Author: Nahapetian Samvel

"TURKEY SHOULD COMPREHEND ITS PAST"

AZG Armenian Daily
17/12/2008

Armenian Genocide

"It’s an issue that should be solved inside Turkey", "Washington Post"
well-known correspondent David Ignatius, whose ancestors are Armenian
migrants from Kharberd, mentioned about the Armenian Genocide.

"It’s an issue that should be solved inside Turkey. Recognition of
the Armenian Genocide by the US Congress means nothing if Turkey does
not recognize it", David Ignatius told "Milliet" on the occasion
of presentation of the film "Body of Lies" in Turkey based on his
scenario.

"Turkey will eventually comprehend its past", he added.

The film "Body of Lies" based on David Ignatius’ novel is about the
CIA operative Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio). The events took place
in Jordan and Ankara.

ACADEMICS’ ARMENIA APOLOGY TO TEST TABOOS

Hurriyet
Dec 15 2008
Turkey

ANKARA – A group of Turkish intellectuals and academics are planning
to issue a public apology on the Internet in relation to the Armenian
claims of genocide, testing one of Turkey’s most sensitive taboos.

The campaign, which has drawn the ire of nationalists who regard it as
an act of national betrayal, coincides with a diplomatic rapprochement
between Turkey and Armenia to end almost 100 years of hostility.

Cengiz Aktar, a professor at Istanbul’s BahceÅ~_ehir University who
also writes for the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review, and one of
the campaign’s organizers, said the group plans to issue the apology
Monday along with a non-binding Internet petition to gather signatures.

It will read, "My conscience does not accept the insensitivity showed
to and the denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians
were subjected to in 1915.

"I reject this injustice and for my share, I empathize with the
feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers. I apologize to them."

Turkey accepts that many Armenians were killed during the waning years
of the Ottoman Empire, but strongly denies the Armenian claims of
genocide, saying that Muslim Turks also died in inter-ethnic conflicts.

Turks, including Nobel Literature Laureate Orhan Pamuk, have been
prosecuted in the European Union candidate country for affirming that
the 1915 incidents amount to a so called genocide.

The apology, which has been leaked to the media, threatens to re-ignite
a controversy that challenges one of the ideological foundations of
modern Turkey.

Aktar said the initiative was meant to allow Turks to be able to
offer a personal apology and put an end to an official silence.

Individual apology "We are not targeting anyone. It is an apology
of an individual nature. We want to tell our Armenian brothers and
sisters we apologize for not being able to discuss this issue for
almost 100 years," he told Reuters.

He said the group included 200 writers, intellectuals and
academics. Among the signatories are Germany’s Green Party co-chair
Cem Ozdemir, journalists Ece Temelkuran, Mine Kırıkkanat, Oral
CalıÅ~_lar, Ertugrul Kurkcu, director BarıÅ~_ Pirhasan, political
scientist Baskın Oran, writers Murathan Mungan, Enis Batur, economists
Ahmet Ä°nsel, AyÅ~_e Bugra, musician Aylin Aslım, actress Derya
Alabora, and historians Halil Berkay and Selim Deringil.

President Gul became the first Turkish leader to visit Armenia in
September as Turkey has sought to improve ties.

–Boundary_(ID_7vxXEAlML83Vk7J7tIeokw)–

ACCORD OF SEVRES: NATIONAL PROBLEM OR INTERNATIONAL PROJECT

IGOR MURADYAN
The Iravunk De Facto
18:30:04 – 12/12/2008

In the past few years increased if not solidarity then at least mutual
understanding between the United States and the European Union (first
of all, the establishments on both coasts of the Atlantic Ocean)
regarding the future role of Turkey in the Western community, NATO and
the EU has been noticed. It has been noticed that the United States has
actually stopped insisting or has considerably relieved pressure on the
Europeans regarding the entry of Turkey to the EU. One way or another,
the United States came to the conclusion that there is no point in
further insisting, since there is no hope to reach this goal, but at
the same time disputable issues in the U.S.-European relations get more
complicated, without producing anything positive. Besides, if the
United States used to hope to create a `fifth column’ out of Turkey in
the EU, and disorganize the EU to some extent, now there is no hope
that Turkey will not refuse solidarity to Europe and will become an
instrument for the U.S. policies. As part of the EU, Turkey would
certainly become less dependent on the United States and would play its
own game. With regard to the acceptance of Turkey to the EU, the United
States and the Europeans have a tacit agreement which teases Turkey and
estranges it from both powers. In such a pattern of interests and
strategies, nevertheless, the acceptance of Turkey to the EU is no
longer a priority. In contacts with European and American political
scientists it was possible to notice signs that the issue of possible
secession of Turkey from NATO has stopped being invented, and may
become quite urgent in the nearest future. This issue, as well as the
refusal of Turkey to continue integration with the EU may be viewed as
one for discussion and meant for propaganda and blackmail but the given
issues are already brought up among analysts. While the Americans and
Europeans are convinced that Turkey has no geopolitical and economic
alternatives and it cannot exist without close partnership with the
United States, the EU and NATO. It is right now but it may become
disputable in the nearest future. The political dynamics in the world
is stronger than ever. If we elaborate the thought about the priority
of issues in the U.S. and EU policies on the Turkish topic, control
over Turkey has more importance. Now it is already obvious that the
United States and the EU are close to a joint plan of the geopolitical
blockage of Turkey, thwarting its international efforts in the Near
East and regional political efforts relating to Russia. Overcoming
doubts and controversies, the United States and the EU have come close
to the problem of fragmentation of Turkey, for the time being, as a
reserve problem. The internationalization of the issue of Kurds will
lead to the questioning of the territorial integrity of Turkey. The
Western community is seeking and at the same time drafting arguments
and projects which would be able to solve the problem of Turkey. In
this context, the Armenian issue is on the agenda, which acquires a new
meaning and content. The Americans and Europeans have become convinced
that as a means of pressure on Turkey the Armenian issue cannot contain
the relations between Armenia and Turkey only. In this sense, the West
needs new ideas, and the forgotten accord of Sevres could be one. In
addition, it is felt that after an earlier effort to depart from the
Diaspora and rely on the Republic of Armenia, the West again focuses on
the organizations of the Armenian Diaspora, setting forth the idea of
creation of new organizations which are more strongly related to the
interests of a number of major states than the traditional
organizations. Moreover, the idea of complete replacement of all the
Armenian organizations of the Diaspora by new ones has occurred. The
problem is complicated but possible to fulfill in the current
conditions. Besides, the West will have to make efforts to prevent
growth of influence of Russia on the Armenian Disapora and initiatives
relating to the Armenian and Turkish. Russia is trying to gain
dominance in the Armenian Diaspora, at least in three directions: rule
in the South Caucasus, establish brand new relations with Turkey,
downplay the activities of the Armenian lobbies in the United States
and the EU.

After the aggravation of the Turkish and American relations, the reason
of which was the events relating to the military action in Iraq in
2003, experts in the United States displayed interest in various
political documents and events from the modern history of Turkey, that
is the period around the 20th century. In various publications, events
relating to border disputes, rights of ethnic and religious minorities,
property and heritage were evoked. One of these problems mentioned in
the political literature is the accord of Sevres. No doubt, the U.S.
administration is trying to pressure on Turkey, lead it to the solution
of problems of the past. Turkey is known to be highly sensitive
regarding the accord of Sevres which is on a territorial issue. For the
Turkish political class, the accord of Sevres remains a threat to the
territorial integrity of Turkey. According to Ali Reza Bulent, an
American expert of Turkish background, for many decades the Turkish
legations get instructions regarding the problems that occur in
relation to the accord of Sevres. The Turkish diplomats get similar
instructions regarding the accords of Kars and Moscow signed in 1921.
Turkish experts living in Turkey, as well as the United States and
Europe, have made emotive evaluations of the accord of Sevres, such as
`the accord of Sevres haunts Turkey as a nightmare’. Bulent Ali Reza, a
leading expert (CSIS), Soner Cagaty (Washington Institute for Near East
Policy), Zeyno Baran (Hudson), Omer Taspinar (Brookings Institution),
Nihat Ali Ã-zcan, Hakan Yavuz, Tarik Oguzlu, Mevlut Katik and other
experts said excavations may be expected to discover the accord of
Sevres, and it may cause a discussion not only among researchers but
also political circles. It should be acknowledged that this kind of
reanimation cannot be successful without corresponding support of the
government of the great power. The question is who and how will set
forward initiatives in Armenia and the Diaspora. Will these initiatives
get a broad public and political response, the support of the
international organizations which are under the total influence of the
United States? How can the mechanisms of launching this project on the
international arena be presented now? It is interesting that the
Washington-based Greek political and lobbyist organization Western
Political Center which is integrated with the U.S. government agencies,
has displayed considerable interest to the perspective of launching the
project of the `accord of Sevres’. A more major political institution
in Washington, the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington displayed
similar interest. It should be noted that it is thought to be dangerous
if the United States or another great power takes action regarding the
accord of Sevres, since in that case it is impossible to control
adequately the process, proceeding from the national interests of
Armenia. Ostensibly, in a definite period of time separate Armenian
figures and functionaries were able to pursue the interests of Armenia
and the Armenian people but much depends on the personality of the
given activists and their ties with the Armenian bureaucracy. It should
be kept in mind that tragic events of the Armenian history are related
to the accord of Sevres. In other words, much depends on how the
Armenian side, that is Armenia and the Diaspora, could control the
implementation of the project.

In mid-November 2006 efforts were made to organize publications on the
accord of Sevres by people who advocate the interests of Russia in
Armenia. In addition, money was offered to organize speeches of a noted
Armenian political scientist or publicist on one of the TV channels on
the given issue. The purpose of these speeches was to ridicule the
`Armenian efforts’ of appealing to the accord of Sevres, both in 1920
and now. After it had been explained to these people that the accord of
Sevres had a predecessor ` the decree of the Soviet government on the
Turkish Armenia in February 1918 ` they made efforts to prevent these
conversations from being spread. Russia must realize that the
reanimation of the accord of Sevres, independent from the results, will
lead to increasing involvement of Armenia in the processes of the
Western community. The official stance of the Soviet Union on the
accord of Sevres was absolutely negative, which was due to the support
of Soviet Russia to Kemalist Turkey and its aggression against Armenia.
Any evocation of the accord of Sevres in the positive sense, let alone
the promotion of this project, will be disapproved by Russia. At the
same time, the review of the accord of Sevres on the international
forums may prove instrumental to the foreign policy of Armenia and
organization of the Diaspora, including the Dialogue with Russia, which
is responsible for the events of 1920-1921.

It is not ruled out that the European countries are interested in
bringing up the accord of Sevres in political literature and press,
whose relations with Turkey are not less complicated than the
Turkish-Armenian relations. The experience of political research
confirms that the leading European organizations are attentively
following and analyzing every event and process relating to the
Turkish-Armenian relations. The Armenian topic remains at the center of
attention of `Eastern politics’ of the European Union, first of all in
the direction of the problems of integration of Turkey with the EU.
From time to time, the topic of Sevres emerges in specialized political
literature, in respectable media of Europe. These publications emerge
in a strange manner, not always are the sources and stakeholders
visible, thanks to whom those materials appear. It is not precise to
say that there is a discourse in the Western community on the accord of
Sevres but someone is consistently pushing for initiatives. Europe
fears Turkey more than one may imagined, Europe fears the entry of
Turkey into the EU and is ready to encourage any initiative to prevent
it. The European politicians and experts may endlessly talk about the
necessity to improve the Armenian and Turkish relations but this is a
sham, a performance which has been revealed a long time ago. Therefore,
apparently, a favorable situation has occurred in Europe to discuss
Sevres as a new political project.

Thereby, the accord of Sevres may become an object of international
discourse, at least among experts. Therefore, it is important to
collect information and analyze the given events, reveal the
stakeholders, the definite institutions, projects and intentions. But
the most important thing is the drafting of the strategy, approaches
and devices for launching the `project of Sevres’ in the nearest
future. The given project must be recognized legitimately among the
Armenian political class, on the basis of a detailed discussion, and
importantly none of the famous political organizations has tried to
monopolize this project.

SITTING OF THE ARMENIA-GEORGIA INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION IN TBILISI

armradio.am
10.12.2008 13:28

The Armenian government delegation headed by Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan paid a one-day visit to Georgia to participate in the seventh
sitting of the Armenian-Georgian Intergovernmental Commission for
Economic Cooperation.

Before the sitting Tigran Sargsyan had a meeting with the Prime
Minister of Georgia Grigol Mgaloblishvili. Later the heads of
government of the two countries met with the working group of the
Intergovernmental Commission and participated in the recurrent sitting
of the Commission.

The Prime Ministers of the two countries expressed gratitude to
the Intergovernmental Commission for productive work, noting that
the friendly relations between Armenia and Georgia are successfully
developing. The Prime Minister expressed hope that the 7th sitting of
the Commission will serve as an additional impetus for the deepening
and expansion of those relations.

Tigran Sargsyan and Grigol Mgaloblishvili were united in their opinion
on the necessity of leading an open, transparent and understandable
policy, underlining that it should be visible also to the world powers
interested in the region. They expressed confidence that the documents
signed would give new drive to interstate relations, noting that the
governments of the two countries have to work hard to implement the
agreements reached. Tigran Sargsyan and Grigol Mgaloblishvili noted
that during their meeting they discussed issues of bilateral and
regional importance. Reference was made to the issue of the Armenian
St. Norashen Church. It was noted that the Armenian and Georgian
Churches are linked with centuries-old friendly ties.

The Prime Ministers emphasized the importance of the initiative of the
Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church to form a joint commission to
discuss issues connected with St. Norashen and other Armenian Churches,
where all the problems will be discussed and solved via dialogue.

A number of documents were signed upon the completion of the sitting
of the Intergovernmental Commission. It was decided to hold the next
sitting in Yerevan in 2009. The time and agenda will be fixed later.

Within the framework of the visit RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
met with the President of Georgia, Mikhail Saakashvili, visited the
Armenian Embassy in Georgia, the Armenian St. Norashen Church, the
pantheon of renowned Armenian writers and public figures of Tbilisi.

ASHOT GRIGORIAN: RUSSIAN-TURKISH AGREEMENT IS HIGHLY HARMFUL NOT ONLY TO ARMENIA BUT ALSO TO RUSSIA

Noyan Tapan

Dec 9, 2008

BRATISLAVA, DECEMBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The Russian-Turkish agreement is
highly harmful not only to Armenia but also to Russia. The Chairman
of the Forum of Armenian Unions of Europe and the Armenian community
of Slovakia Ashot Grigorian expressed this opinion when summarizing
the results of the European Union – Turkey forum held in the Polish
city of Sopot on December 5-6. During a talk with NT correspondent,
he presented the following details:

"The issues of leaving Russia out of all the energy programs were
discussed at the forum’s sittings on economic subjects, and the
impression was that this was the main meaning of the forum.

The Turkish participants spoke about the wide opportunities of Turkey
which enable to lay pipelines of all power-bearing substances from Asia
to Europe, while passing round Russia. However, after Igor Tomberg,
a famous professor of the Moscow Institute of International Relations,
had presented quite credible facts, the Turkish program of energy
diversification became much more vulnerable. Prof. Tomberg first of
all stated that the information about the amounts of Azerbaijani
gas and oil is extremely exaggerated: at best, they make up only
one-third of the amounts necessary for Europe. As regards the gas
of Turkmenistan or Kazakhstan, Russia is not going to allow laying
a trans-Caspian pipeline due to strategic and ecological problems.

Then the professor announced a very important, if not shocking,
information, according to which on the fourth day of the
Georgian-Ossetian war, a definite agreement was reached between the
Turkish prime minister Erdogan and the Russian president Medvedev
on the following issues: Turkey would defend Russia’s position with
respect to Georgia, while Russia would allow Turkey to play a new
role in the South Caucasus, and Russia and Turkey would cooperate in
the energy sector on conditions of maintaining the bilateral interests.

The following conclusions can be made from the above said:
traditionally being an unreliable partner, Turkey, at the suggestion of
improving its relations with Russia, has left aside its South Caucasian
partners in recent years – Azerbaijan and Georgia, pursuing its own
interests. By giving a consent to Turkey to enter the South Caucasus,
Russia ignored the interests of its strategic partner – Armenia.

After analysing the proposals of the Turkish delegation, it became
clear that Turkey is playing a short-term game of forcing Russia to
its knees, however, it is trying to do so in the hope of gaining the
European Union’s trust.

The new process of Armenian-Turkish relations formed at Turkey’s
dictation has become now entirely clear. The reason for Turkey’s
highly toughened position on the Genocide issue and its resolute
statements on intervening in the Karabakh problem have become
entirely perceptible. The Armenian delegation witnessed this at the
Sopot forum when famous Turkish diplomat and deputy of the Great
National Assembly Mustafa Sukru Elekdag said in his speech that he
was surprised at how such an ungrateful country as Armenia can be
allowed to go as far as not to appreciate Turkey’s impartial position
on the Karabakh problem. Then he declared that "it is the result of
Turkey’s not dealing a counterblow to the false rumors of not the
genocide but even the deportation that Armenia also has territorial
claims to Turkey, up to the extent that the Armenians consider Mount
Ararat as their mountain".

The Turkish deputy nearly shouted these statements, gasping with
excitement and rage. True, in his speech he underlined the issues
raised by the Armenian delegation composed by the head of the
RA National Assembly "ARF" faction head Vahan Hovhannisian, the
Armenian ambassador to Poland Ashot Galoyan and the political scientist
Hovhannes Nikoghosian, calling attention of the authoritative audience
to these issues and thus doing a good service.

At the same time it became clear that it is at least naive to expect,
by European notions, a normal and civilized behavior from the Turks
in the neighborhood issue. The primitive diplomatic games of Turkey
are based on their traditional experience of deceiving their partners
and neighbors, which, however, cannot give a positive result to them
under conditions of the current diplomatic perceptions.

I think that in the light of the above said, our political figures
who have drawn a new way of Armenia’s foreign policy should come to
important conclusions".

AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH OFFERED TO SUSPEND FUNCTIONING

Trend
Dec 6 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 5 Dec / Trend News corr I. Alizade / There is no need
for Azerbaijanis residing in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani region
of Nagorno-Karabakh to function as a community or public organization.

"Armenians are densely populated in Nagorno-Karabakh and they can
form there an Armenian community with Azerbaijan. But it is not
logical to form an Azerbaijani community within Azerbaijan itself,"
Elman Mammadov, co-founder of public association Azerbaijani Community
in Nagorno Karabakh and MP representing Khojali city of the region,
told Trend News on 5 Dec.

Nizami Bahmanov, head of the Azerbaijani Community in Nagorno Karabakh,
died on 13 Sep 2008. Bamanov was also the head of the Shusha District
Executive Committee. The both posts still remain unoccupied. In October
2006, the Justice Ministry registered the Azerbaijani Community in
Nagorno Karabakh led by Bahmanov. The founders of the community are
Bahramov and MPs from Nagorno-Karabakh – Elman Mammadov and Havva
Mammadova.

"Azerbaijanis residing in foreign countries can form a community
such as Azerbaijani community in Georgia or in Russia. However,
Nagorno-Karabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan and no Azerbaijani
community should exist there," Mammadov added.

Mammadov said that as Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Province does not
exist, it should not have any Azerbaijani community either.

"We enjoy the same status as Azerbaijanis residing in other places of
the country. Why should we form a community then? It is nonsense. I
see no need for this community," Mammadov said.

According to Mammadov, Azerbaijanis and Armenians cannot form any
community unless Nagorno-Karabakh gets status within Azerbaijan.

"The negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia are underway and
the communities do not attend this process. The formation of the
community will be discussed as long as the negotiations reach the
stage when requiring the joining of Azerbaijanis and Armenians living
in Nagorno-Karabakh to this process," Mammadov said.

Mammadov said that the discussions over appointment of the new chairman
to the community remain are still to take place.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO ATTEND FUNERAL OF PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Noyan Tapan

Dec 8, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian president Serzh
Sargsyan is leaving for Moscow on December 8 in order to be present
at the funeral of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, NT
was informed by the RA presidential press service.

TIGRAN SARGSYAN: TWENTY YEARS AGO ARMENIA TURNED INTO A ZONE OF UNIVERSAL SOLIDARITY AND COMPASSION

armradio.am
08.12.2008 11:32

"Distinguished Guests;

Today, we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the disastrous
earthquake that took place on December 7, 1988. Twenty years ago,
our land was shaken.

Together with it, our hearts and minds were shaken. All Armenians
were shaken. The disaster claimed the lives of thousands of innocent
civilians, including a large number of children. One third of our
country was leveled to the ground. At the time, not everyone was fully
aware of the gravity of the tragic blow, and the impact it would have
on our people’s hearts and our country’s economy.

The situation looked desperate, but we did not fall into despair:
we stood strong, as we were supported by people from virtually every
corner of the earth, turning Armenia and the Earthquake Zone into a
zone of universal solidarity and compassion.

Today, we wish warmly and profoundly to thank all those that that
stood by our sides just after the earthquake, endangering and
sacrificing their lives, assisting and saving our fellow Armenians,
and for many years helping our country to overcome the consequences
of the catastrophe.

We remember everyone; we are grateful to them for their heroic deeds,
selfless philanthropy, and helping us out at difficult times.

The other reason why we did not fall into despair lay deeper:
we had history and genes of resisting pain–an inherent "program"
of survival. We withstood the disaster and struggled on several
fronts. The national revival of 1988 was a popular struggle for the
liberty of Armenia and Artsakh. When our land shook, some feared that
our people would shake and expected our faith and determination to
weaken. Those fears, however, were short-lived.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia was at the worst
starting point among all of the former Soviet republics: blockade,
energy crisis, war, and one third of the industry and housing stock
leveled to the ground.

This is to emphasize that, actually, we have travelled a much longer
path than may seem at first sight.

A breakthrough in the restoration of the Earthquake Zone was made
after 1998, when the ex-president of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan,
declared the matter "one of honor to the state." During 1998-2006,
construction was carried out under various funding sources (state
budget, charitable and other organizations, and individuals). As a
result, over 20,000 families received new or improved housing. The
housing needs of 5,914 households were met through the provision of
Housing Purchase Certificates. A larger number of schools, health care
facilities, and cultural centers were constructed or renovated. Spitak,
the earthquake epicenter, and Gyumri began to look like towns again.

A large amount of work has been accomplished, but it is obviously
not sufficient. Twenty years have passed, but an enormous number of
challenges still remain in the Earthquake Zone, including the fact that
some families still remain without shelter. I would like to assure our
people that we have concrete plans and a clear timetable; our plans
will be implemented. Our country can afford to fill the remaining
gap. A variety of financing sources will be engaged in the process.

Though some of the earlier problems of the Earthquake Zone have
persisted, the regions affected by the earthquake now face many of
the same challenges that other regions of Armenia do. Of course, it
does not mean that the authorities will henceforth pay less attention
to this part of the country.

It only means that all the regions of Armenia should develop evenly.

President Sargsyan has already declared that, in the next few years,
we will finalize the solution of the housing problems of families
hit by the earthquake.

Under the Concept Paper for Solving the Housing Problems of Families
Left without Shelter Due to the Earthquake in the Earthquake Zone, at
least 4,883 new apartments and houses will be built by 2013, including:

– At least 2,300 apartments with the related services facilities will
be built in the Ani and Mush districts of Gyumri;

– 182 apartments in the Akhuryan Village of the Shirak Marz, including
the related service facilities;

– At least 226 individual houses in 10 rural settlements of the
Shirak Marz;

– At least 354 apartments in Spitak, including the related service
facilities; and

– At least 1,821 individual houses in 24 rural settlements of the
Lori Marz.

Besides, we plan to build another 49 apartments in Stepanavan under
the 2009 state budget. Under the "Housing through the Provision of
Housing Purchase Certificates" Program of the 2008 state budget,
268 families that lost their houses in the earthquake have already
been given the opportunity to purchase an apartment. 1,785 families
will be given the opportunity to solve their housing needs under the
same state-funded program during 2009-2012.

The Armenian Government has launched new plans and initiatives for
economic development of the North of Armenia. Gyumri, Vanadzor,
and other towns and villages can and should become modern centers
of entrepreneurship, culture, and sports; they will become transport
hubs. The progress in this field will be noticeable.

Dear Friends;

Today, 20 years after the earthquake, we honor the memory of many
thousands of victims. The greatest and irreversible loss is that of
human lives.

Everyone in Armenia personally experienced the grief of this
loss. Everyone lost a family member, relative, friend, or
acquaintance. It was a moment when everyone condoled everyone else.

Now, our country, hardened by these challenges, continues its
path. We are on the path of creative work that20will turn Armenia
into a prosperous country of well-educated and free people, tomorrow’s
Armenia. Our course is irreversible, as we are convinced that disasters
come and go, while fatherland eternally remains."

BRIZE REFUTES

Azat Artsakh Daily
05 Dec 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

OSCE Minsk Group American Co-Chairman Mathew Brize refuted the
announcement ascribed to him by the Azerbaijani press, saying that
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is the main principle of the
settlement of Karabakh issue.

He gave clarifications to the Armenian journalists in Helsinki, saying
that it is not his viewpoint but Ilham Aliev’s. According to Mathew
Brize it is the task of the Co-Chairmen to place the most important
principles in the final act of Helsinki, which are: not using force,
nations’ self-determination and territorial integrity.

BILL GATES HOPES OBAMA WILL DOUBLE U.S. ANNUAL INVESTMENT IN FOREIGN AID

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2008 15:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Microsoft founder Bill Gates hopes President-elect
Barack Obama and Congress immediately craft a wide-ranging stimulus
package, to help jump-start the nation’s sputtering economy, and
double the United States’ commitment to foreign aid.

"Clearly we need a stimulus that doesn’t undermine the incentive
for businesses to be careful about their spending and making those
correct investments," Gates told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in an exclusive
interview airing on The Situation Room on Wednesday and Thursday.

Gates, one of the world’s richest men and founder of the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, is also calling on Obama to increase investments
in the nation’s education system and spur technological advances to
improve agriculture, prevent disease, and promote economic growth in
the world’s poorest nations.

"The key point I’d make is that in addition to that stimulus, you’ve
got to fund the kind of scientific work and educational investments
that could really have us be a much better country as we emerge from
the recession," he said.

On his Web site, Obama has pledged to double the United States’
annual investment in foreign aid to $50 billion by the end of his
first term, with the goal of fully funding debt cancellation for poor
nations and fighting AIDS and global poverty.

Gates said he thinks Obama will live up to that commitment.

"Obviously it’s the Congress that gets to actually vote the final
decision for how the money is spent, but I do think he will get to
that commitment," Gates said. "I am thrilled to be able to see that
people are responding to the success stories. Aid from the United
States did go up in the last eight years."