Author: David Nargizian

EU FOREIGN MINISTERS HOLD INFORMAL TALKS IN CZECH REPUBLIC

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.03.2009 11:11 GMT+04:00

A consensus has emerged at a meeting in the Czech Republic of EU
foreign ministers to invite Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
to an upcoming launch summit of the Eastern Partnership, on the tacit
understanding that the authoritarian leader does not show up at the
event himself.

According to diplomatic sources present at the meeting, the European
Commission, the EU’s executive arm, which has an office in Minsk,
appears to believe that if invited, Lukashenko would send his foreign
minister, Siarhey Martynau, or some other senior official in his stead.

The ministers are in the Czech Republic for two days of informal talks
at a scenic southern Bohemian castle that once belonged to the family
of their host, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg.

After a debate on Belarus that Scwarzenberg described as "very open"
– diplomatic code for contentious – the EU appears convinced that it
can afford the gamble.

After the talks on March 27, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana
indicated that the majority of the bloc’s member states would like
everyone to be present at the May 7 summit in Prague.

"As you know, an important summit has been convened by the Czech [EU]
presidency, a very important summit, and we would like everybody to
be present at that summit," Solana said. "We have discussed what could
be the best manner to have everybody around [the table] at that summit
in a constructive attitude. I don’t think we can go beyond that now."

But "everyone" might well be interpreted to mean "every country,"
not necessarily "every leader."

If it works, the stratagem could eliminate the risk of an offended
Belarus boycotting the summit altogether if Lukashenko is not
invited. On the other hand, Lukashenko’s absence could reduce the
danger of inevitably awkward scenes.

The Netherlands, in particular, has threatened to publicly upbraid
Lukashenko if he shows up in the manner of the treatment meted out
to the Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe at an EU-Africa summit a
few years ago.

Critics fear Lukashenko would exploit the summit limelight to air
his own, in all probability largely unreconstructed, views.

Many EU officials argue that Belarus’ presence at the summit – and in
the Eastern Partnership – is of vital importance to lend the project
credibility. Backers have long played up the project as an alternative
to Russia’s assertive quest for dominance outside its borders. Russia
itself has attacked the EU vehemently in recent weeks for purportedly
seeking to establish its own "sphere of influence."

Afghanistan, the Middle East, and the future of the Western Balkans
are also on the ministers’ agenda.

Schwarzenberg said the first day of discussion paved the way for a
trans-Atlantic exchange of views that is expected to take place in
Prague on April 5, when the 27 EU leaders meet with U.S. President
Barack Obama.

"There will be a discussion with the United States at the summit in
Prague exactly about this," Schwarzenberg said. "There the heads
of state of the EU will discuss with President Obama whatever we
can deliver."

Schwarzenberg did not directly respond to Obama’s recent calls for
greater EU involvement in Afghanistan, but said he "understands" the
United States expects the bloc to contribute "civilian" assistance
in the form of an enhanced "gendarmerie-style" police-training mission.

The EU foreign ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to a
"two-state" solution in Israel and the Palestinian territory, without
which Solana said there would be "no peace process, no solution."

The ministers are expected to meet their counterparts from the Western
Balkans for talks on the future of the region on the second day of
the gathering in Hluboka,

Panorama.am
17:14 12/03/2009

FAREWELL TO GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR

The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received today the Ambassador
of Georgia to Armenia Revaz Gachechiladze who has finished his
diplomatic mission in Armenia.

The President thanked the Ambassador for his activities, he has
evaluated Ambassador’s four-year mission in Armenia effective enough.
According to Serzh Sargsyan the political dialogue has been
significantly activated, the economic co-operation has been
strengthened.

Source: Panorama.am

Harold Pinter was dedicated to helping persecuted writers

Harold Pinter, the renowned playwright who died on Christmas Eve,
should be remembered for his commitment to oppressed writers across the
world.

By Carole Seymour-Jones

Daily Telegraph/UK
Last Updated: 1:20PM GMT 01 Jan 2009

Harold Pinter ‘s association with PEN , the world association of
writers, went back a long way. He felt a powerful sense of solidarity
with other writers tortured, detained and even killed for their
beliefs, and gave the Writers in Prison Committee of English PEN, of
which his wife Antonia was a former chair, his unwavering support.
Perhaps this connection was rooted in his own experience of persecution
as a Jewish boy growing up in Hackney, which I sometimes felt had
developed into an almost personal identification with that inviolable
core which some writers are able to preserve in jail, despite long
sentences under threat of death.

Certainly Pinter had a fierce and abiding passion for justice and
freedom that often brought him out onto the streets of London to join
English PEN demonstrations. Bearing homemade placards, he and Antonia
stood outside the Nigerian High Commission in London, to protest the
imprisonment of Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995. Earlier, in 1985, Pinter had
joined Arthur Miller in an historic PEN mission to Turkey to
investigate the plight of writers in prison, and Orhan Pamuk was their
guide. Twenty years later, in December 2005, when Pamuk himself was
arrested for comments about the massacres of Armenians in the First
World War, Pinter was one of the first to sign the English PEN petition
calling for the charges to be dropped.

When, however, in October 2004 I wrote to Harold asking whether he
would agree to be a reader at the annual PEN service on the Day of the
Imprisoned Writer at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, I did not expect
him to accept. He was a busy man. But a charming e-mail arrived,
accepting our invitation.

There was a little difficulty over the wording of the flyer. I got a
ticking off for ascribing the wrong decoration to Harold, CBE instead
of CH; he also insisted that the font for his name was the same size as
that for Dillie Keane of `Fascinating Aida’. There was to be no star
billing for the famous playwright.

On the day of the service, 14 November, the acoustics were checked.
Everything appeared to be in working order. I had submitted the script
in advance, a letter from Uzbek writer and activist, Mamadali
Makhmudov, one of the longest-serving prisoners in Uzbekistan, relating
his ill-treatment in Jaslyk death camp.

The service began without incident. But when Harold walked to the
lectern and began reading, his words were suddenly scrambled and
distorted. He stopped and began again. Same result: gobbledegook.
No-one could understand a word he was saying. The congregation shifted
uneasily in its seats. Had the mike failed? Or were the Uzbeks sitting
outside the church in a radio van blocking this evidence of torture in
their jails?

Calmly Pinter switched off the mike, and, like the consummate actor he
was, spoke his lines. His words resonated through the darkened church.
It was a moment I shall never forget.

In his final years, Harold still attended the service. He sat at the
back, humble, steadfast, committed. We shall miss him.

S. SARGSYAN. "ISSUE OF ALL OF US IS TO CONFRONT EXISTING CHALLENGES BY COOPERATION OF THE STATE AND PRIVATE SECTOR"

ARMENPRESS
Dec 22, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: On the occasion of New Year and
Christmas Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan called today a reception in
his residence for more than 100 representatives of business community.

Presidential press service told Armenpress that congratulating the
present on the coming New Year and Christmas, the president of the
country said, "We all realize well that the 2009 will be year of hard
work. The issue of all of us is to confront the existing challenges
in close cooperation of the state and private sector and seize the
examination of the time. The success of each of us in his/her field,
in all, is success of all of us."

Remembering old saying "It is hard to be rich in poor country",
Serzh Sargsyan said that "in such cases there is only one solution –
enrich and strengthen the country".

Armenian president wished the businessmen success, high mood and
effective work in the coming year.

KHAZAR IBRAHIM: "IT IS NECESSARY TO LEAVE THE BITTER PRACTICE OF MILITARY AGGRESSION AND ETHNIC CLEANSING IN THE PAST"

Today.Az
tics/49515.html
Dec 11 2008
Azerbaijan

The statement of Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mamedyarov
about the need to "forget the past with Armenians", which was as if
said during the visit of the Minister to Brussels, has recently been
discussed in Azerbaijani press.

Day.Az correspondent asked spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Khazar Ibrahim to comment on the said situation.

In particular, Ibrahim noted that the Minister did not say that.

"He noted that "it is necessary to forget the sad practice when the
attempts to change borders by way of military aggression and ethnic
cleansing were taken", said Ibrahim.

At the same time, spokesman for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry noted
that it is necessary to look to the future and settle the problem on
the basis of norms of international law and through the reasonable
analysis and today it is impossible to act by methods of the past
for some reasons.

He considers that external is among the reasons, as the international
community does not perceive military occupation and ethnic cleansings.

"Resolutions, decisions and declarations with a demand to stop
occupation have been adopted in the framework of UN, OSCE, NATO, OIC,
CE and other formats on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict", said he.

As for the internal reasons, Ibrahim noted that time showed that
there is no chance that Azerbaijan will accept the loss of its lands.

"Moreover, Baku’s position is becoming tougher due to the protracted
resolution of the conflict and the public does not believe too much
in the peaceful result", noted Ibrahim.

As for the social-psychological reasons, spokesman for the Foreign
Ministry noted that the Karabakh conflict has no analogues in the
history due to its out-of-war implications".

"The country-occupant turned out to be in different leagues with a
victim of occupation by its development. Therefore, it is necessary
to settle the conflict quickly in line with international norms and
general values. After the conflict is resolves it will be possible
to establish comprehensive relations between the two countries with
opening communications, economic projects and so on. The whole region
with the full-scale development, not today’s disbalance will win from
it", said Ibrahim.

MEETING OF ARMENIAN AND AZERI PRESIDENTS TO TAKE PLACE ON NOVEMBER 2

Noyan Tapan
Oct 29, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, NOYAN TAPAN. A meeting between RA President Serzh
Sargsyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev with the participation
of RF President Dmitry Medvedev will take place on November 2
in Moscow. Issues regarding Nagorno Karabakh settlement will be
on meeting’s agenda. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by the RA
President’s Press Office.

Daily Star – Lebanon, Lebanon

Turkey’s ‘national bitch’ talks about perils faced by female authors

By Agence France Presse (AFP)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Aurelia End

Agence France Presse

FRANKFURT: "Of course Turkish women are stronger than men," says
Perihan Magden with a laugh. Like her, many Turkish women writers
provoke the wrath of officials with uncompromising works. "I’m the
national bitch anyway in Turkey. I think they just want me to shut
up," she told AFP at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

But silence obviously does not sit well with the small woman in her
late 40s, who was dressed simply in black and had tied her hair up in
a quick knot.

Asked about freedom of expression, persecution of Armenians and the
situation of the Kurdish minority, she launches into animated
discourse underscored by lots of gesturing.

She also quickly forgets to speak about her book, "Two Girls," – that
has been translated into German – which describes the tumultuous love
affairs of two Turkish adolescents.

In Turkey, Magden is as well known for her novels as for her
commentary in leftist media.

In late 2005, she took up the defense of an imprisoned conscientious
objector and was taken to court by the army.

Booed by the public during her trial, she was nonetheless acquitted,
though several legal procedures are still ongoing.

Magden now has trouble hiding lassitude in the face of what she said
is chronic harassment.

The former communist militant, "I would even say I was Soviet," would
like to send her daughter to study in the United States "because in
Turkey it can be very claustrophobic."

While Magden has been attacked for her views on military service,
novelist Elif Shafak drew unwanted attention for comments made by
figures in her books on what Armenians charge is genocide by the
Ottoman Empire, a highly disputed subject in Turkey.

Armenia has campaigned for the the recognition of the mass killings of
Armenians during World War I as genocide.

Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that 300,000-500,000
Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when
Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided
with invading Russian troops.

Shafak was prosecuted under Turkish law that prohibits "defamation" of
the state, but was also cleared of the charges.

The France-born academic now wants to turn the page.

"I am too often assimilated" with the issue, she said in an interview
published Thursday by the German magazine Stern.

On the other hand, Shafak remains a staunch feminist. "We don’t say
enough about the history of women. History is always written by
men. Religion was written by men," she said.

Another Turkish writer, Fethiye Cetin also tackles taboos, raising a
fuss in the process.

In her novel "My Grandmother’s Book," a best seller in Turkey
according to the publisher, the human-rights activist searches for
Armenian and Christian roots that had long been hidden from her by her
own family.

Cetin, also a lawyer who represents the family of Hrant Dink, a
journalist of Armenian origin who was killed last year, tells the
story of how her grandmother escaped the early 20th-century slaughter.

Invited to the stand sponsored by Germany’s Green party, she said:
"You cannot bury the past. It always rises back to the surface!"

The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
September 7, 2008 Sunday

Piano virtuoso will perform today

PITTSFIELD — Armenian piano virtuoso Karen Tchougourian will perform
today at 3:30 p.m., at EPOCH Assisted Living, 140 Melbourne
Road. Tchougourian will perform a full range of music including
classical, movie scores, jazz and waltz.

A regular performer at EPOCH, Tchougourian studied at the Komitas
University in Armenia and the University of Arkansas. He received his
Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music, and has won
many performance competitions, including the 1999 Artists
International Auditions. As the winner, Tchougourian made a fully
sponsored debut at Carnegie Hall.

This performance is open to visitors at no charge, but a reservation
is requested. For reservations, call (413) 499-1992.

VERSIONS OF CONFLICTS’ MILITARY SOLUTION ARE DOOMED TO FAIL, ARF BUREAU MEMBER SAYS

Noyan Tapan

Au g 21, 2008

YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Any versions of military solution
of conflicts are doomed to fail, which the Georgian-South Ossetian
conflict demonstrated as well. Stating this at the August 21 press
conference, member of the ARF Bureau Aghvan Vardanian said: "He who
takes up a sword will fall from it. This is the lesson to be drawn
from the Georgian events."

Speaking about the possible impact of these events on Nagorno Karabakh,
he noted that Karabakh is a much more successful state unit than
Ossetia, and while being unrecognized, it can serve as an example for
some recognized states in many issues. In the opinion of A. Vardanian,
what happened is an occasion for the main political forces of Armenia
to show their unity in the Karabakh problem and other problems of
national and state importance.

In the current situation A. Vardanian considered it important that the
Georgian authorities in cooperation with Armenia ensure the rights of
the Armenians of Javakhk as an ethnic minority. At the same time he
underlined that everything possible should be done to prevent Javakhk
from being used as a tool for increasing the tension by a third force.

In his words, one should also be careful about the activity displayed
by Turkey so that any initiatives to proceed from this activity will
not take place at the expense of Armenia.

NA SPEAKER DOESN’T COMMENT ON CLAPTRAP
LILIT POGHOSYAN

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on July 19, 2008
Armenia

NA Speaker Tigran Torosyan convened a press conference yesterday to sum
up the Parliaments’ activity of the last year.

In response to the questions regarding the 100 days of the President
Tigran Torosyan recorded: `100 days is not the right period of time to
expect radical changes. In this respect we must estimate the
prerequisites that have been created in that period of time. This is
the classical approach towards `the President’s 100 days’, which is
used everywhere. Unfortunately in our country the President’s 100 days
started from the ill-fated March 1 developments, and this factor of
course created serious tension in the country.

At present, according to the speaker `we have managed to mitigate this
tension, but we still need to make efforts to completely annihilate
it’. Anyhow the `government and the parliament have worked regularly,
and this factor should also be observed in the outline of the
`President’s 100 days’.

`How does the NA Speaker estimate the fact that the three MPs, that
have been deprived of the right to immunity and are detained at the
moment, state that there are no `satisfactory proofs’ to ground their
crime?’

`I would love to see their case over.20I would love to see my colleagues
justified. But as the General Prosecutor assured me several times,
there are serious bases that give grounds not to change the
precautionary measure. They will be soon charged and it won’t take much
time.’

`There are rumors, and it has even been published in the press that
very soon the Republican Party will replace NA Speaker Tigran Torosyan
by Hovik Abrahamyan, what can you say in this regard?’

`I would like to touch upon that issue over again. But I would like to
stress one thing. Surely I have information about the latest
publications in the press. We have been working together for the last 9
years and you are well aware of my working style. I know how these
articles are ordered, how they are prepared, but I never comment on
falsehood, gossip and fabrications,’ NA Speaker said.

`After all people have seen my working style and my capabilities and
they know what goals I pursue in my work. That is why these rumors are
senseless expenses. I don’t think they will achieve their end.’

`And what will be the counter-action of RPA vice-Chairman in case these
rumors come true?’

In response to this question NA Speaker said: `I never predict, in case
the party has something to say they will say, at the moment
commentaries are senseless.’

`In response to the statement adopted20by the National Assembly to be
more active in the policy regarding the settlement of Karabakh
conflict, during the last PACE session Azerbaijan made anti-Armenian
formulations in their resolution on democratic institutions. Doesn’t
this testify to the fact that in this term nothing has been changed in
our foreign policy and parliamentary delegation?’

In response to this question Tigran Torosyan said: `I don’t think that
Azerbaijani delegation made a favorable statement for themselves. I can
even prove this by the fact that during the previous 4 years, in
Strasburg, Azerbaijani delegation didn’t manage to make any favorable
changes for themselves. But unfortunately this time they managed.
However I don’t think we should panic.’