Author: Khondkarian Raffi

`Education: development through collaboration’ conference held in Yerevan
21.11.2009 17:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/

On November 20-21, Yerevan is hosting `Education: development through
collaboration’ conference, organized by RA Ministry of Education and
Science.

`Until now, RA Education and Science Ministry hasn’t been involved in
educational programs implemented by international organizations. We
aim to create new educational programs in collaboration with
international organizations, increase education systems’ availability
and expand cooperation in the sphere of educational reforms through
new organizations’ involvement,’ RA Education and Science Minister
Armen Ashotyan said at the conference. The conference was attended by
Head of European Commission Delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Raul de
Luzenberger, Head of World Bank Armenia Aristomene Varoudakis, RA NA
MPs, representatives of Armenian Ministers and foreign embassies in
RA, as well as international organizations on education programs
development and RA NGOs.

news.az
Nov 20 2009
Azerbaijan

Assem Jaber "Lebanon has good relations with both Azerbaijan and
Armenia. We support Russian efforts for the solution of confrontations
between the two countries close to us", Lebanese ambassador to Russia
Assem Jaber told.

He said he believed that Azerbaijan and Armenia would reach solution
of the problems between them.

"We believe in wisdom of leaders of both countries. I am sure that
if the problems are solved our friends in Azerbaijan and Armenia will
be happy".

The diplomat mentioned the state of Lebanese-Azerbaijani relations.

"Azerbaijan is a friendly country to Lebanon and we love Azerbaijan.

The presidents of both countries are keeping up correspondence with
each other. We are happy to observe the development of Azerbaijan
reached in recent years. We hope that work will be continued toward
the strengthening of friendship and cooperation between our countries.

Unfortunately Azerbaijani-Lebanese economic relations are lower than
existing potential and political relations. I hope we can improve
the state of economic relations in near future".

OPPOSITION IN BED WITH GOVERNING LEADERSHIP, SAYS PEOPLE’S PARTY LEADER KARAPETYAN

Tert
Nov 20 2009
Armenia

Armenia’s opposition is getting into bed with the country’s governing
leadership, People’s Party Leader Tigran Karapetyan stated at a press
conference today.

"Levon Ter-Petrossian’s last speech, where it was stated that their
[Armenian National Congress’] opinion on Armenia-Turkey border and
Nagorno-Karabakh corresponds to that of the governing leadership,
except for the point of creating a commission on Armenian Genocide,
makes us think that there is a rapprochement," Karapetyan said.

Besides, he said that the Armenian National Congress (ANC) didn’t
hinder the Armenia-Turkey rapprochement process; "it didn’t make
statements and didn’t organize protest demos."

According to Karapetyan’s forecasts, in 2012, "we will see that the
Pan-Armenian National Movement will have a seat in parliament, not
within the frames of ANC, but as a party."

Karapetyan cannot state clearly whether granting the motion by
political prisoner, Haykakan Zhamanak ("Armenian Times") chief editor
Nikol Pashinyan is a result of an arrangement. "But the leadership,
for the first time, made a concession. They could also have done it
formerly," Karapetyan said.

Karapetyan connects sustaining Pashinyan’s claim with the first
president’s speech.

TURKEY CAMPAIGN TO COUNTER ARMENIA BORDER OPENING

AssA-Irada
November 17, 2009 Tuesday
Azerbaijan

A signature collection campaign was launched in Turkey on Thursday
to prevent the planned opening of the border with Armenia prior to
a solution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh. According to Turkeys Erzurumgazetesi website, the campaign
was organized in the town of Igdir by the ASIM DER union, which aims
to counter Armenian claims about the alleged 1915 genocide in the
Ottoman Empire.

The collected signatures will be sent to the foreign ministry. Turkey
and Armenia have faced differences for decades. Turkey closed
its border with Armenia in 1993 due to Armenian occupation of
Azerbaijani territory and genocide claims. In a bid to normalize
ties, Turkey signed protocols to establish diplomatic relations
and reopen its border with Armenia in Zurich on October 10. The
move has triggered a cool-down in its relations with Azerbaijan,
Turkeys ally. However, Turkish officials have pledged that Ankara
could normalize its relations with Yerevan only after the Garabagh
conflict has been fairly settled. Goksel Gulbey, ASIM DER chairman,
accused Armenians of insincerity. He noted that Armenia is seeking to
reopen the border and normalize its ties with Turkey but has availed
of every opportunity to assert that it will never pull of the occupied
Azerbaijani territories, adding that Turkey is obliged to support
Azerbaijan. If Armenians are sincere, they should withdraw from the
occupied Azerbaijani territories. Otherwise, the border will not open,
and ASIM DERs actions will continue. First, we will start a sit-in
protest and then take on a hunger strike, Gulbey told reporters.

VLADIMIR SOCOR: "IT IS NECESSARY TO CONDUCT PROCESSES OF NAGORNO KARABAKH SOLUTION AND TURKISH-ARMENIAN NORMALIZATION NOT IN PARALLEL, BUT IN PROPER DIRECTION" – EXPERT OPINION

APA
Nov 19 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Victoria Dementyeva – APA. "It is necessary to conduct processes
of Nagorno Karabakh solution and Turkish-Armenian normalization not in
parallel, but in proper direction", American analyst Vladimir Socor
(Jamestown Foundation) told APA. "The processes of Nagorno Karabakh
solution and Turkish-Armenian normalization are reviewed as parallel
processes, but parallel processes can develop with different rapids.

For example, Turkish-Armenian borders can be opened right tomorrow, but
solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict and withdrawal of Armenian troops
can take years. Therefore it is necessary to conduct the processes not
in parallel, but in proper direction. The negotiations over both issues
should be developed and the processes will coincide in one point, the
borders will be opened and troops will be withdrawn at the same time".

The analyst said Turkish-Armenian normalization was an initiative
if the United States. "President Barack Obama carelessly promised to
recognize "Armenian genocide" during his election campaign, but the
president didn’t keep his promise, he couldn’t. And Turkish-Armenian
relations were some compensation for unredeemed promise".

Vladimir Socor said ratification of the protocols depended on some
facts, including political processes inside Turkey: "Washington is
rushing in this issue. Regarding Turkey, I consider that they will
delay it until April to gain maximum dividends from the United States".

Answering the APA’s question "Do you have prognosis on the term of
settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict and can it take place in
2010 during the presidency of Kazakhstan in OSCE", the analyst said
Kazakhstan shared position of Azerbaijan on this issue. "But unlikely
the presidency of this country will have some effectiveness from this
point of view. Kazakhstan has few opportunity of influence on OSCE.

Some countries have doubts of the Kazakhstan’s presidency in the
organization. Therefore effectiveness of the Kazakhstan’s presidency
was non-effective at the very beginning. The OSCE is an organization
of 56 member countries and every member has a right of veto. I think
there will not be a progress in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict in this sphere in 2010. The progress can be only within the
OSCE Minsk Group".

‘IN ANY CASE A TURK REMAINS A TURK’

Aysor
Nov 18 2009
Armenia

"In any case any Turk remains a Turk. At its core, neither an Armenian,
nor a Turk change," said research associate of Center for Armenology
Studies of Yerevan State University, Kathy Gundakchyan.

If you ask any Turkish ‘what is Turkey?’ he will say of ‘World has 7
parts which are Turkey", when only 6 parts exist. Here is as followed:
Turkish people take the Moon for world’s seventh part.

When asked about number of Armenians in Turkey, Kathy Gundakchyan
said is complicated to voice the real number. "They say, nearly 100
000 Armenians live in Turkey, while I learnt from Constantinople
Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church that for about 60-70
thousand Armenians live merely in Istanbul. There are no any stats
related to other Turkey’s regions," she said.

She also pointed that men can hardly take Turkish citizenship while
women can become Turkey’s citizens via marriage. Armenians in Istanbul
live in fear and wonder how Armenians which come from Armenia step
the Turkey’s streets without fear.

"Armenians from Istanbul know, if something happened, traditionally
neither statements would be brought into world as President would
say he was absent from country and has no idea."

Speaking about ‘hidden Armenians’-related matters, that is, those
Armenians who were forced into Islam, the positive stuff is that they
only marry with ‘hidden Armenians’, thus, remaining Armenians.

In Armenian-Turkish relations a common ground’s finding is necessary
for cooperation, says Kathy Gundakchyan. "There are people realizing
parents-made crime while there are many others who think that no
matter how important pan-Islamism ideas are, it is not still time to
view them."

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA EXPECTING HIS RESIGNATION

ArmInfo
2009-11-16 16:44:00

ArmInfo. "I have been waiting for my resignation for a long
time",- Armenian Ambassador to Russia Armen Smbatyan said to ArmInfo
correspondent when commenting on media’s information about his possible
resignation from the post Armenian ambassador to Russia.

Smbatyan said that he had been holding the ambassador’s post for a
long time, and his mission is nearing completion.

To note, Smbatyan has been the Armenian ambassador to Russia since
2002.

CHRISTIAN TEENAGER KILLED IN IRAQ DRIVE-BY SHOOTING (AFP)

Agence France Presse
Nov 13 2009
France

MOSUL, Iraq — Gunmen killed a Christian teenager in a drive-by
shooting outside his family home on Friday in the restive northern
Iraqi city of Mosul, police said.

"Unidentified gunmen opened fire from a speeding black car on the
adolescent before fleeing the scene in Tahrir," a police officer said,
referring to a Christian neighbourhood in eastern Mosul.

A neighbour said 16-year-old Rami Katchik, a member of the minority
Armenian community, had been hosing down the entrance to his family
home when the shooting occurred.

"His father had just gone into the house to get a shovel and ran out
when he heard the gunshots and saw three men in the car," said the
neighbour Girgis Paulos.

It was unclear if he had been targeted because of his faith.

But a local priest, Hazem Girgis, described the killing as part of
"crimes aimed at uprooting Christians and forcing them to flee."

Thousands of Christians fled Mosul last year because of violence that
claimed the lives of 40 people from the community.

A report on Tuesday by Human Rights Watch said Iraqi minorities,
including Christians, in northern Iraq are the collateral victims of
a conflict between Arabs and Kurds over who controls the country’s
disputed provinces.

Iraq’s disputed provinces include Nineveh, of which Mosul is the
capital, the oil-rich province and city of Kirkuk, and Diyala.

Since the US-led invasion of 2003, hundreds of Iraqi Christians have
been killed and a string of churches attacked.

Around 800,000 Christians lived in Iraq at the time of the invasion,
but their number has since shrunk by around a third or more as
members of the minority community have fled the country, according
to Christian leaders.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION MEMBER BLAMES AUTHORITIES FOR ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

Mediamax
Nov 10 2009
Armenia

Yerevan, 10 November: A coordinator of the opposition Armenian National
Congress (ANC) has stated that Armenia is the "world leader" in terms
of economic downturn.

Speaking at a news conference in Yerevan today [10 November], Levon
Zurabyan said that "the main explanation for the critical economic
situation in the country is the presence of a vicious system, which
is serving the interests of few oligarchs," Mediamax reports. The ANC
coordinator expressed confidence that "99 per cent of the economic
downturn is caused by domestic problems".

The former chairman of the Armenian Central Bank, Bagrat Asatryan, said
that he has elaborated an alternative anti-crisis programme for the
ANC, which will be presented to public discussion in the near future.

AZERBAIJAN NEEDS TO GAIN A CRUSHING VICTORY OVER ARMENIA: RUSSIAN POLITICAL EXPERT

Today
378.html
Nov 11 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with doctor of historical sciences, senior research
fellow at Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of World Economy and
International Relations Alexander Krylov.

Day.Az: How real are Turkey’s chances to become OSCE Minsk Group
co-chair country?

Alexander Krylov: I think it is unrealistic. Turkey is a member of the
OSCE Minsk Group along with several European countries, and thus has
an opportunity to influence its work. It can become co-chair only
after Armenia’s agreement which is unlikely to happen. Moreover,
it would require one of the co-chairs to give up its role. The U.S.

possible withdrawal from the Minsk Group co-chairs was actively
discussed over a year ago, but now it is obvious that these were only
senseless arguments by some political scientists.

Q: Do you think Russia will facilitate Turkey’s becoming OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair once there is a chance?

A: Russia will not help change the current format of the Minsk Group,
as it will not facilitate the peace process. However, currently Russia
highly appreciates Turkey’s policy which opposes militarization in the
South Caucasus and helps stabilize the situation in the Caspian-Black
Sea region. Russia strongly supports the process of normalizing
relations between Armenia and Turkey, as well as Ankara’s active
mediator role in settlement of the Karabakh problem.

I think joint efforts by the Minsk Group and Turkey, which acts as an
independent and active intermediary, may bring about tangible progress
in resolution of the Karabakh conflict. However, it must be clearly
understood that no diplomatic activity by intermediaries will replace
readiness by conflicting parties to make compromise.

Q: Various media outlets report that Armenia has informally agreed
to leave the occupied Azerbaijani territories …

A: To make it possible, there is a need for mutually acceptable
solution to Nagorno Karabakh or Azerbaijan will need to gain a
crushing victory over Armenia in a new war. None of the options exist
at the moment. Under today’s conditions such a move would be regarded
in the Armenian society as a capitulation, which can not have any
explanation. This would mean instant political death of a leader or
leaders who will do it. I do not see those who are willing to commit
such a political hara-kiri among Armenia’s current leaders.

Q: Can Russia exert pressure on Armenia to leave occupied lands?

A: I think Russia will put no pressure on Armenia. The Russian
diplomacy aims not at a diplomatic capitulation of Armenia or
Azerbaijan, but peaceful settlement of the Karabakh problem. It is
impossible to achieve such a settlement through diplomatic and any
other outside pressure on one of the conflicting sides or on all sides
at the same time. Such methods are widely used by American diplomacy,
but they have not helped to resolve conflicts so far.

Moreover, the peace process in the Middle East was in complete impasse
precisely because American diplomacy puts pressure on both Israelis
and the Palestinians. Peace accords were signed as a result, but the
conflict was not resolved, Palestine was split and a new outbreak
of hostilities ensued. The end to all of these is unpredictable. I
think that these diplomatic failures should be a lesson for all those
involved in peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.