Author: Chatinian Lara

Today, Azerbaijan
Nov 21 2009

West makes efforts to support Armenia: senior Azerbaijani official

21 November 2009 [11:12] – Today.Az

"Recent financial crisis is influencing on the international
diplomacy, politics and international relations."

`People feel results of financial crisis and therefore don’t pay
attention to its impact on politics and diplomacy’, said chief of the
international relations department of the Presidential Administration
Novruz Mammadov at the international conference `Security challenges
in the South Caucasus: realities and prospects of regional
development’.

He said politicians, experts and diplomats understand it very well: `I
consider that there is a crisis in diplomacy and politics today.
Existence of diplomacy, politics and international law should be
reflected on Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict,’ he said.

`U.S. Congress passed Section 907 against Azerbaijan as a result of
this conflict in 1992. Everyone thinks today that it was incorrect and
groundless decision. But this decision has allowed Armenia to receive
2.5 billion dollars of assistance from the United States since than.
Azerbaijan, which suffered from the aggression, didn’t receive any
assistance from the United States. Second example, following the
August 2008 events in the region, the world community, the West
decided that Armenia lost 500-600 million dollars in this process and
therefore it needs assistance. They decided to let some countries and
international institutions to assist Armenia. Though entire world,
including the West know that Azerbaijan suffers most damages losing
more than one billion dollars. But they kept silence on this issue. I
have an impression that the West has directed all its efforts to
support Armenia for long years. It avoids explanations making
superficial statements’.

Mammadov said he didn’t understand reasons of that.

`Indeed Azerbaijan is only country in the post-soviet area that
efficiently cooperates with the West. It is enough to give an example
of one pipeline project carried out by Azerbaijan to prove my words.
But foreign ministers of six leading countries became intercessor to
Armenia for 3-5 hours in Zurich during the signing of protocols. What
is the reason? Though Minsk Group countries, including co-chairs have
never showed such concrete position on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.’

The official reminded that representatives of the West, who were
talking about the conflict, say everything is OK and there is not much
left until the solution to the conflict.

`Our friends in the West, those who have gathered here, who are not
here, the states with which we have close cooperation, the countries
co-chairing Minsk Group should speak concretely concerning these
issues. The two sides can never be guilty equally in a conflict. Since
when has the principle `Solve yourself, we will support you’ been
considered the norm of the international law? Why should it be applied
especially to Azerbaijan? The US and Russia share one position only
the Nagorno Karabakh problem while their positions differ in all
other issues. Though Azerbaijan is a young state, it is mighty, has
chosen its way and believes it will develop and reach its goals. We
will move on this way, even though there is difficult situation. I
think our friends in the West, East, South and North will sooner or
later have more sensitive approach to the principle of justice and
express their concrete and fair position on these processes,’ he said.

/APA/

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WOOD RESTORATION PROGRAM TO BE CARRIED OUT IN ARMENIA IN 2010

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 20, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS: With the support of the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization "Restoration of Woods and Wood Cover"
program costing 432,000 USD will be implemented in Armenia. The
program is aimed at economic development of rural areas of Hrazdan
region and creation of new jobs.

Acting director of FAO Gayane Nasoyan said within the framework of
the program "Hayantar" non-trade state organization will be provided
strategic analyses and forecasts which will help in amending the
documents relating to the wood policy. She said classes will too be
organized for the specialists of the sphere. Besides, new devices
and materials will be provided to "Hayantar".

Armenian Agriculture Ministry, Nature Protection Ministry, Armenian
office of the Nature Protection World Foundation, "Armenia-Tree
Planting" foundation and Armenian State Agrarian University are
participating in the program.

GAGIK TSARUKYAN TO PARTICIPATE IN UNITED RUSSIAN PARTY CONVENTION

Tert
Nov 20 2009
Armenia

>>From November 20-22, 2009, a delegation headed by Prosperous
Armenia Party Leader Gagik Tsarukyan will leave for St. Petersburg
to participate in a convention of the governing United Russia Party,
inform Gagik Tsarukyan’s press staff.

Before the convention, an international scientific-business forum on
the "Social responsibility of political parties during the crisis"
will be held on November 21. Planned during the conference is a speech
by Tsarukyan.

HERITAGE MP: ARMENIA’S VULNERABILITY TO NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THE GROWING PRICES FOR GAS IS EXPLAINED BY ONE-WAYNESS OF ITS SUPPLIES

ArmInfo
2009-11-19 11:19:00

ArmInfo. Armenia’s vulnerability to the negative consequences of the
growing prices for gas is explained by the fact that the country could
not diversify its supplies in due time, parliamentarian from Heritage
oppositional party Armen Martirosyan told ArmInfo when commenting on
the expected growth of gas prices started April 1, 2010.

To recall, the gas price should increase from $154 to $184 per 1
thsd cub m started April 1, instead of the earlier supposed $200
per 1 thsd cub m. ‘Diversification of supplies was hindered by the
country’s economic policy, being continuation of the state policy. We
have lost the time during which we could create a profitable position
for us’, Martirosyan said. Growth of the gas price to $184 instead of
$200 may have a positive effect, however, even in a "cutdown" form,
it will entail new growth of prices for all the consumer goods,
the pricing of which is connected with gas. ‘It is also important
to remember of the population solvency, as the state budget for 2010
does not envisage growth of wages. Moreover, the prices continuously
grow despite the crisis’, A. Martirosyan said.

According to him, the state agencies will not take measures to
restrain the prices. ‘The market regulatory commissions, being
formally independent, actually function under the government and
cannot follow a policy other than that indicated by the executive
power, while this policy, as known, aims at turning the economy into
a monopoly and oligarchic one’, the parliamentarian said.

10 OUT OF 27 ARFD-PROPOSED BILLS RECEIVED GOVERNMENT’S DISAPPROVAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.11.2009 21:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In a November 17 Parliament session, leader of ARFD
faction Vahan Hovhannisyan announced that 10 out of 27 ARFD-proposed
bills received Government’s disapproval.

Among rejected bills was the one proposing amendments to RA Law
"On Holidays and Commemoration Days", he said.

Besides, Hovhannisyan added, ARFD proposed amendments to Criminal Code,
envisaging criminal liability for individuals questioning the fact of
Armenian Genocide. "We revoked the bill ourselves as we didn’t want it
to receive negative assessment by Government," Hovhannisyan stressed.

ARFD faction leader accounted for Government’s negative attitude by
plans of creating an Armenian-Turkish historical sub-commission.

"Armenia’s involvement in the sub-commission redirects the countries
policy in the interests of Armenian people," he said.

ARMENIA RANKED AMONG WORLD’S MOST CORRUPT COUNTRIES

Asbarez
Nov 17th, 2009

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-A respected international watchdog reported on Tuesday
a further slight increase in government corruption in Armenia, ranking
it among the 60 most corrupt countries of the world covered by its
annual surveys.

Armenia as well as Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan Mongolia and Vietnam
share a lowly 120th place in Transparency International’s latest
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of 180 nations. It was 109th in
the previous CPI released by the Berlin-based group a year ago.

The 2009 survey assigned Armenia a score of 2.7 measured on a 10-point
scale, with zero indicating an extremely high degree of corruption
as perceived by entrepreneurs and experts. The South Caucasus state
scored 2.9 points in 2008.

"I must point out that as a rule, a change of up to 0.3 points is
not deemed significant within the framework of this study," said
Amalia Kostanian, chairwoman of Transparency’s Armenian affiliate,
the Anti-Corruption Center (ACC).

Still, Kostanian stressed the fact that the watchdog has found
no decreases in the scale of widespread bribery and other corrupt
practices in the country for the past decade. "In fact, we have been
stagnating since 2003," she said, presenting the findings of the
latest CPI at a news conference.

The Armenian authorities claim to have stepped up their declared fight
against graft in recent years, adopting various anti-graft programs
and forming special bodies tasked with their implementation. The
administration of former President Robert Kocharian launched in 2003
the first such program consisting of mainly legislative measures.

There is little evidence that it has strengthened the rule of law in
the country, however.

Kocharian’s successor and longtime close associate, Serzh Sarkisian,
admitted last year that the virtual absence of prosecutions of
corrupt government officials has undermined public trust in the stated
crackdowns on corruption. His prime minister, Tigran Sargsyan, has
been even more vocal in acknowledging the seriousness of the problem.

The ACC and other local civic groups believe that the situation has
barely improved under the Sarkisian administration. Kostanian stated
in September that anti-corruption drives periodically announced
by the government will be doomed to failure as long as Armenia’s
top government officials are allowed to have extensive business
interests and strangle entrepreneurs challenging them. She described
the "fusion between large entrepreneurs and politicians" as the root
cause of the problem.

Armenia continues to compare favorably, in terms of corruption
perceptions, with two of its neighbors, Azerbaijan and Iran, that are
143rd and 168th respectively in the Transparency rankings. However,
the two other neighbors, Turkey and Georgia, are well ahead of it,
ranking 61st and 66th in the closely watched survey.

ARMENIA WILL BE PRESSURED TO RETURN LAND AROUND KARABAKH – GERMAN EXPERT

news.az
Nov 16 2009
azerbaijan

Alexander Rahr Alexander Rahr, programme director for Russia-Eurasia
at the German Council on Foreign Relations, expects the European
Union to become more active in the South Caucasus.

Over the next six months the European Union will be preoccupied with
its own internal affairs, Rahr said in an interview with Armenian news
agency Arminfo. It will introduce the post of EU foreign minister,
which will have huge powers, particularly in resolving territorial
conflicts like the one in Nagorno-Karabakh, he said.

Rahr said that the EU foreign minister will have staff and an office
and some special representatives will probably be changed. "I do not
expect any rapid or drastic changes, but European foreign policy will
target the South Caucasus because the EU understands that a result
of the Russian-Georgian conflict is it was able as an institution to
enter the Caucasus and gain a firm foothold in Georgia. Now the EU
will try to do the same in Armenia and Azerbaijan."

It seems that the EU is not sure what to do with the upper hand it
has gained in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, Rahr said. "Maybe,
and this is just my own speculation, Armenia will come under pressure
to return to Azerbaijan the territories around Nagorno-Karabakh and at
the same time a clearer status will be given to the Nagorno-Karabakh
republic itself, and opportunities will be found to resolve
peacekeeping issues, maybe through some European troops."

PETER SEMNEBY: EU CAN AND WILL PLAY A ROLE IN THE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

armradio.am
16.11.2009 13:13

"I can’t say anything about the settlement of the conflict now mostly
because EU is not in the OSCE Minsk Group, but the European Union can
and will play a role in the solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We
have great experience in this field. Our conflict experience could
be useful for the Karabakh conflict too," EU Special Representative
of the South Caucasus Peter Semneby told APA.

"Regarding the negotiation process I can say that there
was intensification over the past year. Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents and foreign ministers held a number of meetings. They even
signed a document in Moscow a year ago, which is a positive event
in the settlement of the conflict. We hope that the process will be
developed," Semneby said.

Semneby said he couldn’t say anything about the upcoming meeting of
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in November.

OYMEN’S DERSIM REMARKS DRAW IRE OF ALEVIS

Today’s Zaman
Nov 13 2009
Turkey

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Onur Oymen has angered
Turkey’s Alevi community by referring to the Turkish government’s
response to a 1937 rebellion in the predominantly Alevi city of
Tunceli, then known as Dersim, as an example of fighting terrorism.

During a speech he delivered on Tuesday in Parliament in criticism of
the government’s Kurdish initiative, which seeks to extend the rights
of Kurds in Turkey to alleviate and ultimately end the separatist
terrorism of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Oymen said: "Didn’t
mothers also cry at the time of the Sheikh Said Rebellion? Didn’t
mothers also cry at the time of the Dersim Rebellion?" in response to
the phrase "Let no more mothers cry," frequently used by the government
as part of its efforts to end the PKK’s campaign of terrorism.

The rebellion took place in 1937 in Dersim, which had historically
been a semi-autonomous region. Dersim was renamed Tunceli after the
rebellion. The rebellion was led by Seyyid Riza, the chief of a Zaza
tribe in the region. The Turkish government of the time, led by Ä°smet
İnönu, responded with air strikes against the rebels.

Oymen’s reference to the Dersim rebels as an example of terrorism
drew anger and resentment from the country’s Alevis and Zazas.

Sinan Yerlikaya, a former CHP deputy from Tunceli who is currently
on the CHP party council, said the state’s suppression of the Dersim
Rebellion was "barbaric and cruel." He said there was nothing to
defend about how Turkey handled the rebellion.

Yerlikaya said: "The method of suppression cannot be defended in
any way. Some people might be against the order, but if these people
do not have the aim to destroy the state, all problems can be solve
through communication."

Ferhat Tunc, a folk singer from Tunceli, commented, saying: "I
watched that speech in horror. I see this as a racist, skull-measuring
approach. In my opinion, Onur Oymen committed a crime against humanity
with his discourse."

Enver Devletli, an official of the Tunceli Pir Sultan Abdal
Association, agreed, saying Oymen was a "racist." He added: "Oymen
made a statement in line with the general fascist approach of the CHP.

I condemn his words."

Baykal lashes out at Oymen

CHP leader Deniz Baykal was also angered by Oymen’s remark. Speaking
on Tuesday to his party’s Central Executive Board (MYK), Baykal
criticized Oymen’s statement, saying: "Such evaluations are open to
misinterpretations and might potentially damage the CHP’s policy of
peace and brotherhood. There is no logic in voicing such sentences
regarding sensitive topics."

He also said he had received many reactions from party members who
called him after Oymen’s speech. "The Dersim example wasn’t chic at
all. Citizens are very sensitive about this topic. I do not want such
statements again," Baykal said.

Meanwhile, CHP Tunceli-born Deputy Chairman Yılmaz AteÅ~_, Deputy
Chairman Mesut Deger and MYK member Sırrı Ozbek also harshly
criticized Oymen. CHP Tunceli branch leader Huseyin GuneÅ~_ defined
Oymen’s statement as "unfortunate." He also said they had received wide
complaints from all parts of Tunceli after the statement. "I will talk
about this face-to-face with the general headquarters administration,"
he said.

‘The CHP should apologize’

The events of 1937 in Dersim were tragic, and the violence employed by
the state came close to genocide, according to Celal Karagöz, deputy
chairman of Tunceli’s Hacı BektaÅ~_-ı Veli Culture Association. "If
he made this statement to mean that a similar method should be
employed in similar events after this date, this is a very unfortunate
statement."

Dogan Bernek, head of the Federation of Alevi Foundations, said:
"I was deeply saddened when I watched Onur Oymen’s speech. It was
a speech that well exceeded the intended purpose. He used the most
inappropriate arguments fit for a discussion."

Liberal Thought Society Alevi-BektaÅ~_i Research Center Director
Å~^enol Kaluc said the CHP should apologize for Oymen’s statements.

Tunceli Mayor Edibe Å~^ahin said living witnesses described the
handling of the Dersim Rebellion as a "massacre." She said: "We,
the residents of this place, duly note how the CHP sees what went on
here. It is time for the CHP to confront its own past and the truth."

Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) Tunceli deputy Å~^erafettin Halis
was also angry. "We were the victims of the rebellion in Dersim. We
were the ones who died, who were killed."

CHP parliamentary group Deputy Chairman Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, who was
born in Tunceli, was placed in a difficult position by Oymen’s words.

Kılıcdaroglu avoided commenting on the speech.

Part of CHP history

A harsh response to Oymen’s words about the Dersim Rebellion came from
Star columnist Ergun Babahan, who responded by saying: "Did any mother
cry in Dersim? No, none did because there was no mother left to cry.

All were killed along with their babies in their arms. Nobody knows
how many died or were killed in the incidents of 1937 and 1938."

Babahan quoted Muhsin Batur, a senior air force commander who
participated in the efforts to suppress the rebellion, from Batur’s
memoirs, saying: "We received orders and got to Elazıg by train. From
there on, we began the operations starting in Pertek [in Tunceli]. I
served in Dersim for close to two months. I apologize to my readers,
but I’ll avoid recalling this part of my life." Babahan said, "This
retired diplomat [Onur Oymen] is citing an era a former commander is
ashamed to speak of as an example."

Babahan also quoted former Foreign Minister and then Police Chief
Ä°hsan Sabri Caglayangil, who confessed: "They strangled the people
of Dersim like mice. They used gas." "This is the incident Oymen has
no guilty conscience about," Babahan added. He also said he found it
hard to grasp why Oymen did not defend teaching about this historical
event, which he considers exemplary, in schools. "Tell them about
the Armenian deportation, about Dersim. … You should do this as
part of CHP publications because those are an important part of your
party’s history."

He said what was done to the people of Dersim at the time was the
exact same thing that Saddam Hussein did in Dujail.

Oymen also spoke after the controversial statement, saying he
did not use any offensive expressions in his speech. "What I was
highlighting was that Ataturk never adopted the policy of talking to
armed terrorist organizations, unlike the Justice and Development Party
[AK Party]." Ä°stanbul Today’s Zaman

Alevis should be accepted as they are, say workshop participants

Participants of the fifth event in a series of seven workshops
organized by the government to evaluate the problems of Turkey’s
Alevi community have unequivocally stated their conviction that the
state should accept members of the Alevi creed as they are, without
trying to change them into something they are not.

The fifth workshop held on Wednesday focused on the representation
of Alevis in the media. Yeni Å~^afak columnist Ali Bayramoglu, who
participated in the workshop, said he believed the workshops could
play a crucial role in recognizing Alevi demands. He said: "It is very
important to see the Alevis and to develop awareness about them for
the improvement of democracy in Turkey. I pointed out three issues
in the workshop. These were the redundancy of forced categorizations
to define Alevis, that it is a mistake to try to make Alevis into
religious people and that the resolution should not be found under
the Religious Affairs Directorate."

A very clear message in that direction came from Etyen Mahcupyan,
editor-in-chief of the Agos weekly and a regular columnist of
Today’s Zaman, who said: "The state should not see Alevism as the
other party but the Alevis themselves. When we talk about laicite,
we always say the problem is that the state is not laic. But none
act in a secular way when we talk about finding a solution. Both
Alevism and the Sunni faith will become individualistic. It will be
seen that religion works that way everywhere in the world. It is not
logical to insist that there should be a single Alevism. It is wrong
to force obligatory religion classes on people. Even if there is a
single Alevi in the world, you cannot stop future generations from
having different preferences."

Oral CalıÅ~_lar, a columnist with the Radikal daily, said: "Both
state agencies and society should accept Alevis the way they define
themselves. We should stop trying to fit Alevis into clothes that we
sew among ourselves. It is wrong and dangerous to try to exploit the
differences among Alevis. The demands vocalized in workshops should
not remain on paper. These demands should be fulfilled and realized."

In the fifth Alevi workshop held on Wednesday, the participants,
including journalists from over 40 media organs, discussed Alevi
representation in the media. Some of the well-known journalists
who participated in the workshop were Bayramoglu, Mahcupyan,
CalıÅ~_lar, Ali Kırca, Ahmet Hakan, Ali Bulac, Can Dundar, Emre
Kongar, Erdal Å~^afak, Ergun Babahan, Ertugrul Ozkök, Fehmi Koru,
Hakan Albayrak, Ä°smail Kucukkaya, Mehmet Ali Birand, Mehmet Barlas,
Mustafa Karaalioglu, NeÅ~_e Duzel, Omer Laciner, Taha Akyol, Ugur
Dundar and Yigit Bulut.

Participants have also stated their hope that the workshops will
contribute greatly to solving the problems of Alevis.

CAFESJIAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS OPENS IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2009-11-09 11:43:00

ArmInfo. The Grand Opening of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts on
November 7 in Yerevan was attended by President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsan, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, government members,
arts men and cultural workers. Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan
told media that opening of the Center is a big cultural event for
Armenia.

The majority of exhibitions presented by the Cafesjian Center for the
Arts are derived from the private collection of its main benefactor,
Mr. Gerard L. Cafesjian. This collection of more than 1,200 works
includes one of the most comprehensive glass collections in the world.

It is particularly rich in the work of the Czech couple Stanislav
Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova, whose work revolutionized the use
of glass as an artistic medium. Other important glass artists in
the collection include Dale Chihuly, Bohumil Elias, Pavel Hlava,
Jaromir Rybak, Ivana Sramkova, Bertil Vallien, Lino Tagliapietra,
Mark Peiser, and Hiroshi Yamano. The collection also has substantial
holdings in drawing, painting and sculpture by such influential artists
as Fernando Botero, Arshile Gorky, Jennifer Bartlett, and Andy Warhol.

Grand opening highlights include the special Arshile Gorky collection,
the newly unveiled Cafesjian Sculpture Garden, a re- dedication of
the Khanjyan Triptych, an intimate conversation and photo exhibit by
Beatles’ former wives Cynthia Lennon and Pattie Boyd, the outstanding
work of glass artists Dale Chihuly, Swarovski, and more. All this is
available also at the website

The Visitor Center is located at the ground floor entrance of the
Cascade. Admission tickets may be purchased here, as well as tickets
to the many events held every week in the Cafesjian Center for the
Arts. In addition, a variety of informational brochures related to
the Cafesjian Center for the Arts are found here. Cafesjian Sculpture
Garden is located at the base of the Cascade and presents one of
the finest collections of monumental sculpture found anywhere in
the world. Its unobstructed walkways, long vistas, and formal garden
areas have been specially designed to provide a modern setting for
large-scale sculpture by such internationally recognized figures as
Fernando Botero, Lynn Chadwick, Jaume Plensa, and Barry Flanagan.

The total area occupying over 11 thousand square meters comprises
the Visitor Center, Museum Store, Speical Events Auditorium and
Expositions.