Author: Felekian Ara

TURKISH FM BABACAN SAYS ARMENIA SOLUTION WAS NEVER THIS CLOSE

Hurriyet
Dec 22 2008
Turkey

A solution for the disputes between Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan,
which has lasted since World War One, was never this close, Turkey’s
foreign minister told Hurriyet daily on Monday. (UPDATED)

"The Serzh Sargsyan administration believes that solution of problems
with both Turkey and Azerbaijan will bring stability and welfare to
the country," Ali Babacan told in an interview with the daily.

He added that both Sargsyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham
Aliyev show the necessary will to find a solution.

"If they progress, our job will also be easier," Babacan said. "We
are not at the stage that we can put forward the final points, but
we have made much progress," he added.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border
has been closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the
international community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims
instead of accepting Turkey’s call to investigate the allegations,
and Armenia’s invasion of 20 percent territory of Azerbaijan.

A warmer period began in relations when Turkish President Abdullah
Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September. The two countries
have been holding contacts at the minister level since.

Turkish, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers have also held
trilateral meetings, and agreed to work on a lasting peace agreement
and to continue their meetings.

Aliyev, Sargsyan and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a joint
declaration asserting their desire to find a political settlement to
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in November.

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in 1988 on Armenian
territorial claims over Azerbaijan. Since 1992 Armenian Armed Forces
have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding districts.

FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER AND SIX OPPOSITIONAL SUPPORTERS ON TRIAL

Panorama.am
15:24 19/12/2008

Today the former Foreign Minister of Armenia Alexander Arzumanyan,
three members of parliament Hakob Hakobyan, Myasnik Malkhasyan and
Sasun Michaelyan and two other government critics will go on trial
at 12:00. The trial of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s seven supporters will
take place in Shengavit community court.

Note that seven oppositionists are accused of the articles 225 and
300. Numerous opposition supporters have gathered in front of the
court building.

The prosecutors of the current trial are Ashot Nadoyan, Harutyun
Harutyunyan, Aram Amirzadyan, Lilit Tadevosyan, Hovsep Sargsyan and
Koryun Piloyan.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE WCC INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE
ON CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM DIALOGUE IN TEHRAN

The Inter-religious Dialogue and Cooperation Programme of the World Council
of Churches (WCC) and the interfaith dialogue center of the Iranian
Organization of Culture and International Affairs, organized a
Christian-Muslim international conference in Tehran during December 13-14.

Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian (Primate of the Diocese of Tehran) headed the
delegation of the World Council of Churches.

The focus of the conference was coexistence between different religions.
Archbishop Sarkissian delivered a paper on this occasion, entitled the
"Armenians in Iran: an exemplary case of Christian-Muslim coexistence."

On the same day he also took part in another international conference on the
theme "City and dialogue".

The dialogue between WCC and the religious dialogue Department of the
Islamic Republic of Iran started upon the initiative of His Holiness Aram I
nearly ten years ago. The two bodies meet annually in Geneva or Tehran. In
this context the former President of Iran, Mohammed Khatami, visited the
Geneva headquarters of WCC four years ago and spoke to the staff and
ecumenical guests on inter-religious relations between Christianity and
Islam.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

NKR: BAKU STATEMENTS THWART INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.12.2008 18:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan’s attempts to impose on the mediators and
the world community its own vision for the Nagorno Karabakh problem
and the ways of its settlement are not a novelty, the NKR Foreign
Ministry said.

"Baku resorts to different techniques, in particular, presents itself
as a victim of its own aggression launched against the people of NKR
and uses slogans for European values and democracy as a cover for
its goals," Georgy Petrossian said.

"Meanwhile, the latest statements by the Azerbaijani leadership, in
particular, the peculiar interpretation of provisions of the Moscow
Declaration by Ilham Aliyev, i.e the political settlement of the
conflict does not exclude use of force, as well as the above-mentioned
Azerbaijani principles of conflict settlement demonstrate all the
hypocrisy of the Azerbaijani diplomacy and thwart the efforts of the
international community to find ways of peaceful resolution of the
conflict. Moreover, this kind of actions by Azerbaijan show not only
disrespect for the international mediators’ work, but also create an
impression of Azerbaijan as an improper partner, which is ready to
denounce a previous agreement the very next day," he said.

ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel: (617) 926-TREE
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
December 12, 2008

Armenia Tree Project’s Green Dream Is Coming True

— Nearly 2,500,000 Trees Planted and Restored Since 1994

YEREVAN–Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has just completed the planting of
460,070 trees in 2008, bringing the total number of trees planted and
restored close to 2,500,000 since the organization was founded in 1994.

This fall, ATP’s Rural and Mountainous Development (RMD) Program planted
402,720 tree seedlings at new forest sites in the Gegharkunik and Lori
regions, while the Community Tree Planting (CTP) Program planted 57,350
trees at 188 sites in 10 regions of Armenia.

CTP Program Works in Urban and Rural Communities

"The number of trees planted by the CTP program exceeded our annual
objectives. All of these high-quality indigenous tree seedlings were planted
at sites chosen to maximize the survival rate due to the availability of
irrigation water, fencing and monitoring, soil quality, as well as the
inspiration and willingness of the local population to care for the trees,"
stated program manager Anahit Gharibyan.

The CTP program planted 22,085 trees and shrubs from ATP’s Karin and
Khachpar nurseries in the spring, along with 1,300 pine seedlings from the
Mirak Family Reforestation Nursery which were planted in collaboration with
the Nor Nork Greenery Department.

In the fall, the CTP program planted 33,965 trees and shrubs at 97 sites in
Yerevan and nine regions of Armenia. In addition, ATP’s apricot, wild apple,
peach, and pear trees at 115 sites provided a harvest of 227,439 kg (507,317
lbs) of fresh fruit which benefited the local communities and institutions.

Throughout the year, ATP’s CTP program participated in events and
environmental campaigns launched at Tsitsernakaberd, Kashatagh, Nubarashen,
Noravank, Khor Virap, and elsewhere. ATP supported these initiatives by
providing healthy seedlings along with special training on planting
techniques and tree care.

For example, ATP worked with organizations and students to plant trees at
the Nubarashen Boarding School, and worked with HSBC Bank, Synopsys CJSC,
American University of Armenia, Armenian Monuments Awareness Project, and a
number of other institutions operating in Armenia.

The CTP program also increased the number of beneficiaries of its planting
project in 15 villages where 5,572 families have benefited from the fruit
trees planted by ATP since 2004. The village planting project was initiated
to improve the quality of rural backyard gardens in order to present them to
ATP donors for sponsorship.

RMD Program Plants Over 400,000 Trees

ATP began a completely new reforestation program on a 40 hectare (100 acre)
plot of community owned land in Jrashen, near ATP’s Mirak Family Nursery and
the newly planned Michael and Virginia Ohanian Environmental Center in
Margahovit. "It was noteworthy that ATP established a new forest and
obtained the land in Jrashen as a result of collaboration with Armenia’s
Hayantar State Forestry Service," noted RMD program manager Vadim Uzunyan.
This fall, ATP began by planting the first 7,000 oak seedlings at the site
in cooperation with Hayantar.

"ATP had the full support of the community and 25 trained tree-planters
hired from the Lori region welcomed the opportunity to work as part of the
ATP initiative. This program has allowed families to improve their
socio-economic situation, while at the same time improving the local
environment and natural resource base," stated Uzunyan.

This year a total of 399 rural families from the Gegharkunik and Tavush
regions grew 309,720 seedlings in their backyards, which were purchased by
ATP for reforestation purposes. The program received the prestigious Energy
Globe Award for Sustainability at the European Parliament in May. The other
86,000 reforestation seedlings were planted this fall from ATP’s Mirak
Family Nursery.

ATP hired 100 local residents to plant new seedlings on 100 hectares (250
acres) of land belonging to the communities of Aygut and Dprabak. "The local
residents were inspired and enthusiastic about the reforestation initiated
by ATP to combat the interrelated problems of deforestation and massive
landslides that threaten the villages of the Getik River Valley," noted
Uzunyan. "Landslides became more frequent and destroyed the homes of a
number of families this year. These families understand that
well-established and maintained forests have the potential to provide
economic, social, and environmental benefits."

PHOTO CAPTIONS

The apricot, wild apple, peach, and pear trees planted by Armenia Tree
Project provided a harvest of 227,439 kg (507,317 lbs) of fresh fruit in
2008; this photo was taken in July after the apricot harvest at St. Gevork
Monastery in Mughni

ATP’s Rural and Mountainous Development Program planted 402,720 tree
seedlings at new forest sites in Gegharkunik and Lori in 2008; the program
creates employment for hundreds of workers every year

Note to editors: The photographs for this story are available in color if
you can use them for your print publication or web site. Please write to
[email protected] for color versions of photos if needed.

"WE SHOULD TRY TO GATHER IN THIS LAND AND LOOK AT THE FUTURE:" INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REPATRIATION PROBLEM ORGANIZED IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. A conception-program on repatriation
will be worked out in Armenia and according to RA Minister of Diaspora
Hranush Hakobian, a deep, scientific study of repatriation experience
of the Soviet period should be conducted for it. Besides, as the
Minister affirmed it, programs should be worked out contributing
to repatriation of thought and spirit, study of resources and
possibilities both in Armenia and in the Diaspora, clarification
of problems and tasks regarding repatriation, ways and methods of
repatriation fulfillment.

As Hranush Hakobian mentioned at the opening of the 3-day international
conference under the title 1946-48 Repatriation and Its Lessons:
Repatriation Problems Today held in Armenia, world repatriation
experience, national and international legislation regarding
repatriation should be also studied.

According to the Minister, the conference, very likely, announces the
start of a new type and new quality of Armenian people’s repatriation,
first of all, repatriation of spirit and thought, return to the
Armenian identity.

The conference has a goal to analyse all mistakes, omissions of the
past, to listen to all specialists, and to come to a right conclusion.

In his greeting speech to conference participants RA President Serzh
Sargsyan, in particular, mentioned that "The state will do its best
to contribute to establishment and preservation of Armenian national
identity, as well as to repatriation. It will not only contribute to
Armenians’ physical return to the homeland, but also will assist to
the everyday struggle of our brothers and sisters against assimilation
in foreign lands.

"The homeland always waits for its sons, it is never late to return,"
President’s message read.

The message of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II read that
repatriation is not only RA state, but also national problem. "Only
fragments have remained from our mighty colonies today. Today our
compatriots face the danger of physical and spiritual extermination
in the Diaspora."

RA Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunian mentioned in his greeting speech
that first of all we should create a democratic, legal homeland, if
the situation in the human rights sphere remains the same as it is,
an Armenian, for instance, living in France will not try to come
to Armenia.

ARFD Bureau member, RA NA ARFD faction head Vahan Hovhannisian
emphasized: "Only those, who share and make part of Armenian people’s
collective fate, are Armenian." According to V. Hovhannisian’s
evaluation, dual citizenship is the only right legal way of
repatriation, but the dual citizenship institution is not completely
and effectively used in society so far.

VivaCell company Director General Ralph Yirikian presented those
present with his experience of returning to the homeland and addressed
two calls to those present: to Armenians abroad: "come, see, breathe
Armenia’s air," and to Armenians living in Armenia not to leave
Armenia: "Let’s work together and make prosperous the country together
and show to the world that we, Armenians are not 3 million, we are 10
million, we should try to gather in this land and look at the future."

TURKISH INTELLECTUALS ISSUE APOLOGY TO ARMENIANS

Sky Valley Journal
Dec 15 2008
USA

Turkish intellectuals issue apology to Armenians – Yahoo! News
document.body.className = ‘js-enabled’; Skip to navigation "Skip to
content" U.S. Australia/Antarctica Turkish intellectuals issue apology
to Armenians Buzz Up IM del.icio.us Yahoo! Bookmarks By SUZAN FRASER,
Associated Press Writer Suzan Fraser, Associated Press Writer –
2 mins ago

The group of prominent academics, journalists, writers and artists
avoided using the contentious term "genocide" in the apology, using
the less explosive "Great Catastrophe" instead.

Historians estimate that, in the last days of the Ottoman Empire,
up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks in what is
widely regarded as the first genocide of the 20th century. Armenians
have long pushed for the deaths to be recognized as genocide.

"My conscience does not accept that (we) remain insensitive toward and
deny the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected
in 1915," read the apology. "I reject this injustice, share in the
feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers, and apologize to them."

Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk was prosecuted after he
commented on the mass killings in 2005. Hrant Dink, an ethnic Armenian
journalist was shot outside his Istanbul office in 2007, following
his prosecution for comments he made about the killings of Armenians.

"Such an incorrect and one-sided attempt would mean disrespecting
our history," the diplomats said.

By late Monday, there were no public threats of legal action over
the petition.

In September, however, President Abdullah Gul became the first
Turkish leader to visit Armenia, where he and Armenian President
Serge Sarkisian watched their countries’ football teams play a World
Cup qualifying match.

EDWARD NALBANDYAN: THERE IS NO CHANGE IN THE MADRID PRINCIPLES

ArmInfo
2008-12-15 15:36:00

ArmInfo. ‘The rumours about making amendments to the Madrid principles
are not true’, – Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said
at today’s press-conference when commenting on Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov’s statement that the Madrid principles
were changed.

‘Over the negotiating process technical suggestion may be made
regarding the points and issues fixed in the Madrid principles. But
the negotiating process continues on the basis of these principles
and there are no new alterations or amendments’, – Nalbandyan said.

When commenting on the statement of the OSCE MG French co-chair
Bernard Fassier, that in Helsinki the parties to the Karabakh
conflict were given "the technical" document which will promote
the Karabakh conflict settlement, Nalbandyan said "it was not a
document". ‘Numerous technical papers regarding these or those points
of the Madrid principles were taken over the negotiating process’,
– Armenian foreign minister said.

TRIAL ON "CASE OF THE SEVEN" TO BEGIN ON DECEMBER 19

Noyan Tapan

Dec 12, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The Yerevan Criminal Court presided
over by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosian will start examining the "case
of the seven" on December 19, at 12 a.m, NT was informed by the RA
Cassation Court.

To recap, the National Assembly deputies Hakob Hakobian, Myasnik
Malkhasian, Sasun Mikaelian, the former foreign minister of Armenia
Alexander Arzumanian, as well as Shant Harutyunian, Suren Sirunian and
Grigor Voskerchian are accused of organizing mass disorder in Yerevan.

According to the press service of the Cassation Court, the trial will
be held in the building of the general jurisdiction court of Yerevan’s
Shengavit community for reasons of ensuring publicity of the trial.

ARMENIA, BULGARIA CAN ESTABLISH DIRECT AIR COMMUNICATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.12.2008 18:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The fifth meeting of the intergovernmental committee
on Armenian-Bulgarian trade-economic and scientific-technical
cooperation took place in Sofia on December 9 and 10, reported the
press office of the RA Transport and Communications Ministry.

The officials considered cooperation in various sectors of economy
and agreed to discuss a possibility of automobile communication during
a meeting of experts in early 2009.

Importance to launch direct Yerevan-Sofia-Yerevan direct flights was
also noted.