Author: Jagharian Tania

TURKEY AND ARMENIA SET ‘ROADMAP’

BBC NEWS
urope/8014008.stm
2009/04/23 09:48:00 GMT

Turkey and Armenia have said they have agreed on a "framework" to
normalise their bilateral ties, putting decades of strained relations
behind them.

A statement by their foreign ministers said they had "achieved tangible
progress and mutual understanding".

But it did not say how the neighbours would resolve their dispute over
the mass killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks in 1915.

Turkey has condemned widespread efforts to have them defined as
genocide.

The breakthrough comes just weeks after US President Barack Obama
urged Turkey to come to terms with the past and resolve the issue.

In 2008 Mr Obama asserted that the "Armenian genocide is not an
allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a
widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical
evidence".

‘Roadmap’

Wednesday’s talks between Turkey and Armenia took place away from
the public eye, under Swiss mediation.

" The two parties… have agreed on a comprehensive framework for the
normalisation of their bilateral relations " Joint Turkish-Armenian
statement

Afterwards, the two countries announced in a joint statement that they
had agreed to "develop good neighbourly relations in mutual respect
and progress peace, se curity and stability in the entire region".

"The two parties have achieved tangible progress and mutual
understanding in this process and they have agreed on a comprehensive
framework for the normalisation of their bilateral relations," it said.

"Within this framework, a roadmap has been determined."

Later, the US state department said it welcomed the agreement.

"It has long been and remains the position of the United States that
normalisation should take place without preconditions and within a
reasonable timeframe," spokesman Robert Wood said.

Closed border

However, correspondents say it is not immediately clear how the
neighbours will resolve their bitter dispute over the Ottoman-era
killings of ethnic Armenians.

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died in 1915, when they were
deported en masse from eastern Anatolia to the Syrian desert and
elsewhere. They were killed by Ottoman troops or died from starvation
or disease.

Armenians have campaigned for the killings to be recognised
internationally as genocide – and some countries have done so.

Turkey admits that many Armenians were killed but it denies any
genocide, saying the deaths were part of the widespread fighting that
took place in World War I.

Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became
independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support
for its ally, Azerbaijan, which had a dispute with Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan reacted to the announcement by warning that Turkish-Armenian
relations should not be resumed without parallel progress over
Nagorno-Karabakh – namely a withdrawal of Armenian troops.

ARMENIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN TAKE A SERIOUS ATTITUDE TO ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION

PanArmenian
April 21 2009
Armenia

Yerevan Mayor’s Office has announced about inviolability of three
archaeological monuments boundaries, including Erebuni, Krmir Blour and
Shengavit. Those territories will no longer be used as burying grounds.

"Waste disposal on monuments’ territory is currently our key issue. The
household rubbish and construction waste was accumulated here over
decades, forming a thick layer. The Mayor’s Office covered the costs of
waste disposal but this is not yet enough," Director of Erebuni museum
Ashot Piliposyan said. According to him, there is currently 1000 trucks
of construction waste piled up in the territory of "Karmir Blur".

Cleanup works carried out by Armenian servicemen on April 18 in
connection with the International Day of Monuments produced significant
results. But what greatly inspires us is that the children from
school No. 115 (situated at Karmir Blur) elaborated archaeological
monuments preservation program and submitted it to US Embassy in
Armenia. Regardless of results, the fact itself is gratifying. It
inspires us with confidence that the young generation shows care for
cultural heritage," Mr. Piliposyan noted.

Considering economic difficulties, Erebuni Museum Director proposes
that the municipal authorities and other responsible state bodies
remove the waste heap to the nearest ravine.

Since 1936, the citadel situated on Karmir Blur has been thoroughly
studied, and most of the land plots of the ancient city extending
from south to west have been dug out.

The citadel is a huge construction with a spacious yard, with total
area of about 4 hectares. Its walls are built of huge mudbricks,
3.5 m. wide and 4-7m. long. The first floor of the citadel housed
140 various premises of different sizes, including small storerooms
and large wine cellars. Apart from storehouses, the citadel also had
workshops producing sesame oil and beer as well as manufactured cloth
and processed bones. There were also grain storerooms with a capacity
of 750 g.. The wine cellars stored 4000 liters of different wine sorts.

FUNDS MAY DISAPPEAR

A1+
April 21, 2009

"Why should the government be responsible for revising funds for
the population?" said RA Deputy Minister of Urban Development Karlen
Gevorgyan in response to the question whether any measures are taken
to update funds for the population.

Eighty-five percent of the buildings in Armenia were built during
the Soviet years and the buildings constructed during the years of
independence make up only 15 percent. In other words, 85% trace back
to decades ago and it turns out that the state is not responsible
for any accidents.

If the building is destroyed and, say, 40 people remain in ruins,
where is the government to blame?

"That is a different story. First of all, we must check to see what
caused the destruction. If a multi-story building in Yerevan collapses,
the first people to blame are the residents. Residents underestimate
their property by not keeping their items well-furnished," said
Karlen Gevorgyan.

He then went on to say why the government is not obligated to set
foundations for the buildings.

"Do you pay the government money before selling your house? Why should
the government give you new items?

Doesn’t the government take care of citizens’ safety? In response to
that he said:

"That is why we must strengthen the potential of administration
bodies. There is a lack of relationship between residents and
government bodies."

In that case, why do RA citizens make payments? The payments for
each person based on districts, such as Kentron or Arabkir, are more
expensive and go up to 1,000 drams and even more.

"Yes, if we take a look at how much money is collected from multi-story
buildings, it is a lot of money and they are not used wisely. That
is why it is our purpose to regulate funds for preserving multi-story
buildings and strengthen government bodies," said Karlen Gevorgyan.

The Deputy Minister also said that studies and conclusions on
the technical state of buildings must be conducted once every
10 years. "A1+" conducted a small survey and as a result, nobody
mentioned anything about an expert visiting their house.

"Residents must raise that issue. It is your property and you must
take care of it," said Kareln Gevorgyan.

The government does not provide funding for renovating
buildings. "There are 30,000 homeless families of which 7,000 live in
the disaster zone. In addition to that, we have refugees, liberation
fighters, orphans. The government has set the issue to provide these
people with homes," said the Deputy Minister as he presented the plans
of the government. This year the Ministry of Urban Development has
a plan to provide nearly 700 families with homes and as the deputy
minister said, the plan is in progress and 30 families have funds to
try to get homes.

It turns out that the government does not have a plan for providing
the homeless with homes. "The main emphasis is placed on financial
assistance so that they will be able to buy homes at market prices,"
There are also construction projects through credit in Tsaghkahovit
and Stepanavan with the purpose of constructing 1000 apartments with
the disaster zone project.

"The Ministry does not have a construction firm through which it will
be able to implement construction. The Ministry concedes funds and
oversees quality of construction," said Karlen Gevorgyan.

ANC LEADER BLASTS LOSING CANDIDATES IN GLENDALE ELECTIONS
Vincent Lima

Armenian Reporter
-leader-blasts-losing-candidates-in-glendale-elect ions
April 16, 2009

They lacked "qualifications" and "never had a chance of winning"

Glendale, Calif. – "The Armenian-American community’s vote was
split by too many candidates who never had a chance of winning,"
the Armenian National Committee’s Zanku Armenian said, commenting on
the Glendale elections last week. With this election, the number of
Armenian-Americans on City Council dropped to one.

An estimated 40 percent of the population of Glendale is of Armenian
origin.

Mr. Armenian, chairperson of the Armenian National Committee of
Glendale Political Action Committee, said, "The ANCG-PAC had multiple
discussions with each of these candidates in the beginning of the
process and made them fully aware that their campaigns had no chance
because of their lack of qualifications."

ANCG-PAC had endorsed the candidacy of incumbents Ara Najarian and Bob
Yousefian for Glendale City Council, urging citizens to vote for them
and a third candidate of their choosing. Mr. Najarian was re-elected,
but Mr. Yousefian was not; his eight-year service on the body comes
to an end on April 20.

Voters elected incumbent Frank Quintero and challenger Laura Friedman,
along with Mr. Najarian. They will join Dave Weaver and John Drayman
on the five-member council.

Mr. Armenian questioned "the motives" of some losing candidates,
suggesting that their candidacies were urged on by one or more
current members of the council. He did not name candidates or offer
any evidence to support his allegation, however.

Education issues

In the Glendale School Board race, one candidate supported by ANCG-PAC,
Christine Walters, was elected, whereas the other, Eric Sahakian,
was not. The Armenian-American organization had declined to endorse
the candidacy of incumbent Greg Krikorian, who nonetheless handily
won reelection, coming in first place.

In choosing to support Ms. Walters and Mr. Sahakian and in
declining to support Mr. Krikorian, ANCG-PAC was clearly signaling
its dissatisfaction with the current administration of the school
district. ANCG-PAC Board member Armen Abrahamian said, "With Christine
Walters added to the new school board, the ANC intends to work with
the board to address many pressing issues impacting students and
parents. It is the ANC’s intention to be very active and visible on
these school issues in the months ahead."

Another ANCG-PAC Board member, Sarkis Ourfalian, focused on the
Glendale Community College Board, where all three ANCG-PAC-endorsed
candidates won. "The ANC will be working closely with the full GCC
board to build a closer bond and collaboration between GCC and the
Armenian American community so that the full potential of the college
may be reached," he said.

ANCG-PAC did not respond to a request for comment on Armenian-American
voter turnout. The group had earlier announced that it was focused
on increasing turnout.

Meanwhile, environmental activist Garen Yegparian, the only
Armenian-American running for a seat on Burbank City Council, did
not win.

GRAND TOBACCO DOMINATES IN ARMENIA’S TOBACCO MARKET

/ARKA/
April 21, 2009
YEREVAN

Grand Tobacco LLC joint venture dominated last year in Armenia’s
tobacco market, the RA State Commission for the Protection of Economic
Competition (SCPEC) says in its report for 2008.

According to the commission, the company absorbs over one third
(50.8%) of the filtered cigarettes market and has no serious rivals
in the non-filtered cigarettes market (92.3%).

SCPEC did not make any particular market survey last year, the last
report on the local market participants being that of 2003. According
to the document, two manufacturing companies and eight importers
were doing business in the Armenian tobacco market, with an economic
entity falling out of the market in 2002. Solely local manufacturers
(five enterprises) ensured the entire output of non-filtered cigarettes
in Armenia.

These indicators had obviously changed by 2008, SCPEC says.

The two largest tobacco manufacturers of Armenia – Grand Tobacco
and Masis Tobacco – are members of the Grand Holding group alongside
with Grand Candy confectionary plant, Grand Sun electric lamps plant,
the Hayrenik (Motherland) TV channel and a number of joint ventures
in Iran and Georgia.

HRANT DINK’S HIT MAN WAS NOT SAMAST, NEW WITNESSES CLAIM

armradio.am
21.04.2009 15:39

Five individuals convicted of unrelated crimes testified as witnesses
yesterday in the murder trial of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink, who was shot dead in broad daylight by an ultra-nationalist
teenager outside the office of his newspaper, Agos, in Istanbul on
Jan. 19, 2007.

Witness Volkan Eryol, who testified in the Istanbul 14th High Criminal
Court yesterday, said he had heard a cellmate named Ertugrul Balci
state that it was not Ogun Samast, the teenager who is currently
standing trial as the suspected hit man, but another person who shot
Dink on that day, Today’s Zaman reported.

Another witness, Å~^inasi Å~^enturk, said he had heard details
from Balci.

The two witnesses said they had petitioned the court to testify when
they heard the information Balci gave them in prison. In his testimony,
Å~^enturk said: "Balci told us that the individuals that are currently
suspects in the Dink incident actually did not have anything to do
with the murder. Normally, we wouldn’t have paid attention, but Balci
corresponded with important people. He also said he knew who the real
murderer was."

The Dink family lawyers had previously stated their suspicions that
a second person accompanied Samast on the day of the murder. Veli
Halis Celik, another inmate at the Silivri Prison Complex where the
other witnesses are also serving jail time for unrelated crimes,
gave the same testimony.

A group of people identifying themselves as "Friends of Hrant" held
a demonstration yesterday on Barbaros Boulevard in BeÅ~_iktaÅ~_. The
group complained that authorities were unable to uncover who had issued
the order to kill Dink although more than two years have passed since
the murder. The group later sang songs in memory of Dink and dispersed
without major incident.

Celik said Balci, who gave the information to the witnesses, was the
son of Å~^ukru Balci, a former police chief at the Istanbul Police
Department.

Samast, the prime suspect in the Dink murder trial, was questioned by
the Dink family lawyers yesterday. Samast refused to respond to the
lawyers’ question on whether he had testified at the Prime Ministry
Inspection Board.

In response to a question on how he was able to find the location
of the Agos daily in Istanbul, he said he had asked around. Samast
appeared reluctant to reply to the lawyers’ questions in court
yesterday.

A delegation of five lawyers from France also followed yesterday’s
trial.

The French lawyers said they came to show solidarity with the Dink
family.

The Istanbul Bar Association released a press statement on the
delegation’s visit, saying the Paris Bar Association had requested
to join the trial as observers; a req uest which was denied by the
Istanbul Bar Association on the grounds that if delegation was granted
observant status, it could harm the independence of the judiciary. The
Istanbul Bar Association said they had invited the delegation from
Paris to monitor the trial not as an institution, but as individuals.

ON APRIL 22, UCLA STUDENTS TO MARK GENOCIDE WITH LOOK INTO ITS CULTURAL RESPONSE

Asbarez
rticle=41669_4/20/2009_1
April 20, 2009

Community Invited to Campus to Explore Genocide’s Impact on Armenian
Art and Literature

LOS ANGELES–Students and community members from across the greater
Los Angeles area will have a unique opportunity this Wednesday,
April 22 to explore the impact of the Armenian Genocide on art and
culture in the Armenian reality.

The issue is seldom given attention during annual genocide
commemorations in the community and promises to be a welcomed break
with established norms, according to its organizers.

The event, dubbed Rebirth: A Cultural Response to the Armenian
Genocide, will begin at 6pm at UCLA’s Ackerman Grand Ballroom (308
Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA). It is being organized by the Armenian
Students’ Association at UCLA in association with the Armenian Youth
Federation, the Unified Young Armenians and the All-ASA confederation
308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.

"We have commemorated the Armenian Genocide for almost a century. But
do we all know and understand the horrific extent of the consequences
wrought by that crime?" asked Mariam Tsaturyan, one of the event’s
organizers. "The Genocide affected more than just the population
figures and geographic area of the Armenian nation. It also drastically
transformed our culture, literature and art."

"Our goal is to use art and culture to show how the Armenian
Genocide changed not just our demographics but also our way of life,"
Tsaturyan said.

Wednesday’s program will showcase a combination of visual displays
and presentations to illustrate the transformation of literature and
art that followed the Armenian Genocide. Speakers will include Vahe
Berberian and Lilly Thomassian, who will also be performing her play
"Let the Rocks Speak."

The event will also include an art show and a rare collection from
the Armenian Philatelic Society featuring stamps from the First
Republic of Armenia, as well as Genocide commemorative stamps from
across the world.

ELNUR ASLANOV: GOOD NEIGHBOR BETTER THAN DISTANT RELATIVE
S.Agayeva

Trend News Agency
April 20 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Political Analyses and
Dataware Department Head Elnur Aslanov spoke with Trend News in a
quick interview.

Trend News: During Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s Moscow visit,
Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev expressed his country’s readiness
to fulfill own mandate on settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and noted necessity to rely on international law and resolutions of
the UN and OSCE. As to you, which role can Russia play in settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

Elnur Aslanov: Russia is one of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and
plays one of key roles in the conflict settlement process. Moreover,
Russia is a considerable regional figure in the South Caucasus and
direct participant of political, economic and even socio-cultural
processes. The Russian president’s position which was expressed at
the meeting with President Ilham Aliyev testifies that the Russian
foreign policy conception bases on understanding of reality and
strategic partnership spirit. As international law and principle
of territorial integrity is a key factor in solving the conflict,
Russia’s position is natural.

As to Russia’s role in the conflict settlement, I can say that this
or other OSCE Minsk Group co-chair’s involvement in the settlement
process is specified by the participant-country. The time and coherence
of steps to liberate the territories occupied by Armenia will show
efficiency of this role. But we believe the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
understand that Azerbaijani territories’ occupation cannot last for
a long time and it is necessary to take active and effective measures.

Q: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly declared that
Azerbaijan sees Russia a friend and strategic partner. What fruits
of political and economic cooperation will bring to Azerbaijan the
strategic relationship with Russia?

A: Azerbaijani-Russian relations have a solid base and are
characterized by balanced and mutually beneficial growth. The trade
turnover between the states is growing, border delimitation problem
are being resolved, new views of already existing relationships and
communication emerge and there are additional areas of cooperation. The
heads of states have established a dense political dialogue. This
relationship is called a strategic partnership. These processes are
the result of a natural historical process, but not imposed by force.

The strategic relations with Russia provide an opportunity for
Azerbaijan to diversify the transportation of hydrocarbons ensuring
its energy security. On the other hand, Russia is a huge market where,
in terms of global economic crisis, Azerbaijan can find customers for
its products. At the political level, the strategic nature of relations
with Russia for Azerbaijan’s foreign policy line provides a mutually
beneficial relationship with the neighboring countries. After all,
a good neighbor is better than distant relative.

On the other hand, since the global economic crisis, the world order is
changing, and the architecture of international relations is in a state
of transformation. It is obvious that in the near future the world
will be multipolar, more regional than global. Azerbaijan should take
into account the realities and to shape its geopolitical priorities
of the potential world centers on the basis of national interests.

Q: What are your expectations from the newly created Azerbaijani Youth
Organization of Russia and how success may be its work in advancing
the interests of the Azerbaijani youth in Russia and in the world?

A: The establishment of AYOR was another milestone in the
revitalization of young Azerbaijanis throughout the world. The
initiative to create a youth organization in Russia, where a
large number of Azerbaijanis live and hundreds of students receive
education, was launched a year and a half ago. During this period
huge work has been done, which has led to an inaugural conference
of AYOR with attendance of over 300 delegates. The potential of
young Azerbaijanis in Russia is very great, and I’m confident that
we will witness successful projects of youth organizations under the
chairmanship of Leila Aliyeva.

Haykakan Zhamanak , Armenia
April 18 2009

Unplanned: US diplomat in Armenia discusses Karabakh, Turkish ties

The US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew Bryza, went to
Tbilisi from Baku yesterday [17 April], and without having any
meetings there [in Tbilisi] urgently arrived in Yerevan. However,
Bryza’s visit to Yerevan was not planned.

In Yerevan, Bryza met Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan and
also representatives of the [opposition] Armenian National Congress
[ANC], including leaders of the People’s Party of Armenia, Armenian
Pan-National Movement and the Republic Party. Issues connected with
the process of negotiations towards Karabakh settlement and
opportunities for normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations were
discussed during the meeting with the Armenian foreign minister, which
was also attended by US ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch. Apart
from the above-mentioned issues, Bryza discussed with the ANC
representatives issues connected with overcoming the political crisis
in Armenia and release of political prisoners.

SOUTH CHARLESTON COUPLE GRANTED POLITICAL ASYLUM
Veronica Nett

Charleston Gazette
April 16, 2009, Thursday
West Virginia

A South Charleston couple facing deportation has been granted a
request for political asylum.

Ivan and Violetta Petrosyan appeared Wednesday before an immigration
judge in Washington for their final hearing.

"They were told they did not have a chance," said Jenny Miller,
executive assistant of the First Church of Nazarene in South
Charleston.

But around 5 p.m., after a four-hour hearing, the judge granted their
request allowing Ivan, 59, and Violetta, 50, to apply for a green
card and eventually citizenship.

"They are just so humble and overcome with emotion," Miller said from
Washington. "They’re so very thankful … [it’s] so overwhelming they
will need a while for it to sink in."

About 70 members of the South Charleston church accompanied the couple
to Washington on Wednesday.

"They were astonished at the number of people," Miller said. "The
judge even commented on the tremendous amount of support. Our presence
truly was significant."

The victims of war and targets of ethnic cleansing, the Petrosyans
fled their native country of Azerbaijan in the 1980s.

For nearly two decades, ethnic prejudice and violence continued to
follow the family as they tried to make a home in Armenia, Ukraine
and Russia, until a mission group from the South Charleston church
led them to settle in West Virginia in 2006.

Only about one in 100 requests for political asylum are granted,
Miller said.

"Their attorney was able to convince the judge that, in fact, their
return to Russia would result in future persecution for them,"
she said.

Miller described the judge’s reading of his verdict as "an eruption
of joy."

"There was no holding back," she said. " Sixty-six people cheering
and shouting and crying and just rejoicing."

Ivan and Violetta are of Armenian decent. The couple and their two
daughters were born in Azerbaijan, the country bordering Armenia. Ivan
worked as an engineer and Violetta as a teacher.

They were born the "wrong race" in the "wrong country," Miller said
Tuesday.

Even in Azerbaijan, where they made their home, they endured
discrimination because of their ethnicity. They remained in the country
until racial tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan escalated in
1988 and the Nagorno-Karabakh War broke out.

Thousands of people were murdered because of their race and about
300,000 Armenians fled the country.

The couple and their daughters, ages 4 and 7, lived in hiding for 13
months before fleeing the country in 1989 with just the clothes on
their backs and what little they could fit in backpacks.

The family fled to Russia, then Ukraine, and even to their homeland
of Armenia, but were not welcomed and continued to face discrimination
and racial prejudice.

Eventually, the family settled in Volgograd, Russia, and remained
there for 16 years, despite continued racial prejudice.

While living in Volgograd, the family met a group of missionaries from
the First Church of the Nazarene in South Charleston in 1999. The group
helped to build the family’s home and established a relationship that
would span nearly a decade.

The family remained in Russia until 2006 when they again became the
subject of racial oppression.

They had the opportunity to travel, legally, to the U.S. in December
2006 to visit their daughter, who was living in South Charleston on
a student visa. Soon after arriving in the state they applied for
political asylum.

Kent Estep, pastor of the South Charleston church, testified on
behalf of the church about the couple’s character. Another member
of the church who met the family in Russia on the 1999 mission trip
testified about the racial prejudices he witnessed.

The Petrosyans were also questioned and cross-examined for several
hours, Miller said.

"We know that people in the community have taken a great interest in
this story and we appreciate everyone – it’s made all the difference,"
Miller said.

The government does have 30 days to appeal the decision.

"Personally, this is the most incredible thing I’ve been a part of,"
Miller said. "I’ve never been a part of something so significant and
so much bigger than myself."