Author: Chakrian Hovsep

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Studies Program
University of Michigan
Gloria Caudill, Coordinator
E-mail: [email protected]

The University of Michigan resumes Summer Institute in Yerevan

The Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
is pleased to announce this year’s Summer Institute which is to be held
>From June 28 through August 25, 2008 in Yerevan, Armenia. The program
offers a unique opportunity to study the Armenian Language in an
intensive, eight-week long format. This year, our Summer Institute is
being expanded by the addition of a new, six-week long course on
Armenian history and contemporary Armenia in the form of lectures and
discussions to be held concurrently, from July 7 to August 15, 2008.

The Armenian Studies Summer Institute open to all undergraduate,
graduate and professional school students, attending North American or
European colleges or universities, who wish to enroll in one of the
following four sections: Classical, Eastern, or Western Armenian
languages, or Armenian history. A series of lectures on Armenian
culture and an extensive program of excursions and cultural events will
supplement the courses.

In addition to high quality intensive language and history instruction
the program offers the opportunity to live and learn in Armenia. The
program is directed by Dr. Kevork Bardakjian, Marie Manoogian Professor
of Armenian Language and Literature. Experienced and qualified
instructors, including from the University of Michigan and Yerevan State
University, will teach the courses.

The deadline for the submission of completed applications is March 3,
2007. Applications can be found on line at
For more information please contact
Ms. Gloria Caudill, Coordinator (e-mail: [email protected]; telephone :
734-763-0622).

Federation of Armenian Organizations in The Netherlands
24 April Committee
For Recognition and Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide of 1915
Address: Weesperstraat 91
2574 VS The Hague, The Netherlands
Telephone: +31704490209
Website:
Email: [email protected]
Contact: M. Hakhverdian

PRESS RELEASE

6 December 2007

The Netherlands more critical about Turkey than European Commission

Minister Verhagen: A country wishing to join the EU should have faced its
history

The Hague 6 December 2007. The Dutch parliament agrees with Foreign Minister
Verhagen and Secretary of State for European Affairs Timmermans who have
taken a more critical position than the European Commission on the issue of
progress of reforms in Turkey. This can be stated as the outcome of the
debate today, where among others the EC Turkey 2007 Progress Report was on
the agenda in preparation of the EU Top on 14 December. The Federation of
Armenian Organisations in the Netherlands (FAON) had previously sent a
letter to the parliament, reporting on several issues such as Article 301 of
Turkish Penal Code, freedom of religion, rights of minorities, and blatant
denial of the Armenian genocide by the Turkish authorities.

In a letter to the parliament, the Dutch government subscribed to the
critical remarks of the European Commission, but on a number of points they
chose a stricter position than the Commission. According to the Netherlands
more emphasis should be put on the juridical system; moreover, the
Netherlands has a less positive opinion on freedom of religion, pointing to
the ongoing threats towards members of religious minorities. These obstacles
should be lifted "as soon as possible."

There have been more persecutions this year, among others because of the
Armenian issue. Therefore, on freedom of speech, the Commission states that
Article 301 and others should be put in line with the European Convention on
Human Rights. The Netherlands demands the modification of the Penal Code to
be "on a short term," thus going further than the Commission.

Several political parties referred to the recent research under Turkish
magistrates who have put the state’s interest above individual human rights
and of whom only 16% is in favour of scrapping Article 301. .

Several parties raised the Armenian Genocide, mostly in connection with the
lack of freedom to discuss it in Turkey. Most prominently, it was the
Christian Union faction that expressed its opinion on this. The spokesperson
of the Christian Union, Mrs Wiegmans, called the denial of the Armenian
Genocide one of the key problems in Turkey. One cannot be certain of one’s
life when one speaks about it, especially for aTurkish citizen of Armenian
origine. She said that it is a disgrace for the European Union to continue
negotiations under these circumstances. Is the motion of Rouvoet of 2004,
which asks to continuously and explicitly address the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide within the negotiation process with Turkey, still being
carried out? Her signal is that the continuous denial of the Armenian
Genocide by Turkey should have consequences for the negotiations. She also
referred to the signal her party gave by initiating a law to penalise
genocide denial.

In response, Minister Verhagen indicated that the shortcomings of Turkey in
the field of the political criteria are severe, not only for Turkey itself,
but also for the public support for Turkey within Europe. The Minister as
well as the Secretary of State stressed that reforms and negotiations will
take a very long process of which the outcome, different from before, is not
certain in advance. The Netherlands and Europe will stick to agreements made
with Turkey and Turkey should do the same. Within this context the minister
indicated that no new criteria can be added, by which he meant the remarks
made by the Christian Union on the Armenian Genocide. What is relevant for
the negotiations is whether the issue of the Armenian Genocide can be raised
in Turkey or not, but the recognition of it is not one of the preconditions
in the process. It should however be the case, at least according to the
Minister, that if a country wants to join the EU, it should face its
history.

Secretary of State Timmermans mentioned in his speech that the "Kemalist
view of the world" in Turkey should be abandoned in order for Turkey to
become a democratic constitutional state.

YEGHVARD YEAST FACTORY PLANS TO EXCEED LAST YEAR’S PRODUCTION INDEX BY 180 TONS

Noyan Tapan
Dec 6, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The Yeghvard yeast factory plans
to increase its annual production to 480 tons by late 2007, which
is more by 180 tons as compared with 2006. The factory director
Arsen Khachatrian told NT correspondent that since early 2007, the
enterprise has exported 30 tons of wet and dry yeast, including 20
tons to Ukraine and 10 tons to Georgia.

Bread baking improving substance will be exported to Iran soon.

A. Khachatrian said that before 2000, the factory produced 100 tons
of wet yeast a year and occupied only 10% of the domestic market,
while since 2001, the production volume has doubled and then increased
threefold year by year and Armenian yeast currently occupies 75% of
the domestic market. New workshops were built and modern conveyers
were installed thanks to 41 thousand dollars invested by DAI company
(US) under the Armenian Agribusiness SME (Small and Medium Enterprises)
Market Development Program.

According to A. Khachatrian, there was no yeast production in Armenia
in the Soviet time, and yeast was mainly brought from Sumgait. After
the tragic Sumgait events – in 1991, the Yeghvard yeast factory
was founded.

ARMENPRESS

ARMENIA HAS 3,532 PRISON POPULATION

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: An official of the
Armenian justice ministry said there are now 3,532
convicts and detainees in 12 prisons, run by the
penitentiary system of the ministry.
Arsen Babayan, a spokesman for penitentiary
department of the ministry, said their number has
grown by almost 200 since last May.
Some 125 are women and 56 are juveniles who are in
Abovian prison. He said 48 convicts are citizens of
other former Soviet republics and 16 are from other
countries.
Seventy-seven are sentenced to life in prison.

ARMENPRESS

PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES PACE OFFICIALS

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: Prime minister
Serzh Sarkisian received today George Colombier,
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
Monitoring Commission’s co-rapporteur on Armenia and
two other PACE officials, who are here to get
information about political developments after the May
12 parliamentary elections and two and a half months
before the presidential election.
Mr. Colombier was quoted by the government press
office as saying that he was happy to register that
Armenia has accomplished a set of political reforms by
amending its Constitution and Election Code and
reforming the judicial system.
Serzh Sarkisian was quoted as saying that the
monitoring of the PACE will become an extra impetus
for authorities in Yerevan to continue the process of
reforms.
The press office said they also spoke about
conducting presidential election in compliance with
international standards.

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 4 2007

WHEN THE FATE OF POLITICAL FORCE DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE WILL OF
SOCIETY

After listening to the speech of the leader of a political force or
an activist perhaps every citizen has a wish to go to the polling
station and to vote for him. This wish may be so strong that at that
moment any building may appear as a polling station and any separate
corner of it may appear as a polling booth to him, and any open thing
in that place may remind of a ballot box, and any piece of paper may
serve as a ballot. After all, the speeches of our political forces
are well-written, beautiful, moving, fiery and practical, about
building a legitimate state, fighting false authorities,
protectionism, corruption and all the phenomena for approving which
the government does not enjoy the sympathy of people. Even the
government speaks nicely about those things, even more nicely than
the opposition. For instance, it was so pleasant to hear from Serge
Sargsyan during the conference of the Republican Party that he is
going to battle corruption and disregard nepotism. But when we see
what is happening in real life, we think either Serge Sargsyan is
unaware of this life or he speaks for the sake of speaking, knowing
that he is not accountable or responsible for his words. Even if he
is accountable or responsible, he is not to the people who want the
rule of law in the country. Consequently, if they believe, it’s OK,
if not the fate of a political force in Armenia has nothing to do
with the will of the society anyway.

So think all the forces, which have no power. They believe that they
should tell people about legality, equality, justice, goodwill. If
they believe, it’s OK, if not, in this case they need to keep the
means of communication with the government to keep their place under
the political sun. For instance, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun states about
corruption, false authorities, protection but continues to cooperate
with the Republican Party, which sustains these things. And if the
Republican Party is not to blame, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun should at
least do the society a favor and tell who does sustain them, and whom
they should not vote for, and finally who is to blame. Or for
instance, the National Democratic Union, the Orinats Yerkir Party,
the same ARF Dashnaktsutyun, Levon Ter-Petrosyan are speaking about
the same things but would not agree to unite and reach their goal
together to demolish the vicious system in Armenia and form a
legitimate government through a new election.

And it is clear why. The point is that the political forces know the
value of their word, they know that they say one thing but they are
going to do another thing because the word has never been important
to them. And this is perhaps an all-Armenian syndrome the
consequences of which are seen everywhere, even during the
pan-Armenian telethon when many pledge a sum but do not transfer it.
Meanwhile, we are Christian people, in addition, we were the first to
adopt Christianity as an official religion. Now very few figures are
left who do not mention God in their public speeches. But perhaps
very few of them know that God created world through words, and God
was word: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.’ Can you imagine God say let there be light but
make no effort to create light? In that case, even the fool would not
believe in God. But it is also difficult to imagine God not say let
there be light but give no light. In that case, faith would be
incomplete because the question would occur whether God really wanted
light to be there and there was light. Therefore, the idea of harmony
of word and action underlies Christianity because one without the
other is incomplete and doubtful. However, the basis of Christianity
is one thing, the political and public system of Armenia is quite
another thing.

JAMES HAKOBYAN

EXPECTED RELIEF OF TAX LOAD: WE’LL PAY 18 PERCENT INSTEAD OF 13 PERCENT

KarabakhOpen
27-11-2007 10:53:00

Amendments to the tax legislation were proposed in yesterday’s meeting
of government. One of the amendments involves raising the monthly
social tax from 13 to 18 percent.

Apparently, it will relieve the tax load and foster the development
of business in Karabakh.

TERRY DAVIS IS THE ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MISS

Arminfo
2007-11-27 17:04:00

An interview of the Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE,
Chairman of Parliamentary Committee for State and Legal Affairs Davit
Harutyunyan with ArmInfo news agency

Question: The issue of "the future role of the CoE in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement" was discussed during hearings
in Bundestag recently. The topic is not new and it was thanks to
it that PACE ad hoc Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh was created. Is
this initiative-the discussion of experts’ opinions in Bundestag-
directed to considering of the possibility to extend the powers of
the CoE or PACE Committee, which, by the way, Head of the Committee,
Lord Russell Johnston had expressed earlier.

D. Harutyunyan: It wasn’t the issue of such an extension of powers
of the CoE in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement that was
discussed at the meeting in Bundestag, but the necessity to create
a favorable atmosphere for settlement of conflicts. Moreover, the
current situation-the current stage of negotiations, and the situation
in the society were discussed.

Experts made speeches on each issue and presented their visions on
the situation. Opinions expressed by experts, who made speeches
on the topic of Nagorno-Karabakh, on the necessity of renewal of
the dialogue with Nagorno-Karabakh became the culmination at the
meeting. The issue of "the CoE’s future role" in the process of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement is presently under discussion. And
here most different points of view were expressed. Azerbaijan, for
example, thinks it important to create a special sub-committee for
consideration of all conflicts at the European territory. At the same
time, Russia, roughly reacts to this proposal reasonably raising the
issue that conflicts at the European territory must not be restricted
to consideration of conflicts at the former Soviet Union territory
and touch upon the conflicts in Abkhazia, Ossetia, Trans-Dniester and
Nagorno-Karabakh, in particular. In this respect, there are different
points of view. We are, basically, against creation of a special
subcommittee, as we think that there are two important missions, one
of which is the OSCE Minsk Group mission. It has been working quite a
long time, and we have no right to blame the co-chairmen for gaining
yet no results. This is a hard work, the intermediaries have gone
deep into the problem, they perfectly understand all the details of
the process. The second mission is the PACE ad hoc Committee mission,
headed by Lord Russell Johnston, which sets itself a task to create
a favorable situation for the conflict settlement. We think, there
is no sense to create another subcommittee. What really makes sense
is holding tripartite meetings, conferences with the participation of
international experts on the compulsory condition that representatives
form Nagorno-Karabakh participate in them.

Question: The Armenian authorities and OSCE MG don’t accept
intervention of other international players in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement process. I would like to draw attention on the
opinion of Lord Russell Johnston, who thinks that over centuries
borders have changed due to marriages and wars, and he sees nothing
terrible in it. People but not the territory are important for
him. Don’t you think that in the light of analogous statements, we lose
an opportunity, while in case of extension of mandates of the CoE and
the UN, the Karabakh conflict will be qualified by analogy with Kosovo?

D. Harutyunyan: No I don’t think so, because Council of Europe does not
interfere into the UN Mission to Kosovo, and international structures
must not interfere into the competence of the OSCE Minsk Group. We
don’t lose an opportunity, we just express our viewpoints and conduct
active work to avoid duplication. It is a dangerous phenomenon, for
creation of new committees having potentially concurrent powers with
the OSCE Minsk Group will be aimed at devaluation of the process within
the frames of the OSCE MG. Note that Azerbaijan raises this issue at
many international institutions in the very periods when the activity
of Minsk Group is on the top. Such measures are not only unfavorable
for us, but they don’t promote the conflict settlement.

Question: There is an opinion among Armenian political elite that when
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is mentioned in the international
structures, contemporary Azerbaijan’s territory is meant, at the time
of declaring independence of which Nagorno-Karabakh was already out of
its composition. How much founded is this opinion? Does "territorial
integrity" in case of Azerbaijan and NK really carry two semantic
burdens and can it be understood dual?

D. Harutyunyan: There is a just reason for such a view existence
since Nagorno-Karabakh has never been a part of independent Azerbaijan.

Question: CoE Secretary General Terry Davis’s recent statement
caused a storm of indignation in Armenian media. Speaking about his
powers, Secretary General particularly said he must not comment on
everything, putting the local government election in Karabakh and the
ban on holding gay-parades in Europe at the same row. For his part,
Terry Davis complained that Armenian media wrongly interpreted his
words. What is the real conflict? Is it possible that traditional
Armenian media really didn’t understand the European official,
for whom elections whether in Karabakh or in his homeland-the Great
Britain and rights of sexual minorities are actually the similar ideas?

D. Harutyunyan: I think that such a top politician like Terry Davis
should not allow himself making statements, which may be understood
incorrectly.

This is already the politician’s fault. Therefore, I don’t think that
the election in Nagorno Karabakh and gay-parades are similar ideas
for him.

Although Terry Davis said he did not want to put these events at the
same row, nevertheless such misses are inadmissible for a politician
of such a class.

Question: Armenian writing community was also dissatisfied with
T. Davis’s remarks on inadmissibility of drawig parallels between
settlement of Kosovo and Karabakh conflicts. Actually, he didn’t
say anything new, but confirmed the well-known position of the world
community on Nagorno-Karabakh issue, but he did that in an extremely
provocative way, without sparing expressions and behaving not like
a diplomat, at all. He said: "The UN controls in Kosovo, separative
regime- in Karabakh".

Should one think over what was said, one can remember his less partial
and, accordingly, more just statement, namely: CoE is oriented by the
relevant decisions of the UN in issues of defining state borders. Then,
why wasn’t it possible to repeat the position exactly? What is the
intrigue?

D. Harutyunyan: It’s a difficult question. It is hard to comment on
what is the intrigue here. Terry Davis’s position, of course, was
known to us earlier, too. Nothing new happened in this respect. It is
another thing that we don’t absolutely agree with this position and
we’ll take a strong stand. It turns out that Terry Davis’s position
is manifested implicitly.

Question: International structures insist on historical difference
between Kosovo and Karabakh. Even if this is admitted, in spite of
the fact that the territory of Kosovo is originally Serbian, there
is misunderstanding concerning the principles, which the competent
international structures intend to practice. It is unclear if they
intend to search for a settlement in the clauses of the international
law or to examine the total of historical characteristics.

D. Harutyunyan: At the moment the world community’s reaction is
that the core of the issue is not the historical characteristics or
historical borders. There are a lot of different viewpoints, presently,
but as we have no final decision on Kosovo yet, we can’t comment on
them. The only and the key position was given in the Armenian foreign
minister’s statement, which expressed inadmissibility of restricting
nation’s right to self-determination. Thus the Armenian position has
already been distinctly stated in case the situation develops in such
a way when in a similar situation one decision becomes admissible and
another one is ruled out. As to the settlement, one should wait for
the final settlement of the Kosovo problem to see what solution will
be applied in Kosovo’s case. Nevertheless, the Kosovo issue settlement
principles can and should be applied to all conflicts equally.

GORGE ALBERTO MEYER LONG IS NEWLY-APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF URUGUAY TO ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Nov 27 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Gorge Alberto Meyer Long (residence
in Moscow), the newly-appointed Ambassador of Uruguay to the Republic
of Armenia, presented the copies of his credentials to Vardan Oskanian,
the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs, on November 26.

The two parties attached importance to the necessity for
cooperation in commercial, economic and technical spheres instead
of exchange of cultural and public character, they also expressed
satisfaction with the productive cooperation of the two countries in
international organizations, in particular, within the framework of
the UNO. According to the message received from the RA Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, regional issues, as well as the relations of Armenia
and Uruguay with neighbour countries were also touched upon.

Refernce: Gorge Alberto Meyer Long was born in New Helvetia Swiss
colony of Uruguay in 1949. In 2005-2006 he held the office of the
Head of the Protocol Service of Uruguay. In 2006 he was appointed
Ambassador of Uruguay to the Russian Federation. He was decorated
with the order of the Knight of Legion of Honour of France and the
Knight of the Southern Cross of Brazil. He masters the Spanish,
French, Italian, and English languages.

SDHP CALLS FOR CONTROLLING PROCESS OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO ENSURE PRESIDENT’S LEGITIMACY

Noyan Tapan
Nov 28, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMVER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The Central Board of the
Social-Democratic Hnchakian Party applies to all political forces
of Armenia and RA citizens to control the presidential elections to
be held in 2008, "by ensuring the future president’s legitimacy with
the whole nation."

The statement spread by Lyudmila Sargsian, party’s Chairwoman,
on November 28 read that the NA elections of 2007 were the bright
proof of the lack of democracy in the country, violence to the right
of free choice, and absolute imperfection of the legal sphere: "The
bandit clan used all illegal administrative, criminal, and financial
resources to exclude opposition’s presence in the National Assembly."

The statement mentioned that "all administrative resources must be
used more perfectly, modern black technologies must be used" in the
forthcoming presidential elections. The SDHP calls "the whole nation
for consolidating against the illegal actions of the current regime
and as we were able to show a united national will and resolution in
the years of Artsakh struggle, just this way we should prove today
that we have the right to make a free choice and to live with dignity."