Author: Jalatian Sonya

THE BASIS FOR JUST ANOTHER GEOPOLITICAL MYTH ARE LAID

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.12.2007 GMT+04:00

No politicized, economically unprofitable transport projects will
ever provide peace and stability in the Caucasus.

On November 21 with the assistance of the Presidents of Azerbaijan,
Turkey and Georgia the official ceremony of the beginning of
Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars railroad construction was held. The
railroad will directly connect the Caucasus with Europe. According to
the experts’ forecast, the construction of the new railroad connecting
Azerbaijan and Georgia with Turkey will be completed by the year of
2009. As the newspaper "Zerkalo" writes in this regard, one of the
aims of the construction of this railroad though the pro-Russian
regions of Georgia is the extrusion of Russia from here.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In this case the "pro-Russian region" is Javakh
and the main purpose is the extrusion of the Armenian population. In
this project Georgia almost followed the Turkic world, playing a
rather improper role in the isolation of the Christian neighbor,
at the same time it should be mentioned that Tbilisi has no benefits
from this railroad.

In the opinion of the analyst of Strategic Culture Foundation
Andrei Areshev, over the last years the doubts about the economic
advisability of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railroad construction
haven’t disappeared yet, and they have been expressed not only in
Russia or in Armenia, but also in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey
as immediate participants of the project. According to him, the
expenses of the construction of the railroad will be repaid only in
several decades. Assessing the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railroad
project in June 2006, the Georgian State Minister on economic reforms
Kakha Bendukidze announced that he doesn’t see any guarantees for
a feasible income. "The project of Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku
railroad construction doesn’t have any economic bases, since there is
already one similar railroad; Kars-Gyumri railroad," said the Turkish
Co-chairs of the Armenian-Turkish business-council Khaan Soyak.

In the opinion of the political scientist Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan,
Georgia didn’t have the moral right to participate in it. "For
realizing Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railroad construction
Azerbaijan granted Georgia credit with the sum of $225 million,
which may not be called otherwise than bribe," he thinks. There
are different opinions existing among the Georgian experts regarding
Georgia’s benefit from the realization of Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku
railroad. The already functioning pipelines Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and
Baky-Tbilisi-Erzrum brought only $50 million to Georgia, while Georgia
was hoping for $300 million.

According to the economist Gi Khukhashvili, Kars-Tbilisi-Baku is the
least profitable to the very Georgia, it particular it may do great
harm to the ports Batumi and Poti, which are used to transport the
Azeri and Turkish goods now. However, Michael Saakashvili is proud
of the asset of his country in the realization of this project. If
this is how the "independence" is perceived in Georgia, we have no
questions for the Georgian authorities, moreover when this project
is supported neither by the USA nor the EU. According to the EU
commissioner for foreign relations and issues of European policy
of neighborhood Benita Ferrero-Valdner, the EU supports the already
existing international transport communications and is against the
establishment of new ones, such as Kars-Akhalkalak-Baku. "In the
conclusion of the European Commission High Level Group it is said
that the TRACECA (the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) is
the main international way for the Caucasus, which connected all the
countries, including Armenia. The Commission doesn’t change its mind
and continues assisting the regional cooperation within the frames of
the European Neighborhood Policy by means of dialogue. The Commission
has also started negotiations with the neighboring countries for
the realization of the main international transport corridors,
mentioned in the report of the High Level Group. In the Caucasus
countries the negotiations are concentrated on normal functioning
of the TRACECA. The financial aid from the EU is allocated by in
the frames of the TRACECA and won’t be spent on any other project
connected with Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku. The Commission disseminates
similar information in the region and various financial institutions
functioning in the region, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank," emphasizes
the EU Commissioner.

"Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railroad is nothing but a geopolitical
myth. Armenia has nothing to do with this project and even if 6 similar
railroads ever function, it will never have any influence on us.

Those $600 million, which will be spent on the construction, could
be spent on more viable projects," believes the Armenian expert
Sergey Minasyan.

Andrei Areshev is sure that no politicized, economically unprofitable
transport projects will ever provide peace and stability in the
Caucasus. "Here the alternative could be the initiative of Russia;
the proposal of mutually beneficial schemes of new transport
communication. In case of deblocking, with Russia’s assistance,
the railroad communication between Armenia and Turkey is a properly
functioning route, connecting Russia, Turkey and Iran, which would
stimulate trade and economic development of all countries of the
region in the frames of transport corridor "North-South", emphasizes
the analyst.

NO PRIDE IN FEELING NO SHAME
Phillip Adams

The Australian
ory/0,25197,22862742-7583,00.html
Dec 4 2007
Australia

SORRY, but I want to talk about sorry. Although, according to the
Oxford English Dictionary, the word entered the English language 1000
years ago, it’s still finding it difficult to enter the vocabulary
of the Liberal Party.

So problematic is this simple adjective that it recently cost Malcolm
Turnbull his party’s leadership.

Bad enough that he wanted to reverse policy on Kyoto, but when Turnbull
stated his intention of tackling another symbolic issue, of saying
sorry to the indigenous people of this nation, the reactionaries
rallied to repel him. The Libs’ right-wing regiment closed ranks to
elect Brendan Nelson.

Although I don’t know Nelson, I wish him well. Australia needs a
decent Opposition party and the Libs are in a sorry state. But this
was not a good start. To mumble about the present generation having
no responsibility for past wrongs was Howardism at its worst, and it
avoids and evades the issue.

But instead of going back over the history wars as they affect
Aborigines, let’s look at the past, and our involvement in it, from
another point of view.

Tub-thumping patriotism – and few could thump that tub like the ex-PM –
involves appropriating those bits of history that seem useful.

Gallipoli is the best example.

With Nelson’s ministerial involvement in the military, he’s probably
aware that John Howard was not involved in that glorious defeat. John
did not arrive on Gallipoli’s fatal shore under a hail of Turkish
bullets. He performed no heroic feats on April 25, 1915, or in the
aftermath of the landing.

Yet, like many PMs before him, he not only identified with Gallipoli
but insisted that the vast tragedy was central to the Australian
story as a crucial – if not the crucial – ingredient in our national
character. And this may well be true. The politics couldn’t have been
clearer. Show Howard an Anzac memorial and he’d be there with an RAAF
fly-past and wreath for the photo opportunity.

The same applies to most bloodstained moments in military history,
though for decades the Vietnam War was downplayed, a collective
embarrassment. When a young soldier in Iraq died in ambivalent
circumstances, he was declared a hero and, when Nelson finally found
his body, given a military funeral worthy of a Victoria Cross winner.

And the number of Australian politicians who’ve given stirring speeches
on Kokoda or walked the track with television crews keeps growing.

That’s another part of the past they want to appropriate for political,
patriotic and propaganda purposes. No one talks of a disconnect between
now and then, them and us. No one mumbles about present generations
having no claim on past heroics. Anything but.

The brave bits of history, the proud moments belong to us all and we
collectively bathe in the glory. It’s the nasty bits of the past we
don’t acknowledge. They had nothing to do with us. They were no part
of our business.

This is a lopsided view of history. Let us share in past glories
while shunning past guilts. Moreover, we will do our best to deny
that they happened. Enter the historical revisionism of a Keith
Windschuttle. Massacres of Abos? Where? When? Show us the documents!

Show us the receipts for the corpses! If there’s no paperwork,
it never happened. Oral histories of Aborigines? Vivid, detailed
accounts of slaughter and atrocities can be discounted. They’re not
worth the paper they’re not written on. No need for sorries there.

Stolen generations? Paddy McGuinness and co seem to prefer the term
saved generations. They launched an attack on the integrity of that
decent man Ronald Wilson and on his Bringing Them Home report long
before it was released. Clearly Paddy hasn’t had the experience I’ve
had of talking with members of those generations, of weeping with
them. Listening to their experiences is among the most harrowing
experiences of my life. But forget it. No need to say sorry. Not when
the white blinker view of our history was given preference by Howard
over that bleeding-heart black armband stuff.

Australian politicians such as Howard and now, sadly, Nelson, want to
cherry-pick Australian history. They want to choose the bits where
our ancestors behaved decently, bravely, selflessly, and turn them
into mythology, sentiment and, from time to time, the worst sort of
patriotic pap. Look at us! Look who were are! In the same breath they
turn their backs on our shames and crimes. They’ve got nothing to do
with us. We weren’t there. We hadn’t been born.

Sorry, Brendan, but that’s not on. Britain has to live with the potato
famine in Ireland, Germany with the Holocaust, Japan with Manchuria,
Turkey with the Armenian genocide and the US with slavery.

You may be able to mount a convincing case that Australia’s history,
colonial as well as recent, in regard to Aborigines hardly compares.

But the atrocities and tragedies occurred and continue to affect
Aboriginal lives and Australia’s sense of itself. And saying sorry
is such a small thing.

BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER: FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN BULGARIAN AND ARMENIAN NATION DETERMINES GOOD POLITICAL RELATIONS

Focus News, Bulgaria
Nov 15 2007

Sofia. The friendship between the Bulgarian and Armenian nation
determines the good level of the political relations between the
two states, Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev said during the meeting
with His Highness Garekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catolicos of All
Armenians who received the Bulgarian Prime Minister in the headquarters
of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Echmiadzin, the Government Press
Office announced. The Armenian Apostolic Church considers sending a
spiritual leader for the Armenian Community in Bulgaria, Gerakin II
said. His Holiness blessed Bulgaria and wished prosperity for all
Bulgarian citizens. With the meeting with His Holiness the official
visit of the Bulgarian Prime Minister in Armenia ended.

TURKEY DOES NOT WANT TO ESTABLISH RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

armradio.am
16.11.2007 17:23

During today’s parliamentary briefing Chairman of the National
Assemby’s Standing Committee on European Integration Avet Adonts
turned to the statement of the Turkish Prime Minister, who said that
Armenian-Turkish relations cannot improve under the circumstances
when Armenia is exerting pressure on third countries, thus including
the genocide issue in agendas of their parliaments.

"We do not imagine how Armenia can exert pressure on third countries,
e.g. Russia, the United States or France. Giving evaluation to the
genocide is an internal issue of those countries, it is the official
assessment of those countries. This statement proved once again that
the problem is not that Turkey is not ready to establish relations
with Armenia. It simply doesn’t want to. Today’s authorities of Turkey
do not have the wish," the Chairman said.

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: I AM SURPRISED AT THE ISSUE OF JOINT CANDIDATE
Translated by L.H

AZG Armenian Daily #211
16/11/2007

Local

"I am surprised at the issue of joint candidate", announced
President Robert Kocharian at the opening ceremony of the exhibition
"Armprodexpo".

"On what basis to unite? Is it only the goal of having a united
candidate, or are there ideological similarities and synthesis of
the projects that are real bases for unification?" asked the President.

According to the new constitution the president will not be even
able to distribute portfolios, as the executive body is formed by
new parliament, and the division of the powers in the parliament is
already clear. In this case, a question arises – can the parties
work together, when the one’s goal is to be integrated into NATO,
the other’s – to deepen relations with Russia, said the President

EXPERT: POLITICAL COST OF COMPROMISE TOO HIGH FOR ARMENIAN AND AZERI ELITE

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.11.2007 18:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Karabakh issue is very delicate because all
sides to the conflict – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh –
have ‘closed doors’ and do not get into contact, senior analyst of
the International Crisis Group Claire Delessard said at a debate on
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict held in the framework of the first Kyev
conference on ‘lingering conflicts’.

"We should understand that political cost of compromise is too high
for Armenian and Azeri elite.

The publics in both states are not ready for concessions. There is
too much radicalism and a wide flow of propaganda used by the ruling
elite for their own purposes," she said, IA Regnum reports.

RESIDENTS CONTINUE THEIR PROTEST ACTIONS

Panorama.am
16:15 15/11/2007

Today residents whose houses were alienated and who did not
get adequate compensation again gathered in front of government
building. The demonstrators said according to decisions of 1991 the
Parks of Dalma were not permitted to privatize saying they are of
historical value.

"By today’s government’s decision 150 hectare out of 536 has been
alienated for city building purposes.

This land is of historical and cultural value," Yntsa Minasyan,
a demonstrator, told Panorama.am.

Susanna Minasyan, another protestor, said they have been cultivating
the land for 10 year and according to legislation in case of
cultivating land for 10 years, it may be privatized.

Residents of Biuzand street were also participating in the
demonstrating demanding "real value compensation for the robbed
property."

OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Nov 14 2007
Armenia

"In the regional economic developments at present the position of the
countries in the manifestations of long-term relative advantages is
strictly actual.

Azerbaijan introduces itself as a country of raw material and it
is evident that the development of oil industry has an essential
influence on the vial activity of all the spheres. Georgia with its
favorable geographical position advances pretentious economic and
political development programs.

In my view it is evident to all of us that geopolitical and economic
realities make Armenia rely only on its human potential.

Saying human potential I mean Armenians in the whole world.

Today it is evident that their Motherland becomes a focus of interest
for the Armenian Diaspora all over the world. They are really
interested in Armenia’s development and if we speak by the language
of economy we can say that we must observe them as residents of
our financial and economic systems. This means from now on we can’t
elaborate or implement any project by overlooking this factor.

Thus our competitive advantage is the united potential of
all-Armenians." Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan announced yesterday
when he was introducing the draft budget of 2008.

ROBERT KOCHARIAN WELCOMES PRIME MINISTER OF BULGARIA

ARMENPRESS
Nov 14, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS: President Robert Kocharian received
today Sergey Stanishev, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria,
who arrived in Armenia on November 13 on a three-day official visit.

Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian was also in attendance, Kocharian’s
press office said.

The press office said Robert Kocharian assessed highly the current
level of Armenian-Bulgarian cooperation saying also that the
spiritual-cultural similarities bring the two countries and peoples
closer.

The parties discussed a wide scope of Armenian-Bulgarian relations,
emphasizing the further intensification of economic activity. They
also referred to the opportunities of cooperation in the framework
of the European Neighborhood Policy.

Sergey Stanishev highlighted the role of the Bulgarian-Armenian
community in the development of relations between the two countries,
saying Armenians of Bulgaria are fully integrated citizens playing
an active role in different areas of the country’s life.

The two men touched upon cultural cooperation, noting that an agreement
has been reached to hold Bulgarian Culture Days in Armenia next year.

After talks with Serzh Sarkisian on Tuesday Armenia and Bulgaria signed
five agreements which were said to will strengthen Armenian-Bulgarian
relations. One of the agreements provides for the creation of an
inter-governmental commission on bilateral economic cooperation.

Sergey Stanishev and members of his entourage visited today morning
the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan to commemorate the victims of the
1915 Armenian Genocide. They also visited the nearby Genocide Museum
and Institute.

"We should remember the past, live for the presence and believe in
future, because remembering the past is the best impetus for building
future ‘ Stanishev wrote in a special book in the Museum.

Sergey Stanishev was to meet today with chairman of the Armenian
National Assembly Tigran Torosian. He is scheduled also to meet with
faculty and students of the Yerevan State University and visit also
a school in Yerevan named after a Bulgarian poet Peyo Yavorov.

Bulgarian Prime Minister will talk to representatives of the Bulgarian
community in Armenia and members of the Armenia-Bulgaria friendship
society.

At the end of his visit Stanishev will meet Catholicos Karekin II,
head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church. Stanishev’s visit to
Armenia is part of his Southern Caucasus republics tour. He arrived
in Yerevan from Baku and will visit Georgia on November 15-16.

ANOTHER AZERBAIJANI CITIZEN CAPTIVATED
Translated by A.M

AZG Armenian Daily #209
14/11/2007

Armenia-Azerbaijan

According to information received from the Azerbaijani representation
of the International Red Cross, the captivated citizen of Azerbaijan
was not a military serviceman. It is also reported that the
representatives of the Armenian Red Cross have visited the captive
and studied the conditions of his keeping.

Nothing reported of the identity of the captive, either of the
circumstances of his detention.