic reconciliation. Of these, the vast majority are members
of the Greek Catholic (or Melkite) Church, with others belonging to
the Roman Catholic (or Latin) Church or the Maronite community.

Most of the rest of the Christians in Israel and the West Bank are
members of the Greek Orthodox community who, like the other local
Orthodox communities, such as the Russian and Romanians, sided with
the Eastern Orthodox Churches in the schism with Rome in 1054 and as
such do not recognize the Pope as their leader.

The historic meeting in Jerusalem in 1964 between Pope Paul VI and
the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras — which
Pope Francis’ visit 50 years later comes to commemorate — marked
the beginning of reconciliation between these two patriarchates.

Other churches that function at the pleasure of the Greek Orthodox
Patriarchy and who have presences — if not real communities —
here include the Armenian, Coptic, and Ethiopian churches. And
finally, there are also an estimated 7,000-8,000 protestants in
Israel, among them Anglicans, Lutherans, Baptists, Pentecostals and
Presbyterians.omewhere around 6,000; And of course the communities
of nuns, priests, monks and other religious officials who have made
Israel or the West Bank their home specifically to serve in the
various churches, seminaries and monasteries here.

About 45 percent of all the Christians in Israel and the West Bank
belong to communities that are in communion with Rome, and, as such,
accept the rubric of the Catholic Church, says Rabbi David Rosen,
International Director of Interreligious Affairs at the American Jewish
Committee, who received a papal knighthood for his contribution to
Jewish-Catholic reconciliation. Of these, the vast majority are members
of the Greek Catholic (or Melkite) Church, with others belonging to
the Roman Catholic (or Latin) Church or the Maronite community.

Most of the rest of the Christians in Israel and the West Bank are
members of the Greek Orthodox community who, like the other local
Orthodox communities, such as the Russian and Romanians, sided with
the Eastern Orthodox Churches in the schism with Rome in 1054 and as
such do not recognize the Pope as their leader.

The historic meeting in Jerusalem in 1964 between Pope Paul VI and
the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras — which
Pope Francis’ visit 50 years later comes to commemorate — marked
the beginning of reconciliation between these two patriarchates.

Other churches that function at the pleasure of the Greek Orthodox
Patriarchy and who have presences — if not real communities — here
include the Armenian, Coptic, and Ethiopian churches. And finally,
there are also an estimated 7,000-8,000 protestants in Israel, among
them Anglicans, Lutherans, Baptists, Pentecostals and Presbyterians.

AMERIABANK AWARDED FOR DEAL OF THE YEAR IN 2013 BY EBRD

TendersInfo
May 21, 2014 Wednesday

FMO client Ameriabank has been awarded the Deal of the Year in 2013 by
European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The award was
presented during the EBRD s 2014 Annual Meeting and Business Forum on
Friday, 16 May 2014 as part of the Trade Facilitation Programme Annual
Event and Awards Ceremony. It is a great honor for us to receive
a special and the most prestigious award within Trade Facilitation
Programme by EBRD, while in 2013 Ameriabank was awarded as the Most
Active Issuing Bank, as well as First Confirming Bank in Armenia.

2013 Deal of the Year is a transaction concluded between Ameriabank
and Commerzbank and guaranteed by EBRD and FMO. The transaction had
a significant strategic goal at developing telecommunication sector
of Armenia.

Due to trust and good standing with international partners and in
line with a valuable collaboration with EBRD, Ameriabank continues its
active cooperation with such outstanding global institutions as IFC,
ADB, DEG, FMO and several major international commercial banks.

We are committed to maintaining our leading position in trade finance
in Armenia in 2014 and beyond.

About Ameria Group

Ameria Group is one of the first and most dynamically growing financial
institutions in the loca l market offering a range of financial
and advisory services. Ameria Group renders comprehensive financial
services to clients representing almost all the sectors of economy in
Armenia with key areas being: financial services, management advisory,
financial and legal advisory, investment banking, asset management,
private equity and property development services.

Ameria Group has 600 employees, around USD 820 million dollars in
assets, branches across the country and a representation in the
United States. Ameriabank became a champion by growth rates within
five years of operations acquiring top market position among its peers.

NEW ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT’S POLICY PROGRAM APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT

YEREVAN, May 22. / ARKA /. By a vote of 70 to 1 and 2 abstentions
Armenia’s National Assembly has passed today the government’s plan
of actions for 2014-2017.

The parliamentary minority represented by the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation/Dashnaktsutyun (ARF), the Armenian National Congress,
the Prosperous Armenia and the Heritage parties did not participate
in the voting. The plan was backed by members of the Republican Party
of Armenia that controls 70 seats in 131-member legislature.

Hrant Bagratyan from the oppositional Armenian National Congress and
Alexander Arzumanyan from Heritage participated in the voting but
abstained saying they saw ‘sound elements’ in the program.

Karen Botoyan from Country of Law said he had walked out from his
faction because of going to vote for the program.

The plan of actions calls for priority growth rate due to a 5 percent
medium-term growth from 2014 to 2017. It envisages also a gradual
rise of the minimum wage to 65,000 drams and reduction of poverty by
10 percentage point.

The 2014 budget approved earlier this year calls for a 5.2% GDP
growth. The minimum wage was raised lust summer to 45,000 drams and
according to official data; the poverty rate is above 32 percent now.

The new government’s program’s focus is on ensuring fair wages,
agricultural sector, small and medium-sized businesses, information
technology, tourism and many other areas. A special attention will be
paid also to proportional development of the regions of the country
as well as to ensuring an effective system for protection of human
rights and justice.

The new program offers a set of new tools designed to improve the
situation in such areas as social protection, health , education
and science.

Hovik Abrahamyan was appointed prime minister on April 13 replacing
former head of the government Tigran Sarkisian. According to
the Constitution, the new government was formed within twenty
days after the appointment of prime minister.-0- – See more at: