Author: Ekmekjian Janet

ARMENIAN DIASPORA IS A GLOBAL RATHER THAN JUST FINANCIAL PARTNER

ArmInfo
2010-02-24 12:29:00

Interview with Bekor Papazyan, Executive Director of the National
Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia

The National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia was established in
2009 for drafting and coordinating programs to enhance the country’s
economic competitiveness. The foundation implements projects mostly
in the fields of tourism, health care, education and information
network development.

What stage is the program on creation of an oncology clinic in Armenia
at? It was said earlier that a group of French doctors of Armenian
descent are ready to finance the project.

We already have the architectural sketches of the complex. We have
discussed them and think that they are quite acceptable. The doctors
you have just mentioned visited Armenia two weeks ago, together
with representatives of General Electric and Varian, the companies
the investors are going to buy equipment from. Presently, we are
finalizing the financing agreements.

We are studying the prospects of not only nuclear medicine but the
whole field of oncology. Here, we can draft a couple of investment
packages. Besides considering the possibilities of purchasing a
cyclotron and manufacturing radio-isotopes for medical purposes, we
are looking forward to the prospect of opening a cancer diagnostics
center, equipped with PET scans. This center might treat different
types of cancer by means of radio-, chemo- and immunotherapy. We
might also have a center for post-clinic recovery. We have made rough
calculations for each of the projects – taken both separately and
in different combinations – and have shown them to our potential
sponsors. We are expecting response from both foreign and local
investors, including hospitals and individuals.

You have asked the Belgian Government to finance the purchase of the
cyclotron. Are you close to final agreement?

Presently, we are waiting for the approval by the Armenian Government.

As soon as the inter-governmental agreement is approved, we will start
formalizing loan guarantees. According to the initial agreement, we
were supposed to be given a loan and a grant but we prefer to get a
zero interest and a three-year grace period instead of the grant. The
loan will be provided for 15 years. The cyclotron will cost 12mln EUR –
exactly the size of the loan. The oncology clinic will cost 12mln EUR,
with the cost of the three PET scans estimated at 2mln-2.5mln EUR each.

We have not reached final agreements yet but we are planning to
do it this year. We want this program to be wider and we want the
Government of Armenia to proclaim oncology as a priority sector. This
would attract much bigger investments and we would be able to develop
a single business plan for the whole complex.

Does our region have similar medical complexes?

Our neighbors don’t have such centers. Eastern Europe does. The demand
for such services is constantly growing. So, if we ensure at least
half of the domestic demand and annually receive 500-1,000 people
from Georgia, Iran and, perhaps, from some other countries, we will
have quite a normal load for the center. The business projects will
be finalized in a month. The specific business plan will be presented
as soon as we have an investor.

We have presented this project in Silicon Valley in the United States,
at Berkeley University, and have received enthusiastic response. We
want to cooperate with them. Why? Because Diaspora can play a serious
role for Armenia not only as a source of financing but also as a
partner in creating professional networks. If we in Armenia want
to treat cancer according to the international standards, we need
professional diagnostics assistance from the Diaspora specialists.

Doctors from Diaspora could help us, say, for a couple of days,
a month on a paid or free of charge basis. Our Diaspora colleagues
have welcomed this idea.

What a stage the project on creation of the highland sports training
camps near Lake Sevan is at?

We are planning to open several highland training camps around Sevan.

Highland training is in high demand in different sports – cycling,
football, ice hockey. We have invited two experts from Germany,
who have helped us to draft a business plan. The plan contains an
investment proposal. In the coming months we will develop this project
into an investment package with detailed cost estimates.

We also have a program to build a cableway to Tatev Monastery as
part of the project to create a tourist and educational complex in
this area.

It will be a 5.7km reversible cableway, the longest such facility in
the world. The launch is scheduled for the autumn 2010.

During the opening ceremony we are planning to meet with our partners
under this program. By that time we will have started restoring Tatev
Monastery and creating a training center there. We will also begin to
develop products for tourists. The final stage will be construction of
a hotel. The launch of the ropeway will be the first tangible result
of the project.

We already have preliminary estimates on the hotel. We already know
where it will be situated and how many people it will be able to
accommodate. The final parameters will be determined as soon as we
have the first visitors. The construction is supposed to be started
in two years. The other components of the program will be completed
by the summer 2011. The training center will have to branches:
a monastery school and a summer research school for historical and
archeological studies. The money for the construction of the ropeway
and the renovation of the monastery has been provided by the Tatev
Fund. This fund has been established by Ruben and Veronica Vardanyans
and has already raised $20mln. This money is not an investment and
is not expected to give profit. It is a donation. Ruben Vardanyan is
the manager of Russian Troika Dialog and one of the trustees of the
National Competitiveness Foundation.

We have made a list of sights around Tatev Monastery and are presently
negotiating with representatives of local travel agencies and hotels.

The pilot project will be made public by the autumn, when the ropeway
is launched. It will contain elements of cuisine tourism, information
on travel routes, etc. In 2010 tour operators will already be able
to receive guests. For being able to receive more tourists, we are
developing a network of Bed & Breakfast motels in the nearby villages
– Tatev, Khdzoresk, Shinuayr, Tandzatap. Under this project we are
planning to cooperate with SME DNC.

We also have a project of training center for Yerevan.

In 1-2 months we will announce an international tender for the
feasibility study of the project. The project will be based on
government-private sector partnership. The center will consist of
office premises and state educational facilities. The commercial sector
is supposed to finance the academic one according to the well-known
Land Grant system – when the money received from the use of the
property lent by the donor is spent on research and education. One
of our partners is ready to watch this model of cooperation.

In the framework of WB PHRD program, you were supposed to select
a company to consult the Armenian authorities on how to develop a
republican fiber network.

We have already selected the company. It is Detecon International from
German. The company has been working for already two months and in
early Mar 2010 is supposed to familiarize the concerned parties with
potential models based on government-private sector partnership. The
final report and the construction plan will be presented a month
later. The constructor will be selected within the framework of the
WB’s credit program to also be supervised by the foundation. Now we
are watching several models. The greater part of the network will be
made of optic fiber but in the difficult-to-access highlands we will
probably apply wireless technologies. The goal of this project is to
fiber-network the whole territory of Armenia.

Thank you

Aram Gareginyan, ArmInfo, Feb 22 10

ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS NOT TO BE RATIFIED BY TURKISH PARLIAMENT

news.az
Feb 22 2010
Azerbaijan

Turkish parliament If Armenia has any claims regarding the signed
protocols, it should have declared about it earlier during the
discussions.

After the changes introduced by the government and the Constitutional
Court of Armenia, the Armenian-Turkish protocols will not be ratified
by the Turkish parliament, said Yashar Yakish, chairman of the CE
Compliance Commission and former foreign minister of Turkey.

"If Armenia hopes that Ankara will adopt changes made by the
Constitutional Court to the protocols signed with Turkey, it is
mistaken. Ankara will never adopt them", Yashar Yakish said.

The international practice has no rule that after signing any
international document it can be introduced some changes from the
side of the internal legislative body, Yakish said.

The Turkish government has signed protocols not with the Constitutional
Court but with the Armenian government and the decision taken by the
said body is an internal affair of Yerevan that has no attitude to
Turkey, he added.

He said if Armenia has any claims regarding the signed protocols,
it should have declared about it earlier during the discussions.

Even if the Turkish prime minister puts the issue of ratification
of these protocols for discussion in the parliament, the Turkish
deputies will not confirm them unless there is a positive achievement
in the Karabakh issue. "If the deputies of the Turkish parliament have
declared that they will not ratify the Armenian-Turkish protocols
unless the Karabakh issue is settled and their decision cannot be
changed by the prime minister, the foreign minister or the president
of the country", Yakish said.

As for the efforts taken by the United States and Russia that are
co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group, Yakish said Washington is currently
more interested in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict as the
delay in this issue may have a negative influence on the relations
with such US ally as Turkey.

Saturday School Students Learn About ARS History

ool-students-learn-about-ars-history/
By Asbarez Staff on Feb 19th, 2010

GLENDALE, CA-More than 100 ARS Saturday School students from five
schools participated in a seminar program held on February 6, 2010, at
the Glendale Youth Center. The event organized by the Regional
Saturday School Committee was emceed by Kevork Bedigian, principal of
the Talin School.

Maestro Alfred Mardoyan led the choir practice session, as the
children sang enthusiastically. Nyree Derderian, who chairs the
Regional Strategic Planning Committee, presented the history of the
ARS in an interactive bilingual manner and then showed a video
prepared for the ARS Centennial. Derderian emphasized the role of the
ARS in the educational arena, including running the Saturday School,
where she noted, not only are the students taught the Armenian
language and culture, but they are enriched with the Armenian spirit.

Annie Guiragossian, ARS of Western USA Regional Executive Liaison to
the Saturday School Committee, thanked the program participants; and
Ung. Sossie Poladian, Chair of the Regional Executive, asked the
students to be proud of their heritage and encouraged them to learn
and practice using the Armenian language and culture.

In an effort to reach to the student population, Nyree Derderian and
other ARS members are visiting day schools and making presentations
regarding the ARS and its century-long heritage of service.

TURKISH JEWELERS IMPLEMENT PROJECT OF "BROTHERHOOD" WITH ARMENIAN COUNTERPARTS

news.az
Feb 19 2010
Azerbaijan

Turkish and Armenian jewelers expand cooperation.

The association of Turkish jewelers intends to implement the project
of jewelers’ brotherhood to promote their production, association
chairman Imam Altinbash told Hurriyet.

"When we hear that the citizens of neighbor countries buy jewels
in Italy or Asian countries, we are surprised: Turkey is a neighbor
country, we are among the biggest producers of jewelry. Therefore, we
are implementing a project of brotherhood with the Armenian colleagues
and we are open for cooperation with the world", Altinbash said.

ARMENIA: EVA RIVAS LAUNCHES WEBSITE AND BLOG

esctoday.com
ad/15130
Feb 18 2010

Eva Rivas, the Armenian participant in the Eurovision Song Contest
2010 has launched a new website and blog. Since winning the national
final in Armenia, she has been working hard on her upcoming promo
tours and presentations.

Karen Kavaleryan, whose songs have represented five different countries
at the Eurovision Song Contest (Russia 2002 and 2006, Armenia and
Belarus in 2007, Ukraine and Georgia in 2008), arrived in Armenia
days ago. During the press conference he stated that Apricot Stone
is one of his best songs ever written for the Eurovision Song Contest
and he hopes to see Armenia among the top leaders this year.

ARMENIE-TURQUIE : UNE RECONCILIATION EN SUSPENS
par Guillaume Perrier

Le Monde
02/17/armenie-turquie-une-reconciliation-en-suspen s-par-guillaume-perrier_1307233_3232.html
17 Fev 2010
France

Quatre mois après la signature, en octobre 2009 a Zurich, d’un
protocole d’accord entre la Turquie et l’Arménie, sous le patronage
de la Suisse, l’espoir d’une normalisation rapide des relations entre
les deux voisins s’est déja envolé. Ni le Parlement arménien
ni l’Assemblée nationale turque n’ont encore approuvé le texte,
qualifié, a l’époque, d’"historique" par l’ensemble des diplomaties
mondiales.

Selon cet accord, les deux pays devaient établir des relations
officielles, inaugurer des ambassades et, a terme, rouvrir leur
frontière commune, fermée depuis 1993. Mais a Ankara comme a
Erevan, le processus est mis en suspens. L’Arménie a annoncé, le
12 février, que les protocoles ont été transmis au Parlement. Mais
elle a précisé que la ratification ne pourrait pas intervenir avant
que la Turquie ne se soit d’abord prononcée.

Passé l’enthousiasme de la signature, les négociations sont
entrées dans une phase marquée par des "déceptions réciproques",
selon l’analyste Aybars Görgulu. La Turquie, qui avait condamné
sa frontière avec la jeune République d’Arménie, en 1993,
en représailles a la sécession du Haut-Karabakh, une province
majoritairement peuplée d’Arméniens et rattachée a l’Azerbaïdjan
par Staline, réclame des contreparties pour sa réouverture.

"Sans une solution au Karabakh, nous ne pouvons pas ratifier les
protocoles", a lancé le premier ministre, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
fermant la porte a un accord rapide. Le ministre des affaires
étrangères, Ahmet Davutoglu, persiste a lier la réussite de ce
rapprochement a des concessions arméniennes sur le Karabakh, bien que
les accords d’octobre 2009 n’en fassent pas mention. Début février,
il a laissé planer la menace d’un échec si les négociations
n’étaient pas "menées de manière appropriée".

La Russie et les Etats-Unis exhortent Turcs et Arméniens a accélérer
leur rapprochement. Les grandes puissances veulent éviter un nouvel
embrasement du sud du Caucase, fragilisé par la crise géorgienne
de l’été 2008. Mais le conflit du Karabakh, gelé depuis seize ans
et qui a fait plus de 30 000 morts, entrave la pacification de la
r̩gion. En d̩pit de la m̩diation du groupe de Minsk Рcopr̩sid̩
par la Russie, les Etats-Unis et la France -, les discussions ne
progressent guère.

En Azerbaïdjan, comme a Erevan, la question reste brÃ"lante. Le
président arménien, Serge Sarkissian, est originaire du Karabakh et
il en dirigeait les comités d’autodéfense, au début des années
1990.

En faisant marche arrière, la Turquie montre sa dépendance
vis-a-vis de Bakou. L’Azerbaïdjan, de langue et de culture turque,
est un allié traditionnel de la Turquie et un de ses principaux
fournisseurs de gaz naturel. Les initiatives du grand frère turc,
flirtant avec l’Arménie, ont jeté une ombre sur l’alliance. En
Turquie, l’opposition nationaliste et kémaliste est aussi montée au
créneau contre cette "trahison", appelant a la solidarité panturque
avec les Azéris : "Un peuple, deux Etats". Surtout, la richesse des
gisements de la mer Caspienne donne un argument de poids au clan
Aliev, au pouvoir depuis vingt ans en Azerbaïdjan. Le pays, a la
source de l’oléoduc Bakou-Tbilissi-Ceyhan et du gazoduc Nabucco,
s’avère stratégiquement incontournable. Bakou fournira 6 milliards
de mètres cubes de gaz a la Turquie, en 2010.

En Arménie, les réticences se sont renforcées et la sincérité de
la démarche de la Turquie est sérieusement mise en doute. L’accord
de 2009 prévoit la création d’une commission historique, chargée
d’examiner "de manière scientifique et objective" les pages sombres
de l’histoire. Mais elle est souvent percue par les Arméniens comme
une manoeuvre turque pour tenter d’atténuer la réalité du génocide.

Le 12 janvier, la Cour constitutionnelle arménienne a rendu un avis
favorable sur les protocoles signés en octobre. Mais elle a rappelé
qu’ils ne pourraient en aucun cas contredire la Constitution et la
déclaration d’indépendance arménienne qui mentionne "le devoir de
réalisation de reconnaissance internationale du génocide de 1915,
en Turquie ottomane et en Arménie occidentale". La Turquie juge
cette référence historique "inacceptable".

La question du génocide, que la position officielle turque qualifie
toujours de "massacres réciproques", pourra difficilement être
éludée, si Ankara souhaite une sincère réconciliation avec son
voisin. Pour le moment, la Turquie voudrait inciter l’Arménie a mettre
ses revendications en veilleuse. Comme chaque année, la diplomatie
turque se crispe a l’approche du 24 avril, la date anniversaire du
déclenchement du génocide de 1915, lancé par l’arrestation, a
Istanbul, de centaines de dignitaires arméniens. Ankara s’inquiète
du lobbying de la diaspora arménienne aux Etats-Unis et d’une possible
reconnaissance officielle par le Congrès américain.

Le 4 mars, le comité des affaires étrangères de la Chambre se
prononcera sur une résolution démocrate, qualifiant de "génocide"
les massacres de 1915. M. Davutoglu a manifesté son agacement a
James Steinberg, secrétaire d’Etat adjoint, le 6 février, a la
conférence de Munich sur la sécurité internationale. En 2007, un
vote du Congrès avait été évité au dernier moment, désamorcant
un risque de crise dans les relations américano-turques.

ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT HAS HIS OWN HANDWRITING, SAYS BEKARIAN

Aysor
Feb 17 2010
Armenia

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech at London’s Chatham House
is impossible not to have a political value, said chairman of the
European Integration NGO, Karen Bekarian. "The statements are not
being made for internal or external use. "When president of the
country speaks, his speech is impossible not to have a political
value," he said pointing some items.

Firstly, Karen Bekarian said of the strong position over the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict and Armenia-Turkey relations.

"Armenia’s President once again said of his position to hold on to
the self-determined policy." Armenia’s initiatives have a permanent
character and self handwriting.

"In this sense, it’s not all in a sudden to invite President Aliev
of Azerbaijan to ceremony of opening of Armenia-Turkey border,"
said Karen Bekarian.

He also said that after certain time there will be responds to this,
as London’s Chatham House is a traditional forum which is always
under international communities’ scrutiny.

ISSUES OF JAVAKHK DISCUSSED IN YEREVAN
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
18.02.2010 16:00

Workshop-discussion on issues of defense of rights of Javakhk
Armenian was held in Yerevan today. The organizers of the event came
forth with a joint statement, calling on the Armenian authorities
and international organizations to take measures to prevent the
discriminative policy of the Georgian authorities against the Armenians
of Javakhk and guarantee the security of the Armenian population.

Chairman of the "Javakh" Union, MP Shirak Torosyan said: "The Armenian
language should be given the statues of a regional language in Javakh,
the Armenian Church should be given a legal status in Georgia, the
churches and temples taken from the Armenian Apostolic Church should
be returned, persecutions should be excluded."

K. AVAGYAN: "NO MAJORITIES OR MINORITIES IN THE ARP"

Aysor
Feb 18 2010
Armenia

"There is no change of situation. The president has spoken abut
it clearly, there is no other opinion in the ARP concerning it",
– the deputy of the ARP Karen Avagyan assured on the meeting with
the journalists.

To the question, that some members of the ARP announced as if the
majority of the party is for the Armenian – Turkish protocols being
ratified by Armenia first, Avagyan answered that there is no "majority
or minority in the ARP."

Karen Avagyan convinced not to mix the "Republican" party with the
"Heritage" and assured that "the Armenian side will never ratify the
protocols first."

"I understand by these statements that the developments of the Karabakh
issue have brought to the idea that in order to avoid the possible
sanctions the Armenian side is urged to take up some measures. As
if a public opinion is being formed that Armenia should ratify the
Protocols beforehand", – Stepan Safaryan said.

"This is impossible, analyze as much as you wish, doesn’t matter,
we will not ratify it first", – mentioned Avagyan.

According to Safaryan, it is not the first time when the authorities
say something but do another thing. "Such kinds of statements, that
have later been changed, are too many. For example Sargsyan has told
that I will not live for Bursa as a simple tourist if the border is
closed or we are not close to opening it."

The ARP deputy noticed that "we are at the brink of opening the
boarder". The deputy of "Heritage" got surprised with such a "long
threshold".

How long will it take for the Armenian side to understand that Turkey
is artificially delaying the process? Karen Avagyan decided to answer
to the question from his name and not from the name of the party.

"I will speak from my side. That time limit for me is the April 24.

It’s wrong to put a date, to speak about a concrete day. I am taking
April 24 as a proximate deadline. And when it will be confirmed
that it is an artificial delay we will come out of the process", –
assured Avagyan

SWEDEN TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SOON

ArmInfo
2010-02-17 16:47:00

ArmInfo. In the near future Sweden will discuss the resolution on
recognition of the Armenian genocide. The opposition Social-Democratic
Party of Sweden has initiated it.

When commenting on this information a top-ranking diplomatic source
said that recognition of the Armenian genocide by Sweden is a very
realistic prospect, taking into consideration the fact that in all
probability Social-Democratic Party of Sweden will gain a victory as
a result of the parliamentary election.

To note, the parliamentary election in Sweden will be held in
September 2010.

To note also, Turkish officials have already started threatening
official Stockholm that this may damage the bilateral relations
and complicate the process of ratification of the Armenian-Turkish
Protocols in the Turkish parliament.

To recall, the same was initiated in 2007 but that time the resolution
was not adopted.