Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ANKARA’S CONDUCT MAKES KARABAKH SETTLEMENT PROCESS UNPREDICTABLE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.11.2009 18:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Moscow has recently hosted a conference on "Prospects
of New Security Structure in Europe: Russia and NATO". The event
organized by Just World Institute and German Friedrich Ebert Foundation
was attended by Head of Russian-Armenian Cooperation NGO Yuri Navoyan.

Discussion focused on new security structure in Europe, Russia and
NATO’s role, European Security Treaty, as well as pre-electoral
situation in Ukraine in terms of Russia’s security, drug trafficking
threats from Afghanistan and SCO’s role in ensuring regional security.

Touching on security in Caucuses, Navoyan dwelled on Armenian-Turkish
relations and Karabakh settlement process. Particularly, he pointed out
that certain clauses in RA-Turkish Protocols and Turkey’s attempts to
coerce Armenia into concessions complicate Karabakh settlement process.

At the current stage of international relations, Russia and West are
seeking to demonstrate their joint result in resolving one of the
region’s most complicated problems, Navoyan finds. Such situation,
according to him, may lead to inadequate decisions and pressures,
creating new challenges.
From: Baghdasarian

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, November 23, 2009

AGBU Young Professionals of California Unite at Lake Isabella

Los Angeles – Between October 23 and October 25, 2009, 25 Young
Professionals from the YP Los Angeles and YP Northern California
chapters of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) left their
respective big cities and met in Kernville, California, for a weekend of
"roughing it" with their peers. The "Armos in the Wild" weekend included
traditional activities such as bonfires, camping under the stars and a
full kebab dinner, as well as opportunities to go kayaking, mountain
biking, and participating in a guided tour of the sequoia trees, for
which the region is famous.

"The goal of this trip was to really join forces with other young
professionals from across the state, in hopes of future collaborative
efforts among young Armenians throughout California," stated Sevana
Melikian (YPLA), organizer of the "Armos in the Wild" weekend. "Many of
our events are local. We felt that spending a weekend under the stars,
in the middle of California, would be a nice way to do something a
little different and appreciate the natural beauty of the state." Narine
Zardarian, Chair of YPLA, included, "Whether people already knew each
other, or met in Kernville that Friday, it was apparent that by Sunday
morning, memories were made and bonds were formed. While we were a small
group, the campers represented a diverse cross section of the Armenian
community and that was probably the single greatest accomplishment of
this getaway."

The California young professionals hope this weekend will become an
annual tradition and give birth to more collaborative projects. Generous
sponsors for the weekend included Steve Hampar (of the AGBU Southern
California District Committee), Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, and the Ralphs
and Albertson’s Grocery Stores.

YPLA is the Los Angeles Chapter of the AGBU Young Professionals–a
growing network of individuals, between the ages of 22 and 40, who
individually and collectively mirror the AGBU’s mission to preserve and
promote Armenian identity and heritage by adding dimensions to the lives
of young professional Armenians through educational, cultural, social
and humanitarian programs.

YPLA puts on monthly activities including social-networking and
professional career-building events, signature weekend getaways, hiking
and camping trips, international video-conferences, service-oriented
activities targeted toward Armenian youth, benefit events, as well as
casual get-togethers, where up to 250 young Armenians can come together
to exchange ideas and get to know each other better. YPLA is always
looking for individuals who would like to volunteer their time either as
a board member or on an event-by-event basis. For more information on
how to get involved with YPLA, please contact: [email protected].

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.
From: Baghdasarian

Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting starts in Munich

NEWS.am

15:53 / 11/22/2009

The next round of talks between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents,
Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, has begun at the Consulate of France
in Munich, Germany. The talks are being held through the mediation of
the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Robert Bradtke (USA), Yuri Merzlyakov
(Russia) and Bernard Fassier (France).

The Azeri leader made strongly worded statements on the threshold of
the meeting. Specifically, he stated that the Munich meeting must play
a decisive role in the negotiation process. If the meeting fails to
produce any results, `we will abandon any hope for the negotiations,’
Aliyev said, without ruling out a settlement of the conflict by force.
In that case `we have not any other way out. We must be ready for
that,’ Aliyev said. He stressed that Azerbaijan has full right `to
liberate its lands.’
From: Baghdasarian

Pro Patria public movement calls for declaring November 22 a state holiday
20.11.2009 22:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Pro Patria national movement calls for declaring
November 22 – the day of signing Woodrow Wilson’s arbitral decision on
Armenian-Turkish border – a state holiday, movement representative
Marine Vahradyan said in Yerevan. `The day became decisive for
Armenia, so we have submitted our proposal to National Assembly,’ she
stressed.

Commenting on RA-Turkish Protocols, she said the most convincing view
in that regard was expressed by Head of Modus Vivendi analytical
center Ara Papyan. Sharing his position on documents, she pointed out
to the inadmissibility of recognizing Armenian-Turkish border as
stipulated in Kars Treaty. `The only international document on
recognizing the border is US President Woodrow Wilson’s arbitral
decision,’ she stressed.

In turn, Armenian studies expert Vazgen Vahradyan said, `We have a
powerful weapon to win Turkey. That’s international law which favors
Armenia’s interests.’ Addressing RA-Turkish Protocols, he said Armenia
doesn’t need to normalize relations with Turkey because bilateral ties
`are normal as it is’. `Our relations with such recidivist state are
deemed quite natural,’ he said, adding that bilateral ties
normalization would be possible only in case of Turkey’s recognizing
Armenian Genocide and eliminating its consequences. `I don’t need
Turkey’s apologies unless consequences of Genocide are abolished,’ he
added.
From: Baghdasarian

APA, Azerbaijan
Nov 21 2009

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev: `If Armenia lengthens time,
negotiations will be ended’

[ 21 Nov 2009 14:10 ]

* `If the next meeting with Armenian president does not give results,
our hopes for the negotiations will be ended not leaving other way for
us’

* `Decisions of international organizations and UN Charter allow us to
liberate our lands by military way’

Baku ` APA. `This injustice cannot be continued. How long will the
violation of international law continue? We show good will now. We
make concession participating in the negotiations’, said President
Ilham Aliyev in his speech during the opening of new settlement for
IDPs near Veyisli village of Gornaboy region, APA reports quoting
AzerTAC news agency. The president reminded that OSCE Minsk Group was
established in 1992 for liberation of Azerbaijani lands from the
occupation. `The Minsk Group was not established that to establish
second Armenian state in the historic land of Azerbaijan ` Nagorno
Karabakh. UN Security Council passed four resolutions. There is no
other organization in the world above the UN Security Council. If its
resolutions are not fulfilled, it means that the Security Council has
low influence or the norms of international law don’t work. If it is
so let everybody to know its work. If the international law doesn’t
work let us to know our work. We don’t violate any law. We are trying
to do everything within the law, within the norms of international
law. Following that OSCE summits passed decisions, which were not
fulfilled. What are we to do? Do we expect? How long? Why Azerbaijani
citizens cannot return to their homelands? Why population of Kelbajar
cannot return to Kelbajar? It is because Armenians don’t want that.
Why? What right they have to do that? These issues had to be solved
long ago. We want to solve it via negotiations, peacefully. On the
other hand, it is not correct to reconcile with this situation. How
long can we reconcile?’

President Ilham Aliyev said he would meet with Armenian president in
the next few days. `Sometimes these meetings are successful. But
Armenian side tries to lengthen the time sometimes. The last meetings
didn’t give any result because Armenian side demonstrated
non-constructive position. What reason of that? May be they were
encouraged by the process of normalization of the Turkish-Armenian
relations. It created wrong thoughts for them that the
Turkish-Armenian borders will be opened and Karabakh issue will be put
aside. But the processes show that it will not take place. Strong
position of Azerbaijan and Turkish community, statements and promises
by the Turkish leadership show that Turkish-Armenian relations cannot
be normalized without solution of Nagorno Karabakh problem. Armenian
side should understand it’.

The head of state said there was and intensive economic development in
Azerbaijan. `But Armenian economy was almost paralyzed. Our economic,
political and diplomatic successes and strengthening of defense
potential are enhancing our position. But we need in the result. We
need that they peacefully leave our lands. Then it will bring a peace.
Then nobody will say that why Azerbaijan is strengthening its defense
potential? Sometimes we hear from the international forces that why
Azerbaijan is armed. It does not concern anyone? We are not armed at
the expense of theirs. We are armed at own expense, at the expense of
our opportunities. What must we do? What must we do to solve this
issue comprehensively and for ever?’

President Ilham Aliyev informed about the essence of negotiation
process. `I can say now that first alteration Armenian side agreed is
that they will withdraw forces from only four regions, which are
located throughout railway along Araz River. Other regions will remain
under their control until uncertain time. The negotiation process
considers withdrawal from five regions at first and then from Kelbajar
and Lachin. But it is not full solution of the problem. We want
Azerbaijani citizens to return to Nagorno Karabakh, to Shusha `
historic city of Azerbaijan. If it doesn’t take place, the problem
will not be solved for ever. We must do so that the agreements will
not create background for further undesirable developments. If the
agreement doesn’t satisfy us, the problem can be raised and create
threat again. I am always telling the Armenian side that you must do
so that we can satisfy with the agreement, because if don’t satisfy,
the problem will be raised again tomorrow or 10 years later’.

The head of state said new settlements for the internally displaced
persons would be constructed in the next years too. `But it is not a
solution of the problem. The solution is in the liberation of
Azerbaijani lands from the invaders. We do everything necessary to
achieve our goals. The work done in the negotiations process, our
economic opportunities and army-building make Azerbaijan strong. If we
are not strong we cannot solve the Nagorno Karabakh problem, because
international interferences don’t give a result. Indeed these
interferences have political character. Sometime the international
forces calmed down the occupant countries immediately. We saw these
events in the history. But the international community didn’t show
strong position when the Azerbaijani lands were occupied. Therefore we
have to rely on our force and we have to be strong to solve the
problem fairly, within the national interests of Azerbaijan and on the
basis of international law. I don’t doubt that we will achieve it’.

Azerbaijani leader said he would go to the meeting with Armenian
president in Munich with his program. `This meeting should play
decisive role in the negotiation process. There were several meetings
without results. If the next meeting doesn’t give results, our hopes
for the negotiations will be ended not leaving other way for us. We
must be ready for that. Recent army-building development has is goal.
We spend billions of resources to strengthen our army and we purchase
new arms, techniques and we enhance our position on the line of
contact. We do that because we never rule out this alteration. We have
full right to liberate our lands from the occupation and the
international law recognizes our right. We want to solve the problem
peacefully to prevent the war. But Armenia is wrong if it thinks that
we will always participate at the negotiations. The negotiations will
last until the end of our hopes. But if Armenian side tries to
lengthen the time and to hold endless negotiations, the talks will be
ended. There are 30-40-year negotiations in some places. But that
situation will not be repeated here’.

President Ilham Aliyev said international, political and diplomatic
factors supported Azerbaijan’s position. Decisions of international
organizations and UN Charter allow us to liberate our lands from the
invaders by military way. We don’t want to interfere in the territory
of other country. Everybody knows that present Armenia was formed in
the historic lands of Azerbaijan. Khanate of Iravan, province of
Zangazur ` all these are the lands of Azerbaijan. Iravan was presented
to Armenia in 1918. Later they raised territorial claims against
Azerbaijan again. They created one Armenian state in the Azerbaijani
lands and now they intended to create second one. It is not logical.
Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijani state will never allow it. Nagorno
Karabakh will never be independent. We don’t allow it. Therefore
Armenia must take serious steps in the negotiations. They must take
the steps, but not us. What we can make concession? What we occupied
that make it concession? We will not make concession. Our concession
is peaceful solution of the problem’.
From: Baghdasarian

Interfax, Russia
Nov 21 2009

Armenian, Azeri presidents could meet in Munich on Nov 22

YEREVAN Nov 20

The next meeting between the Armenian and Azeri Presidents, Serzh
Sargsian and Ilham Aliyev, respectively, will be held at the residence
of the French Consul General in Munich, the French Foreign Ministry
said in a press statement posted on its official website. .

Most likely, the meeting will be held on Sunday, November 22, sources
close to the negotiation process told Interfax.

"Following the proposal by the OSCE (Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group which brokers the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, the meeting between the Armenian and Azeri presidents with
the OSCE MG co-chairmen will take place at the residence of the French
Consul General in Munich," the statement said.
From: Baghdasarian

Interfax, Russia
Nov 21 2009

Russia won’t impose settlement guidelines on sides in Karabakh
conflict -ministry

MOSCOW Nov 20

Armenia and Azerbaijan have taken positive steps toward settling the
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman
Andrei Nesterenko said in a commentary.

"As far as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is concerned, despite
continuing disagreements, the parties have managed to make certain
progress in their negotiations on the basic principles of its
settlement," Nesterenko said.

The authorities in Moscow believe that Russia should not "impose any
guidelines on the sides in the conflict from the outside, but it
should contribute to the settlement process and help the sides look
for mutually acceptable solutions to key issues," the ministry
spokesman said.

"Our position is that the Azeri and Armenian people themselves are
mainly responsible for making a final choice. Russia will be ready to
support a solution to the problem that would suit all parties
involved, as well as to act as settlement guarantor, if a compromise
agreement is achieved," he said.

Some media companies in Armenia "have stirred up a frenzy over the
remarks made by the official spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of
Russia on November 17," Nesterenko said.

"They claim that Moscow has changed its position and now links the
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process to the normalization of Armenian-
Turkish relations. It is a misunderstanding," the spokesman said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has clarified his country’s
stance on this issue on many occasions, he added.

"This position remains the same. These are two separate processes,"
Nesterenko said.

"We are confident that the establishment of good neighborly ties
between Armenia and Turkey should objectively contribute to further
steps aimed at strengthening peace and security in Transcaucasia," he
said.
From: Baghdasarian

A NEW TRAFFIC NET IN YEREVAN

Aysor
Nov 20 2009
Armenia

In the first 3 months of 2010 is expected to finish the works carried
out to ease the traffic of the capital. As the Aysor.am reporter
was told by the information and public relation’s department of
Yerevan Municipality the traffic net is being recovered. Because of
the lessening of the passenger’s at the evenings the number of the
transportation means is being lessened too.

In the municipality they inform that at present it is not realistic to
speak about providing safety to the transportation means at late hours
in Yerevan. The authorities can respond to that concerning issue after
obtaining the necessary amount of transportation means, especially
buses, as the number of the buses in Yerevan at present is about 12.0%.

At present they continue the works of improvement in the bus stops
of civic transportation. They repair the bus stops, refurnish them.
From: Baghdasarian

GIRO MANOYAN: ARMENIA SHOULD DECLARE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO RATIFY PROTOCOLS

NOYAN TAPAN
NOVEMBER 19, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. In the opinion of Giro Manoyan,
the Head of the ARFD Armenian Cause Yerevan Office, no positive shift
will be recorded in the issue of ratification of Armenian-Turkish
protocols for some more months as the issue is not being discussed
at the Turkish parliament, neither the documents have been submitted
to the RA Constitutional Court.

In G. Manoyan’s affirmation, the policy carried on by Turkey in
the region prompts that Turkey will not move forward quickly in the
normalization process of Armenian-Turkish relations and will undertake
certain steps only on April 24.

In G. Manoyan’s opinion, Armenia had better instead of taking a
waiting position declare right now that it is not going to ratify the
protocols. Estimating the Armenian-Turkish relations in the period
after the signing of the protocols he said that there is no progress,
on the contrary, a regress was recorded as before the signing the
sides restrained themselves and now they have exact positions, and
the Turkish side constantly links the process of normalization of
relations with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
From: Baghdasarian

AN ISLAM COMPATIBLE WITH THE REPUBLIC
Jean-Francois Bayart

Liberation
Nov 13 2009
France

When Nicolas Sarkozy rejects accession for Turkey on the grounds
of Europe’s "natural borders," everybody know that he is speaking
of "cultural borders." And Turkey’s culture is Islam: It would be
incompatible with Europe, and even with the Republic [France].

Yet Turkey has been a republic since 1924. Islam has democratized
in Turkey. It has appropriated the idea of the nation, republican
institutions, the civil code (introduced in 1926 and modelled on
Swiss legislation), the market economy, education, the mass media and
scientific knowledge. It has adopted the political party as method
of political participation and, because it is as theologically and
ideologically varied as in the rest of the Muslim world, it has given
rise to a pluralist education, the one rivaling the other to a greater
or lesser degree. The believers have also themselves divided up their
votes across the political checkerboard, while non-believers have
voted for Muslim parties.

More than that, Islam has made a decisive contribution to the
democratization of the Kemalist republic. By virtue of the
parliamentary system, successive Muslim parties or conservative
parties with a religious sensibility, close to brotherhoods, have
incorporated within the republican institutions the religious masses
that do not identify with the aggressive secularism of Kemalism and
filled the space that could have fallen to the jidahist groups. They
supported the move of the peasant farmers to the cities during the
rural exodus. They lent a voice to those of the Kurds who sought to
express their defiance of a centralizing state but without joining
the armed struggle of the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party]. They
also permitted the rise of the Anatolian elites that the Kemalist
establishment was confining to the periphery.

On the other hand, Kemalist nationalism is less secular than it
claims. It is ethno-confessional, like its counterparts in the Balkans
and Caucasus. In the Kemalist republic nationals of Turkish origin
or Sunnis of the Hanefite rite are implicitly more citizens than the
Kurdish, Alevi, and Christian and Jewish inhabitants. But the origin
of this implicit discrimination does not have much to do with Islam
as a religion. It is political and is part of the unleashing of a
cultural nationalism from the latter half of the 19th century as
well as of the crossed operations of ethnic cleansing that followed,
the genocide of the Armenians being its culmination. The same logic
is found at work for the benefit of Orthodox, Catholics or Jews, or
Shi’is or even Sunnis, depending on the Balkan, Caucasian, or Middle
Eastern country in question. After all, an Arab Israeli is a little
less Israeli than a Jewish Israeli and it is not so long ago that that
religion ceased to be indicated on the identity cards of the Greeks.

The paradox of Turkey is due to the fact that the secular nationalists
are the ones that hold this ethno-confessional conception of
citizenship and the ruling Islamic party, the AKP [Justice and
Development Party], with the support of the conservatives, is
questioning it. Closing the door to Europe on Turkey by claiming it is
a Muslim country is clearly to play the game of this conception. There
is, moreover, a certain coherence in hearing Nicolas Sarkozy, a man
so concerned about "national identity," inadvertently assume the
slogan of the Turkish far right: "France, you must like it or leave
it!" On the other hand, many Turks who are not necessarily believers
but who vote for the AKP to oppose nationalist authoritarianism,
say to Europe, along with the left-wing intellectual Murat Belge:
"Do not allow us to become fascist!"

The Europeans have two reasons to be concerned about the future
of Turkish democracy. It is not in their interest to see the
development of an ultranationalist Moscow-Ankara axis. And they
bear a direct historical responsibility for the development of these
ethno-confessional nationalisms in the Eastern Mediterranean, which
they fuelled ideologically and supported politically, even militarily,
under cover of "protection" – a self-interested one – of Christian
minorities. We are still paying the price in Lebanon, in Palestine,
in Iraq, in the Balkans, of the disastrous way the "Orient question"
was handled.

The failure of negotiations between Turkey and the European Union
would be a continuation of this disaster.
From: Baghdasarian