Author: Kanayan Tamar

Khatchik Der-Ghougassian. `ACTIVE DIPLOMACY IS ESSENTIAL FOR ARMENIA’

Interview by Karine Avagyan

News from Armenia and Diaspora – Noyan Tapan
30-11-2012 16:45:29 | Armenia | Interviews

On November 19, political scientists, international relations experts,
analysts from different countries around the world, as well as experts
and historians from Armenia participated in the Pan-Armenian
Conference of Political Scientists and International Relations Experts
on `The Challenges of the 21st Century and the Security Issues of
Armenia’ at the RA National Academy of Sciences. `Hayern Aysor”s
correspondent sat down for an interview with Argentinean-Armenian
international relations expert Khatchik Der-Ghougassian.

`Hayern Aysor’: Which city of Argentina do you live and work in?

Khatchik Der-Ghougassian: I was born in Lebanon, live in Martinez city
and have a doctor’s title in international relations from the
University of Miami. I work and lecture at San Andres University and
the American University of Armenia.

`Hayern Aysor’: Do you manage to work in two distant cities at the same time?

K.D.G.: Yes, I do. My classes at the American University of Armenia
fall in line with the summer vacation period in Argentina.

`Hayern Aysor’: What are your expectations of this conference?

K.D.G.: My main expectation is to listen to my colleagues and
establish the network that needs to be established. If this conference
has a positive impact on Armenian political officials’ policy, we will
have achieved great success.

`Hayern Aysor’: International organizations are currently dealing with
the issue of Armenian Genocide recognition and condemnation and the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution. Which of these issues do you
think is the most primary issue?

K.D.G.: There can’t be a primary issue. All these issues are a part of
one agenda, that is, the advancement of Armenia’s national security
and identity issues which are all interrelated. The solution of any
one of these issues can’t be delayed to give preference to the other.

`Hayern Aysor’: For years we have been discussing a peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Do you see a peaceful
resolution of this conflict in the future?

K.D.G.: I don’t see it in the near future since Azerbaijan is
currently unwilling to negotiate. At the same time, I definitely don’t
believe in a military solution. If Azerbaijan was sure of a military
solution, it would have resolved the conflict by now. But Armenia is
mainly discussing the continuation of the status-quo, and that’s why
it’s important for Armenia to have a social-economic policy that will
help Armenia show resistance in this long-term conflict. I would say
if having a reserved army is the number one way of showing resistance
to Azerbaijan’s ambitions, then that is immediately followed by the
improvement of social-economic conditions so that Azerbaijan never
hopes to bring Armenia and Artsakh `down to their needs’ due to the
poor social-economic conditions.

`Hayern Aysor’: It seems as though the international community is
aware of Armenia’s issues and is concerned about them. Is that right,
Mr. Ghougassian?

K.D.G.: It’s not that the world is only concerned about Armenia’s
issues. We also see the issue in Palestine, the economic crisis in
Europe and the war in Syria…The fact that our key issues haven’t made
the world break into frenzy is sometimes good and sometimes bad.

`Hayern Aysor’: Are Armenian political scientists and international
relations experts that powerful for us to be able to raise our issues
to the world and solve them by ourselves?

K.D.G.: There is no country, no nation and no diplomat that can be
isolated from the rest of the world. We are all interconnected,
especially for a small country like Armenia, which is in a very
unfavorable geopolitical situation. Active diplomacy is essential for
Armenia. Armenia’s active diplomacy and strategic partnership with the
Diaspora serve as a means to end the blockade and pave the way to the
outside world.

Armenian authorities’ policy to Javakhk causes uncertainty

16:52 – 30.11.12

The Armenian authorities’ policy toward Javakhk (Georgia’s region with
a dense Armenian population) does not meet the strategic interests of
either Armenia or Javakhk.

Armenia’s inactivity provokes uncertainty among Javakhk residents, the
expert Ghevond Lazarian told journalists on Friday.

`We need a clear strategy not only to resolve Javakhk residents’
problem, but also strengthen Javakhk as a means of influencing
Georgia,’ the expert said.

He stressed the importance of making necessary steps as soon as possible.

Baku Threatens Stepanakert Again

Azeri foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov

BAKU, STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources) – Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov on Thursday once again warned Stepanakert against the
planned opening of it airport, reported the APA news agency.

`If airport is commissioned and flights are operated in Nagorno
Karabagh it will be detrimental to the peace process,’ Mammadyarov
told the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Philippe
Lefort who is visiting Baku.

Meanwhile in Stepanakert, the Head of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic) Civil Aviation Department Dmitry Atabashian told Armenpress
that the opening of the Stepanakert Airport is imminent and is
awaiting technical advancement.

Atabashian also added that a number of airline have expressed interest
in flying to Stepanakert.

The civil aviation leader said that while the airport will be mainly
used for flights to Armenia, other international destinations are
being explored.

`As you know, the airport is already being utilized, but flights will
launch after we acquire more equipment. Presently we do not possess an
anti-icing system to keep the tarmac and runways clear of ice,’
explained Atabashian who added that agreements to purchase the needed
equipment have already been signed.

Hayk Babukhanyan: Armenian opposition is paralyzed

18:52 01/12/2012 » INTERVIEWS

The Armenian opposition is paralyzed: it has neither ideological nor
tactical program to run in the presidential elections and not to be
disgraced finally, chairman of Constitutional Law Union party Hayk
Babukhanyan told reporters in Yerevan.

Opposition bloc Armenian National Congress (ANC) has no ideas how to
improve the people’s condition, nor has it any explanation of how
people will benefit from the transition to a 100 percent proportional
election system and the parliamentary system of government, according
to Babukhanyan.

Hayk Babukhanyan thinks the opposition is unlikely to announce a
common candidate because they understand that their electorate is
insufficient for it.

`The opposition came across the problem of maintaining its presence in
the political arena. Even ANC is unable to nominate a candidate, let
alone unification of other candidates. The issue of whether or not the
opposition will announce a common candidate will not play a
significant role in the upcoming elections,’ Babukhanyan concluded.

Source: Panorama.am

Azerbaijan has spread another disinformation

17:06, 1 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: Azerbaijan has spread another
disinformation. On of Azerbaijani web sites, faithful to false
propaganda mania, wrote as if Armenian Armed Forces opened fire in the
direction of the civil car in Terter area. The information was dined
by the spokesman of Armenian Defence Ministry Artsrun Hovhannisyan in
the interview with Armenpress.’ Azerbaijan has spread a
disinformation, the news does not correspond to reality’ Hovhannisyan
said.

Armenian Armed Forced remains faithful to the ceasefire. Armenia has
repeatedly criticized the Azerbaijani armed forces’ harassment towards
the civilian population.

THE PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA, CHAIRMAN OF THE RPA SERZH SARGSYAN MADE A
STATEMENT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE YEREVAN SUMMIT OF THE LEADERS OF
THE EPP EASTERN PARTNERSHIP MEMBER STATES

30.11.2012

Today, at the conclusion of the Yerevan Summit of the leaders of the
EPP Eastern Partnership member states, the President of Armenia,
Chairman of the RPA Serzh Sargsyan, President of EPP Wilfred Martens,
President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, President of
Georgia Mikheil Sahakashvili, and Prime Minister of Moldova Vlad Filat
recapped the results of the Summit at the meeting with the
participation of the representatives of the mass media.

***

Statement by the President of Armenia, Chairman of the RPA Serzh
Sargsyan at the conclusion of the Yerevan Summit of the leaders of the
EPP Eastern Partnership member states

Distinguished representative of the mass media,

Today, Yerevan for the first time hosted the regional Summit of the
leaders of the EPP and Eastern Partnership member states. Last year,
at the EPP Summit in Marseille membership of three Armenian political
parties to this pan-European structure was a great event of historic
meaning. One of the most important objectives of the European
rapprochement is the fostering of contacts between our nations,
societies, and individuals, while political parties are certainly
constitute an important part of these societies.

Cooperation among political parties plays significant role from the
viewpoint of dissemination of the European political culture and
strengthening of the pan-European system of values. We attach
importance to the EPP role in the consolidation of the European
identity and in deepening cooperation with the EU partner states. It
also contains great opportunities for making our voices more audible
in the international and interparliamentary structures.

I would like to express gratitude to the President of EPP Mr. Martens
for the warm reception which was extended to the Armenian political
parties in the large family of the European People’s Party.

I greatly appreciate participation of the President of the European
Commission Mr. Barroso in this Summit. Mr. Barroso, your immediate
participation in the Summit has proven once again that problems of the
Eastern Partnership and its perspectives are under the constant
attention of the European Commission.

Today, we have discussed issues on the agenda of the Eastern
Partnership and preset our step up until the Eastern Partnership
Summit in Vilnius in 2013. We have adopted the Yerevan Declaration
which reflects our common vision regarding the future of the Eastern
Partnership, regional problems, and the role of the EPP.

The Eastern Partnership program was created as a format for
cooperation based on common values. For Armenia, it is important from
the viewpoint of using the best European practices for the
implementation of the large-scale reforms. We are confident that the
mission of the Eastern Partnership will be fully realized when all
member states equally commit themselves to the implementation of
democratic reforms.

As a family of the Christian-Democratic Parties, the European People’s
Party cannot tolerate violation of democratic liberties, xenophobia,
belligerent rhetoric, and threats to use force. These phenomena revoke
in our collective memory the darkest pages of our history.

We cannot be indifferent to the fact that Turkey, which aspires to be
become a member of the European Union, carries on with the illegal
blockade of Armenia – a member of the Eastern Partnership program. We
are confident that the last closed border of Europe must be opened
immediately, without preconditions. We discussed how to boost
democratization in the Eastern Partnership countries, how to make
European markets accessible for our manufacturers, how to facilitate
contacts among our citizens, first easing and later removing entry
visa requirements. This is what citizens of our countries expect from
us.

Membership of three Armenian political parties to the European
People’s Party has given a new impetus to the Armenia-EU dialogue. And
for that, we thank all our colleagues.

Thank you.

Interdepartmental commission created in Stepanakert

17:17, 1 December, 2012

Stepanakert, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: On 1 December Artsakh Republic
President Bako Sahakyan signed a decree according to which in order to
examine the issues related to the relations associated with the
foreigners in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and submit necessary
proposals for their solution an interdepartmental commission was set
up. As Armenpress reports referring to the presidential press office
of NKR the commission goes with the following composition:

Arthur Aghabekyan – NKR vice prime-minister (chairman of the commission);

Karen Mirzoyan – NKR minister of foreign affairs;

Sergey Shahverdyan- head of the tourism and historical environment
department under the NKR Cabinet of Ministers;

Robert Shaferyan – head of the Police under the NKR Cabinet of Ministers;

Victor Kocharyan – head of the National Security Service under the NKR
Cabinet of Ministers;

Levon Grigoryan – Head of the NKR Cabinet’s Apparatus (secretary of
the commission).

European Commission President visits Armenian Genocide Memorial (PHOTOS)

[image: European Commission President visits Armenian Genocide Memorial
(PHOTOS)]December 01, 2012 | 11:56

YEREVAN. – European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, who is in
Armenia to attend summit of the European Partnership leaders of the
European People’s Party (EPP), visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial
Saturday morning and laid a wreath
(PHOTOS),
Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Director Hayk Demoyan told Armenian
News-NEWS.am .

*But Barroso did not visit the Museum-Institute and did not sign its
guestbook, since this was not in his program. He asked when the Armenian
Genocide took place, inquired about April 24, and posed several other
questions, Demoyan added. *

*Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am*

*
*

ARMENIE
L’Arménie libère un prisonnier azéri

Un résident d’un village frontalier azerbaïdjanais a été renvoyé en
Azerbaïdjan vendredi deux semaines après être passé en Arménie dans
des circonstances non encore élucidées.

L’homme ge de 41 ans, Telman Aliyev, a été rapatrié par voie
terrestre avec l’aide du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge
(CICR).

Des représentants du CICR ont été autorisés à visiter Aliyev peu de
temps après qu’il ait été arrêté par les troupes arméniennes
stationnées dans la région. Le Ministère arménien de la Défense a
annoncé son imminente et unilatérale expulsion plus tôt cette semaine.

Les autorités militaires à Erevan n’ont pas dit s’ils pensent que
Telman Aliev a traversé la frontière fortement militarisée
délibérément ou par accident.

samedi 1er décembre 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

Diario El País, Uruguay
30 nov 2012

Gala armenia para celebrar 40 años del “Nersesian”

Inauguración. En el colegio funcionará un maternalito para bebés de
hasta 2 años

CARLOS CIPRIANI LÓPEZ

Con una fiesta de gala, la colectividad armenia celebrará mañana los
40 años de la fundación del Colegio Nersesian, una de sus
instituciones que están muy arraigadas a la cultura uruguaya.

El colegio armenio Nersesian, ubicado en Agraciada y Suárez, festejará
sus 40 años con varias actividades. Mañana organiza una cena de gala
destinada a exalumnos (a quienes se les entregará una medalla) y a
integrantes de la colectividad armenia en general. Se llevará a cabo a
partir de las 20:30 horas, en el salón de la iglesia apostólica, que
está ubicada al frente del predio.

Participarán, entre otros artistas, el grupo musical Erevan50, la
orquesta de Álvaro Hagopian y la cantante argentina Valeria Cherekian.

En tiempos de festejar otro aniversario, a nivel de obras se inauguró,
dentro del edificio del colegio, un maternalito en donde se atenderá a
bebés, de 45 días hasta 2 años de edad, siguiendo todo lo reglamentado
por el Ministerio de Educación y Cultura.

La institución Nersesian surgió con el objetivo de que los inmigrantes
tuviesen un lugar en donde se mantuviera la cultura armenia, el idioma
y las tradiciones, a nivel por ejemplo de la danza y el canto.

Sin embargo, no es un centro educativo exclusivo para la familia
armenia, sino que -desde los años 90 del siglo XX- está abierto a
recibir alumnos no armenios o no pertenecientes a la colectividad.

Funciona en régimen de horario completo (de 9 a 17 horas), es
trilingüe (se enseña español, armenio e inglés), posee servicios de
comedor y cuenta con sala de informática.

Fue en 1973 que se fundaron las dos escuelas armenias habilitadas: el
colegio Nubarian, perteneciente a la Unión General Armenia de
Beneficencia (UGAB) y el Nersesian, que depende de la Iglesia Nacional
Armenia.

En 1974 la UGAB creó también el Liceo Alex Manoogian. Estas
instituciones se encuentran en el Prado separadas por un muro. A nivel
de Primaria su población de niños supera los 200 y alrededor de la
mitad son descendientes de armenios.

LA COLECTIVIDAD. Hoy en Montevideo residen más de 16.000 armenios, y
se estima que alrededor de 2.000 participan de la vida institucional,
aunque la gran mayoría, en algún momento, se integró a alguna
institución de la colectividad.

Nadia Rodas Hagopian, encargada de difundir la celebración del nuevo
aniversario del colegio Nersesian, dijo a El País que los armenios
constituyeron desde que llegaron a Uruguay “una comunidad unida, con
gente que aun procediendo de distintas regiones, desarrolló la
costumbre de visitarse, unos con otros, o de asistir a los mismos
clubes. Para mantener una raíz con Armenia, defendemos la difusión de
las costumbres, hasta las comidas”.

La cocina armenia, que ha recibido grandes influencias de las del
Oriente Medio, de Rusia y los Balcanes, desde hace tiempo se asocia en
Uruguay con el lehmeyun. Aunque en los últimos años, al aparecer una
media docena de restoranes, también, por ejemplo, con el shawarma
(carne de cordero, pollo o novillo condimentadas, elaboradas en un
spiedo vertical y servidas en pan árabe “pita”, acompañado de varias
salsas (humus, madzun, tabule, pulpa de tomate condimentada, cebolla y
perejil).

Entre más productos gastronómicos que hoy se ofrecen está el falafel
(croquetas de garbanzo molido y vegetales condimentados), la sarma de
hoja de parra (que envuelve carne picada, arroz y condimentos), o el
keppe (esferas de carne picada cubiertas con una mezcla de carne magra
y trigo molido).

INTERCAMBIOS. En el trabajo “Multiculturalismo en Uruguay” (un
programa de investigación del Departamento de Sociología de la
Facultad de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad de la República), se
afirma justamente que “en el imaginario del uruguayo se asocia al
armenio con algunos elementos específicos: el genocidio, el lehmeyun,
algunos rasgos fenotípicos, el “ian” de los apellidos. Más allá de que
esta imagen sea limitada o difusa, lo importante es que son
diferenciados. A lo largo del proceso de integración debieron
adaptarse y transformarse para que sobreviva su comunidad. Buenos
ejemplos de esto son: la conformación de parejas mixtas, la apertura
de los colegios a alumnos no armenios, y la sustitución del idioma
armenio en algunos ámbitos, como la misa (en ciertas celebraciones
matrimoniales) y los programas de los centros educativos”.

Más allá de las divisiones entre los armenios, (que subsistieron en
Uruguay aun años después de la desaparición de las repúblicas
soviéticas), entre quienes estuvieron a favor de la integración a la
URSS y quienes deseaban la independencia, Nadia Rodas subraya “que hoy
hay una sola bandera y se da claramente la vinculación masiva en
jornadas importantes, como la conmemoración de cada 24 de abril, (por
el genocidio), cuando la gente se junta en las plazas de Tres Cruces o
de la Rambla y Plaza Armenia”.

El genocidio armenio se conmemora ese día, ya que fue el 24 de abril
de 1915, durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, que resultaron arrestados
más de 600 intelectuales y religiosos armenios que eran líderes de la
comunidad en Estambul. Varios de ellos fueron deportados y otros,
ejecutados por orden del gobierno de los Jóvenes Turcos, instalados en
1908.

Entre 1915 y 1923, durante el genocidio, murieron más de un millón y
medio de armenios.

En total, a Uruguay arribaron cerca de 6.000, procedentes de su país o
desde otros.

Las cifras 6.000
fueron los armenios que llegaron a Uruguay desde fines del siglo XIX,
después de varias oleadas provocadas por guerras.

16.000
son los integrantes de la actual comunidad de armenios-uruguayos que,
bajo una sola bandera, cada día refuerzan su unión.

Armenios en Uruguay: sus creencias e instituciones
Como dijeron los propios armenios, ellos no vinieron a estas tierras
para “hacerse la América”, sino en calidad de refugiados. El 95% se
concentró en Montevideo.

Hoy funciona una Organización Multiinstitucional compuesta por varios
centros, clubes y organizaciones de beneficencia, algunos de ellos
integrados por personas que se escindieron de otros. Por otro lado,
también se halla el club Vramian.

Tienen cuatro iglesias cristianas: la Nacional Armenia o Apostólica
Armenia; la Católica Armenia y dos protestantes: la Evangélica de la
Hermandad (bautista) y la Primera Iglesia Evangélica Armenia del
Uruguay.

La Iglesia Católica funciona bajo la órbita de las demás iglesias
católicas, aunque sigue un rito armenio en algunas de sus prácticas.

La Iglesia Apostólica Armenia es la oficial de aquel Estado. No
depende del Vaticano sino que es una Iglesia cristiana independiente,
que tiene su autoridad máxima (el “Catoligos”), residente en la
República de Armenia. La mayoría de los armenios responde a esta.