Karabakh’S Involvement In Peace Process Signals Recognition

KARABAKH’S INVOLVEMENT IN PEACE PROCESS SIGNALS RECOGNITION

Tert.am
22.12.11

The key achievement of the peace talks over Nagorno-Karabakh is
the country’s involvement in consultative discussions together
with Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group, Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan,
a political analyst, has said.

“Nagorno-Karabakh, as a subject, is actively involved in the process
this year, the fact already signaling recognition,” he told a news
conference on Thursday. “It is noteworthy that several western
diplomats highlight the importance of involving Karabakh in the
negotiations to avoid a stalemate.”

The expert said the transfer of Russia’s chairmanship to the other
co-chairing countries of the Minsk Group was an essential shift in
the process.

“No matter who has assumed chairmanship, we realize it is very hard
to achieve a political decision. That’s why we will try to implement
social programs. The western diplomats, whenever I speak to them,
say Artsakh’s independence will be recognized, but they don’t know
how,” he added.

MP: Genocide Denial Policy Should Not Be Tolerated In France

MP: GENOCIDE DENIAL POLICY SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED IN FRANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 22, 2011 – 15:10 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial
refers not only to Armenian reality but targets the policy of denial
and racism, a French member of parliament said.

“Denial is unacceptable and should not be tolerated in a country
like France. I hope that everyone will vote today, being guided by
the conscience,” Patrice Calmejane said, adding that he will support
the bill, which envisages a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros
for those who publicly deny the Armenian Genocide in France.

Tatev Cableway Ready To Securely Operate In The Coming Years

TATEV CABLEWAY READY TO SECURELY OPERATE IN THE COMING YEARS

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 21, 2011
YEREVAN

Armenia’s Tatev – Wings of Tatev – cableway has already transferred
to winter regime and has been regularly operating since December 20.

îead of the Cableway Tigran Ghazaryan said the cableway was equipped
with special electronic and mechanical systems to accommodate to
Syunik’s winter conditions (winds, humidity).

Swiss Garaventa-Doppelmayr experts have also carried out annual
technical inspection and maintenance work. It was registered that the
cableway is in excellent technical condition and ready to securely
operate in the coming years.

This year the cableway will work till December 29, and then will
operate on January 5-6. In January and February it will operate only
in weekends.

Armenia To Host 5th Winter Festival Dec 24-27

ARMENIA TO HOST 5TH WINTER FESTIVAL DEC 24-27

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 21, 2011 – 14:08 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On December 24-27, Armenia will be hosting the 5th
Winter Festival which has already become a tradition.

As the Festival initiator, Deem Communications director Raffi Niziblian
told a news conference in Yerevan, the event will kick off Dec 24 with
a traditional procession. The participants will march from the Republic
Square to the Lovers Park, where a festive concert will take place.

Mr. Niziblian noted winter games and musical days as the highlights of
the festival. The Winter Fest will be closed with a Santa Claus race,
with the winner to be awarded an Ipad.

Series of online events, including a Dec 26 online party will be
organised on Winter Fest sidelines.

“I hope that the event will not only help create a New Year spirit but
also contribute to Armenia’s image as the center of winter tourism,”
Mr. Niziblian stressed.

Borrowed Voice: Turkish Actress Sings Armenian In Upcoming Movie

BORROWED VOICE: TURKISH ACTRESS SINGS ARMENIAN IN UPCOMING MOVIE

21.12.11 | 14:12

Popular Turkish actress Demet Akbag sings an Armenian folk song in
a movie directed by Joseph Pirhasan to be aired in Turkey in early
January.

In “Last Stop is Salvation” or “Liberation is Final Destination”
(translated from Turkish), featuring a story of women fighting against
violence, the 52-year-old actress stars as Vardanush and sings “Aman,
Aghavni” (Oh, Dove), a song favored by Istanbul-Armenians, Turkish
Habermonitor reports. The actress took private lessons to be able to
sing it in Armenian (albeit with a heavy accent).

The movie clip is available on Habermonitor at

http://armenianow.com/news/34305/armenia_turkey_singer_armenian_song
http://www.habermonitor.com/en/haber/detay/89020/miracles-will-be-released-in-january-akbag-th

Turkey Urges France To Drop Genocide Bill

TURKEY URGES FRANCE TO DROP GENOCIDE BILL

armradio.am
21.12.2011 12:13

Turkish President Abdullah Gul called on France yesterday to drop a
parliamentary bill making it illegal to deny the 1915 mass killing
of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey was genocide.

Gul said the planned legislation is unacceptable and strongly urged the
French to reconsider. “It is not possible for us to accept this bill
which denies us the freedom to reject unfair and groundless accusations
targeting our country and our nation,” Gul said in a statement.

The remarks of the Turkish president came as the French parliament
prepares to vote on the draft bill on Thursday. The law proposes
a prison sentence of up to one year and a fine of 45,000 euros
($58,000) for those who deny the ‘genocide’ of Armenians by the
Ottoman government during World War I.

Les Etats-Unis Continueront A Aider Financierement L’Armenie En 2012

LES ETATS-UNIS CONTINUERONT A AIDER FINANCIEREMENT L’ARMENIE EN 2012
Laetitia

armenews.com
mercredi 21 decembre 2011

Le Congres americain a maintenu l’aide economique americaine pour
l’Armenie. Elle restera inchangee et s’elève a 40 millions de dollars.

Le president Barack Obama souhaite continuer a financer des projets
humanitaires dans le Haut-Karabagh.

Selon l’Assemblee armenienne d’Amerique (AAA), la somme est fixee dans
un projet de loi qui a ete approuve par la Chambre des Representants
et le Senat au cours du week-end. L’administration Obama a demande
plus tôt cette annee l’allocation de l’aide pour l’Armenie.

” Tout au long du processus de credits, l’Assemblee a travaille avec
la Chambre et le Senat pour s’assurer que le financement de l’Armenie
soit maintenu “, a declare Bryan Ardouny, le directeur executif AAA.

Le communique souligne que l’aide americaine a l’ensemble des pays en
Europe, en Eurasie et en Asie centrale diminuera de 10% pour atteindre
626,7 millions de dollars en 2012.

Le Congrès americain a alloue plus de 1,7 milliard de dollars a
l’Armenie depuis 1992. L’argent a ete depense en aide humanitaire,
c’est-a-dire pour l’amelioration des infrastructures, pour la
fourniture d’equipements et pour d’autres projets administres par
l’Agence americaine pour le developpement international.

Le gouvernement armenien a aussi recu 177 millions de dollars en aide
distincte de la Societe americaine du millenaire (MCC) pour renover
les reseaux d’irrigation du pays.

Le Premier ministre, Tigran Sarkissian, a declare ensuite que son
gouvernement ” fera tout ” pour repondre aux preoccupations americaines
sur les droits humains et la gouvernance en Armenie et ainsi redevenir
admissibles a un financement du MCC.

Le projet de loi au Congrès engage aussi l’administration Obama a la
parite et a fournir une aide militaire a l’Armenie et a l’Azerbaïdjan.

Aucun chiffre n’est precise. L’armee armenienne devrait recevoir
environ 4 millions de dollars americains cette annee.

Les legislateurs americains ont recommande en outre de continuer
l’aide aux victimes du conflit du Nagorno-Karabagh.

” Nous allons continuer a aller de l’avant pour assurer une aide
robuste a cet egard “, a declare Ardouny de l’AAA.

Paris Et Ankara S’Affrontent Sur L’Armenie

PARIS ET ANKARA S’AFFRONTENT SUR L’ARMENIE
Par Assiya Hamza

Europe1

20 dec 2011

La proposition de loi penalisant la negation le genocide armenien
pourrait entraîner une crise.

Le torchon brûle entre Paris et Ankara. Alors que l’Assemblee nationale
doit etudier jeudi une proposition de loi condamnant la negation du
genocide armenien, la Turquie multiplie les menaces de represailles
diplomatiques et economiques.

“Il n’est pas question pour nous d’accepter cette proposition de
loi (…) qui denie le droit de rejeter des accusations infondees et
injustes contre notre pays et notre nation”, a reagi dans un communique
le chef de l’Etat turc, Abdullah Gul, en exhortant Paris a renoncer
a une loi “inacceptable”.

La proposition de loi de Valerie Boyer, cosignee par plus d’une
quarantaine de deputes de la majorite presidentielle, propose
de sanctionner d’un an de prison et de 45.000 euros d’amendes la
contestation des genocides reconnus par la loi. Le cas armenien serait
donc automatiquement concerne.

1,5 million de morts entre 1915 et 1917 Pour les Armeniens et une
vingtaine d’autres pays, l’Empire ottoman a orchestre de 1915 a 1917
un genocide qui a fait 1,5 million de morts.

Son existence est reconnu par la France depuis 2001.

La Turquie, elle, refuse de parler de genocide. Ankara admet bien
la mort de 500.000 personnes mais seulement en tant que victimes des
aleas de la Première guerre mondiale.

Deux delegations turques, l’une composee d’industriels, l’autre
de parlementaires, ont ete envoyees a Paris pour tenter d’empecher
un examen du texte de loi. Ces parlementaires ont rencontre mardi
Jean-David Levitte, conseiller diplomatique du president francais
Nicolas Sarkozy, puis le ministre des Affaires etrangères Alain Juppe.

Si le texte est adopte, la crise entre la France et la Turquie serait
inevitable. Et les consequences plutôt fâcheuses. Très en pointe sur
les dossiers iraniens et syriens, Paris ne peut se permettre d’etre
persona non grata pour Ankara, incontournable pour le règlement de
ces deux questions sensibles.

Une mesure electoraliste pour les Turcs La Turquie accuse le
gouvernement francais de vouloir, avec cette loi, recuperer lors
de la presidentielle de 2012 le vote de quelque 500.000 “Armeniens
de France”. “Tous les cinq ans cette question revient avant les
elections” presidentielle et legislatives pour obtenir les voix des
Francais d’origine armenienne, s’est insurgee Umit Boyner, presidente
du patronat turc, TUSIAD.

Ankara pourrait egalement toucher au porte-monnaie. En 2010, les
echanges commerciaux avec la 17e economie mondiale, ont represente
près de 12 milliards d’euros pour la France.

En matière economique, “si cette loi est adoptee, il y aura beaucoup
de dommages et consequences pour les deux pays”, a estime lundi le
patron de l’Union des Chambres de commerce et des Bourses de Turquie
(TOBB), Rifat Hisarciklioglu.

Le millier d’entreprises francaises operant en Turquie pourrait se
voir priver de marches publics dans les domaines des transports, de
l’armement et du nucleaire. Sans oublier la cooperation culturelle,
scientifique et technologique turco-francaise.

Vers une adoption sans difficulte Pas de quoi intimider Paris. La
Turquie “est membre de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce et est
liee a l’Union europeenne par un accord d’union douanière. Ces deux
engagements juridiques impliquent un traitement non discriminatoire
a l’egard des entreprises de l’UE”, a replique mardi le ministère
francais des Affaires etrangères.

En depit de quelques voix discordantes, gauche et droite devraient
soutenir le texte.

http://www.europe1.fr/International/Paris-et-Ankara-s-affrontent-sur-l-Armenie-872177/

BAKU: President: Turkey Hopes France Will Not Sacrifice Long-Term Fr

PRESIDENT: TURKEY HOPES FRANCE WILL NOT SACRIFICE LONG-TERM FRIENDSHIP FOR POLITICAL SETTLEMENTS

Trend
Dec 20 2011
Azerbaijan

Turkey hopes that France will not sacrifice long-term friendship
between Ankara and Paris for the sake of petty political settlements,
TRT Haber TV channel quotes Turkish President Abdullah Gul, as saying.

President Gul also urged France to close issue regarding adoption of
legislation criminalizing denial of the so-called “Armenian genocide”.

Earlier, the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that
Turkish-French relations should not depend on third party’s demands,
and if the French Senate approves the bill Turkey will respond with
all diplomatic means.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu threatened to sever
diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries if the
bill is adopted.

The French parliament is set to vote next week on a piece of
legislation that could make denying the 1915 events that took place
in Turkey as “genocide” punishable by up to one year in prison and
a fine of 45,000 euros. The Turkish reaction escalated over the
week from mild suggestion to the French to reconsider the voting,
to outright warnings that France will be facing severe consequences,
including the withdrawal of the Turkish ambassador from Paris, as
the day of the voting, Monday the Dec. 19, approached.

Armenia and its lobby claim the Turkish Republic’s predecessor, the
Ottoman Empire, committed genocide against Armenians in Anatolia in
1915. Pressured by Armenian propaganda, the governments of a number
of countries have recognised the so-called 1915 genocide.

ANKARA: Turkish Lawmakers Meet French President’s Adviser

TURKISH LAWMAKERS MEET FRENCH PRESIDENT’S ADVISER

Hurriyet Daily News
Dec 20 2011
Turkey

Turkish lawmakers had a meeting with French president’s adviser in
Paris today.

A delegation of lawmakers headed by Volkan Bozkır convened with
French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s diplomatic adviser Jean-David
Levitte in Paris.

Turkish lawmakers are expected to once more stress that adoption of
a motion criminalizing denial of Armenian genocide claims regarding
the incidents of 1915 will harm Turkish-French relations.

The delegation will then meet French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe
and Parliament Speaker Bernard Accoyer.

Turkish lawmakers will then hold a press conference for Turkish and
French journalists.

The delegation headed by Bozkır and comprised of MPs Kasım Gulpınar,
Osman Koruturk, Haluk Koc and Yusuf Halacoglu are holding talks in
the French capital ahead of a vote in the French Parliament.

A French parliamentary commission adopted the mentioned motion on
Dec. 7.

The resolution will be voted at the general assembly on Dec. 22. It
envisages a “one-year prison term and a 45,000 Euro fine for those
who deny genocide recognized by French laws.”