Author: nina hovnanian

Le Figaro, France
7 oct 2011

Arménie: Sarkozy espère une réponse
AFP Publié le 07/10/2011 à 07:23 Réactions (59)

S’abonner au Figaro.fr Le président français Nicolas Sarkozy a précisé
qu’il souhaitait que la Turquie reconnaisse dans un délai “asssez
bref”, avant la fin de son mandat en mai 2012, le “génocide” arménien
de 1915, au deuxième jour de sa visite d’Etat en Arménie. “Il ne
revient pas à la France de poser un ultimatum à qui que ce soit, ce
n’est pas une facon de faire (…) mais enfin à travers les lignes
vous pouvez comprendre que le temps n’est pas infini, 1915-2011, il me
semble que pour la réflexion c’est suffisant”, a expliqué M. Sarkozy
lors d’une conférence de presse avec son homologue arménien Serge
Sarkissian.

Depuis jeudi, le chef de l’Etat a invité à plusieurs reprises la
Turquie à “revisiter son histoire” et à reconnaître les massacres
ottomans perpétré en 1915 et 1916 en Turquie, qui ont fait plusieurs
centaines de milliers de morts, comme un génocide, ainsi que la France
l’a fait en 2001. Nicolas Sarkozy a confirmé que, si la Turquie ne
faisait pas ce “geste de paix”, ce “pas vers la réconciliation”, il
envisagerait de proposer l’adoption d’un texte de loi réprimant
spécifiquement la négation du génocide arménien.

Cette “réaction de la France se ferait connaître dans un délai assez
bref. Si je ne le précise pas, c’est que j’espère toujours dans les
réactions” turques “qui en tout état de cause englobe la durée de mon
mandat”.

Avant son élection en 2007, le candidat Sarkozy avait promis aux
représentants de la forte communauté arménienne de France, estimée à
un demi-million de personnes, de soutenir le vote d’un texte de loi
spécifique réprimant la négation du “génocide” de 1915. Mais ce texte
a été enterré en mai faute d’une majorité au Sénat (chambre haute) et
surtout du soutien du gouvernement de Nicolas Sarkozy, suscitant
l’amertume des Arméniens de France et de leurs partisans.

National Assembly of RA, Armenia

Oct 7 2011

Telegram of Condolence by RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan on the Death
of Vanush Khanamiryan

The RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan sent a telegram of condolence on
the occasion of the death of the RA People’s Artist Vanush
Khanamiryan.’

`We heard with deep grief the bad news about the death of Vanush
Khanamiryan, the last master of Armenian dancing art, People’s Artist
of the Republic of Armenia.’

Vanush Khanamiryan had a big contribution not only to the Armenian
dancing art, but also to the Armenian cultural and public life in
general, with his civil and patriotic posture, with his buoyancy and
optimism he has inspired many people and has been an example for them.

In the name of the RA National Assembly and me I express my sympathy
to the Vanush Khananmiryan’s family members, relatives, close friends,
pupils and his art fans.

The character of Vanush Khanamiryan as an artist, great citizen and
patriot will remain bright in everybody’s hearts.’

algerie-focus.com
9 oct 2011

Génocide arménien : Ankara fustige `l’opportunisme politique’ de Sarkozy

Le président français Nicolas Sarkozy a appelé une nouvelle fois
vendredi la Turquie à reconnaître sa responsabilité dans le génocide
arménien de 1915, laissant entendre que la France pourrait faire voter
une loi pénalisant le négationnisme en la matière. Ankara l’a accusé
d”opportunisme politique’.

Le ministre turc des Affaires étrangères a estimé que la France, du
fait de son passé colonial, était mal placée pour critiquer Ankara.
Ahmet Davutoglu a qualifié les propos du président Sarkozy
d”opportunisme politique’, jugeant que `malheureusement, chaque fois
qu’il y a des élections en Europe, on assiste à ce genre
d’opportunisme’.

Lors d’une conférence organisée dans la matinée à Erevan, Nicolas
Sarkozy a précisé qu”il ne revient pas à la France de poser un
ultimatum à qui que ce soit’. `Mais enfin, à travers les lignes, vous
pouvez comprendre que le temps n’est pas infini, 1915-2011, il me
semble que pour la réflexion, c’est suffisant’, a-t-il souligné.

`Dans ce cas-là, la réaction de la France, en fonction de ce que
diront les dirigeants turcs, se ferait connaître dans un délai assez
bref, et si je ne le précise pas, c’est parce que j’espère toujours
dans les réactions de la société turque et du gouvernement turc’, a
souligné le chef de l’Etat. `Mais enfin, assez bref, cela a une
signification qui, en tout état de cause, englobe la durée de mon
mandat’, a-t-il ajouté.

Il a aussi confié que sa visite, la veille, au mémorial de
Tsitsernakaberd, dédié aux victimes du génocide, lui avait rappelé des
sentiments similaires à ceux qu’il avait eus en se rendant au mémorial
Yad Vashem consacré aux victimes de l’Holocauste, à Jérusalem, et dans
un musée rendant hommage aux victimes du génocide au Rwanda.

La France, comme une vingtaine d’autres pays, a reconnu le génocide
arménien, en 2001, mais la Turquie refuse de le faire, ce qui pèse
notamment sur son dossier de candidature à l’Union européenne.

Les autorités arméniennes estiment que jusqu’à 1,5 million d’Arméniens
ont été tués par les Turcs de l’empire Ottoman pendant la Première
guerre mondiale, ce que les historiens considèrent comme le premier
génocide du XXe siècle. La Turquie affirme que ce nombre est exagéré
et qu’il s’agit de victimes de la guerre civile et du chaos de
l’effondrement de l’empire Ottoman.

Nicolas Sarkozy terminait la journée de vendredi et son déplacement
caucasien en se rendant à Bakou, en Azerbaïdjan, pour un entretien
avec le président Ilham Aliev, puis à Tbilissi, en Géorgie, pour une
rencontre avec le président Mikhaïl Saakachvili.

AP

The Globe and Mail, Canada
Oct 9 2011

Swing a hammer and sightsee on a give-back getaway

douglas mcarthur

YEREVAN, ARMENIA – From Monday’s Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Oct. 09, 2011 4:00PM EDT

We came to Armenia as volunteer labourers, hoping in some small way to
help ease the country’s housing shortage. We were also tourists, but
only on the handful of days allocated for R&R. We hoped this
combination of work and leisure would give us deep insights into a
complex country just emerging on the world’s tourism map.

I was one of 10 Canadians (ranging in age from 27 to 83) on a 17-day
Global Village program booked through Habitat for Humanity Canada. We
spent much of our time sanding, plastering and painting the walls of
two unfinished houses in the northeastern Tavush province. It is an
area of high unemployment, subsistence agriculture and a stunning
mountain landscape straight out of The Sound of Music.

Our sightseeing forays were centred mostly in and around the capital,
Yerevan. With its opera house, pedestrian shopping street and central
circle of elegant government buildings, the city could have been
anywhere in Europe. In fact, land-locked Armenia lies in the southern
Caucasus where Europe and Asia meet. It is accessible through Iran and
Georgia, but disputes keep its borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan
sealed shut. The tourists we saw in Yerevan were mainly of the
backpacking variety, and hailed from Europe, Russia and the worldwide
Armenian diaspora. Many took coach tours to historic and cultural
attractions, including three World Heritage Sites.

Arriving on an overnight flight from London, we were greeted by a view
of Ararat, an ice-cream sundae of a mountain that shimmered in the
dawn light. The legendary landing spot of Noah’s Ark, Ararat is
Armenia’s national symbol and gives its name to a bank and a brandy
factory. Although visible from Yerevan on clear days, it lies wholly
within Turkey.

We touched down on May 28, which was a national holiday honouring
Armenia’s short-lived independence from Turkey following the First
World War. A second holiday on Sept. 21 marks Armenia’s 1991 secession
from the collapsing Soviet Union. Along with Ararat, the twin
independence days keep alive memories of the ancient Kingdom of
Armenia, which was much larger than the country today.

Central to the nation’s vision of its past and future are the deaths
of an estimated million and half Armenians in Ottoman Turkey. The
deportations and massacres, which started in 1915, are chillingly
remembered through photos and documents in Yerevan’s Armenian Genocide
Museum. It feels like a holy shrine. Our guide reminded us that Canada
is among countries that have officially recognized the genocide.
Others, including Turkey, have not.

Religion is another touchstone of national identity: Armenia proudly
boasts of being the first country in the world to adopt Christianity.
On a Sunday morning, our group visited the country’s mother cathedral,
Echmiatsin, built according to tradition on a site revealed to St.
Gregory in a vision.

The ceremony was colourful with robed and hooded clergymen, an a
cappella choir and a colourful screen that opened and closed.
Tourists, who nearly outnumbered the worshippers, treated it as
theatre, butting their way through the standing congregation and
shooting flash photos and videos.

Most of the other religious sites we toured – centuries-old churches
and monasteries – are now museums. Small in size but solidly built of
stone blocks, they are rugged reminders of the country’s religious
past. The massive Zvartnots Cathedral still inspires awe, even though
it collapsed centuries ago, leaving only a circle of pillars.
Sevanavank monastery, perched on a hill overlooking the blue waters of
Lake Sevan, takes top prize for panoramic setting. Geghard, dwarfed by
a sheer cliff, is most impressive of all. Its burial chamber – hewn
into the rock – has such incredible acoustics that two members of our
group burst into a chorus of Holy Holy Holy.

The work portion of our trip was centred close to Ijevan, Tavush’s
provincial capital, which has fallen on hard times. Its central park
once boasted spouting fountains and landscaped lawns; now it’s a
wasteland of rusting pipes and weeds.

Even our one-day tour here was a wild affair. At Lastiver, we set out
with a local guide for what was billed as `a three-kilometre walk.’
Instead we found ourselves slogging along a muddy path at the edge of
a precipice, fording a rushing river on slippery stones and clambering
up a vertical rock wall. It was dangerous but rewarding. The views
were postcard perfect and we ended at a cave where early Christians
had carved an altar into the rock wall.

It was in Tavush that we had our closest contact with the people of
Armenia. Most homes we visited had satellite TV, the Internet – and an
outhouse. Our group spent a lot of time debating these priorities. (If
I was raising children today, I too would opt for Facebook and Google
over indoor plumbing.)

Here we came face-to-face with the economic struggles of the families
our group had come to help. At our first house, we ran out of paint
because the parents had spent their money on health care for a sick
child. (Again, a choice I would make myself.)

As we finished our work at the second house, the owner, Kamo,
expressed his gratitude by inviting us back inside. He poured us all a
glass of Armenian cognac. Then he kissed each volunteer on both
cheeks.

It was a moment we would never have experienced had we been in Armenia
solely as tourists.

For more information, visit habitatglobalvillage.ca and tourismarmenia.org.

Special to The Globe and Mail

Iran Book News Agency
Oct 9 2011

Iranian books donated to Armenia

9 Oct 2011 14:41

In order to expand and develop Islamic-Iranian culture, Iran’s
cultural attaché office has donated 350 books to Armenia’s Mogri
library.

IBNA: According to the public relations department of Islamic Culture
and Relations Organization, the book’s donation to the cultural
complex was one of the programs of Iran’s cultural attaché office
during Iran-Armenia friendship week.

During the program, which was held with the attendance of Armenia’s
deputy of Culture Minister, managers of Yerevan and Mogri’s Authors’
Center as well as cultural figures, the experts delivered speeches
about the importance of books and reading.

Then Iran’s cultural attaché Mohammad reza Shakiba donated 350 books
to the library’s manger and said:” The books will deliver the
knowledge of Islamic-Iranian civilization and culture to Armenians and
holding such ceremonies will boost the friendships.

Irish Independent
Oct 9 2011

Negative tactics will play into Armenia’s hands

Sunday October 09 2011

Planning for a stalemate could backfire against dangerous opponents,

writes Richard SadlierIt’s all come down to this. Having effortlessly
dispatched one of the poorest teams they are ever likely to play,
anything but defeat to Armenia will put Ireland in the play-off draw.
All things considered, it’s a position everyone should be delighted
with.

Unlike so many previous occasions, the preparation has been unusually
subdued and without incident. There was nothing new learned on Friday
in Andorra, thankfully, in what was a thoroughly comfortable win
against truly awful opposition. With the exception of an embarrassing
yellow card for Stephen Ward for which he must now serve a suspension,
the night went according to plan.

The decision to leave out Seamus Coleman altogether was a puzzle, but
it was never going to matter against the lowest-ranked nation in world
football. One thing is for sure, though, there will be a lot less room
for error on Tuesday.

The temptation to play for a draw against Armenia is there. I have
never been in a position where I’ve had to follow those instructions
and would be greatly concerned if that was the plan. Running down the
clock when the scoreline is satisfactory is something every player has
done, but it is difficult to do from the kick-off. And it’s
particularly tough when you’re set up to play the majority of the game
without the ball. Giovanni Trapattoni says he’s playing to win, but he
was hardly going to admit to anything else. From what we’ve seen from
him to date, though, I’m more than a little concerned.

Planning for a clean sheet will not be enough. While we have shown how
competent we are defensively, Armenia have scored 11 goals in their
last three games. We know too much about Trapattoni’s mindset to
expect any change in his approach, so the lack of creativity and guile
in this team will surely strengthen the self-belief of what must be a
very confident Armenian side. The Slovakians and Russians highlighted
recently the predictability of Ireland’s style and this Armenia team
look more than capable of exposing it.

Predictability in itself is not a weakness, but an inability to keep
possession of the ball clearly is.

With only one game to go, the assessment of the campaign so far has to
be largely positive. Though there have been umpteen signs of
mismanagement and confusion along the way, this Ireland team has
developed into an organised and hard-working group, many of whom may
see this as their last chance of appearing in the finals of a European
Championship. The disappointments experienced along the way have been
forgotten, but a repeat of last month’s performance against Slovakia
will put an end to our campaign.

Despite the progress that has no doubt been made since his arrival, a
defeat should spell the end of Trapattoni’s reign and would be a
devastating blow to the senior players so deserving of an appearance
in the finals next summer. Those who defend his methods point
incessantly to his ability to get results, but finishing outside the
top two in this group would put an end to any reasonable calls for him
to remain in charge.

A big crowd will certainly help, but an overly cautious approach from
an incredibly conservative coach could make for frustrating viewing
indeed.

As ever though, the result is the only thing that matters and a clean
sheet will be more than enough. Put in those terms, there can be no
question the right man’s in charge for this one. Cause for great
optimism may be in short supply from what we have seen recently, but
there are certainly grounds for hope.

If ever there was an occasion to expect a large crowd this is it. The
reasons for poor attendances in recent fixtures at the Aviva has been
attributed to many things, but failure by the Irish public to fill the
stadium for an important occasion would be a sorry indictment indeed.

There can be no finger-pointing at the FAI, the economy or the
tactics. There has never been a need to justify support for the
Ireland team on the big occasions before. There shouldn’t be in this
case either.

Georgia ‘continues military build-up’ on Abkhaz, South Ossetia borders

22:51 – 04.10.11

Georgia is boosting its military potential at its borders with
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory
Karasin said on Tuesday, reported by the RIA Noovosti.

Speaking after a regular round of Geneva Discussions on security in
Transcaucasus, Karasin said there was “continuing activity of sabotage
and reconnaissance groups” in the breakaway republics, aimed at
“destabilizing the situation” in border areas.

Such activities, he said, undermine the confidence building process
between Georgia and its former republics.

He also added that the time had come for Georgia to recognize Abkhazia
and South Ossetia as independent countries and develop proper
relations with them.

Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008, following a
five-day war with Georgia.

Five countries have recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia – Nicaragua,
Venezuela, Nauru and Russia. Vanuatu has also recognized Abkhazia’s
independence.

Tert.am

Reuters
Oct 7 2011

Nicolas Sarkozy froisse la Turquie sur le génocide arménien

vendredi 7 octobre 2011 15h44
par Emmanuel Jarry

EREVAN (Reuters) – Nicolas Sarkozy a froissé vendredi la Turquie en
lui donnant quelques mois pour reconnaître le génocide arménien de
1915, faute de quoi la France pourrait légiférer pour sanctionner
pénalement le négationnisme turc.

La Turquie a aussitôt répliqué en conseillant à la France d’affronter
son passé colonial avant de donner des leçons aux autres pays.

En visite d’Etat en Arménie, le président français a estimé que la
reconnaissance par Ankara du massacre de 1,5 million d’Arméniens par
les Turcs serait un “geste de réconciliation”.

Dans ce cas, a-t-il dit lors d’une conférence de presse, la France
s’en tiendrait à sa législation actuelle, qui reconnaît officiellement
depuis janvier 2001, l’existence de ce génocide.

Si la Turquie persiste à le nier, en revanche, “la France
considérerait qu’elle devrait aller plus loin dans la modification de
sa législation pour que le négationnisme soit condamné pénalement”,
a-t-il ajouté.

Une proposition de loi socialiste en ce sens a déjà été votée par
l’Assemblée mais rejetée par le Sénat, au grand dam de la diaspora
arménienne, qui compte en France 500.000 membres.

La réponse d’Ankara n’a pas traîné, par la voix de son ministre turc
des Affaires étrangères, Ahmed Davutoglu.

“Ceux qui ne sont pas capables d’affronter leur propre histoire parce
qu’ils ont mené une politique colonialiste pendant des siècles, parce
qu’ils traitent leurs étrangers comme des citoyens de seconde zone,
n’ont pas à donner une leçon d’histoire à la Turquie”, a déclaré ce
dernier lors d’une conférence de presse.

L’Arménie, soutenue par de nombreux historiens, déclare qu’un million
cinq cent mille Arméniens ont été tués durant leur soulèvement pendant
la Première Guerre mondiale, en plein effondrement de l’empire
ottoman.
IMPACT NÉGATIF

Erevan qualifie ces événements de génocide, un point de vue partagé
par plusieurs parlements étrangers, dont le français.

La Turquie réfute la qualification de génocide, parlant de meurtres à
grande échelle visant non seulement les Arméniens mais aussi les
Turcs.

Ahmed Davutoglu a également déclaré vendredi que la Turquie et
l’Arménie oeuvraient ensemble à une normalisation de leurs relations
et que les propos de Nicolas Sarkozy auraient un impact négatif sur
ces efforts de réconciliation.

Erevan et Ankara sont convenus en 2009, sous l’égide des Etats-Unis,
de l’Union européenne et de la Russie, d’établir des liens
diplomatiques et de rouvrir leur frontière commune dans les deux mois
suivant la validation de leur accord par leurs parlements respectifs.

Mais les deux pays se sont ensuite mutuellement accusés d’avoir
modifié les termes de l’accord, et le processus de réconciliation est
aujourd’hui en suspens.

Les deux pays s’affrontent sur l’avenir de l’enclave peuplée
majoritairement d’Arméniens du Haut-Karabakh, thétre d’un conflit
armé dans les années 1990 après avoir fait sécession de l’Azerbaïdjan,
soutenu par la Turquie.

PAS D’ULTIMATUM, DIT SARKOZY

Nicolas Sarkozy a refusé de préciser le délai qu’il donnait à Ankara,
en faisant valoir qu’il ne revenait pas à la France de poser un
ultimatum “à qui que ce soit”.
Il a cependant dit que ce temps n’était “pas infini” et que la France
ferait connaître sa position “dans un délai assez bref”, en fonction
de l’attitude des dirigeants turcs.

“Si je ne le précise pas, c’est parce que j’espère toujours dans les
réactions de la société turque et du gouvernement turc”, a-t-il
ajouté. “Mais ‘assez bref’ ça a une signification qui, en tout état de
cause, englobe la durée de mon mandat.”

L’élection présidentielle a lieu en avril-mai 2012.

Selon l’ex-ministre d’origine arménienne Patrick Devedjian, qui
accompagne le président français, celui-ci a déclaré à des
interlocuteurs arméniens qu’il donnait aux dirigeants turcs jusqu’à la
fin de 2011 pour reconnaître le génocide arménien.

La question est revenue comme un leitmotiv tout au long d’une visite
de moins de 24 heures à Erevan, où le président français a inauguré un
musée à la gloire de Charles Aznavour en présence du chanteur
franco-arménien.

Nicolas Sarkozy a pris soin de dire jeudi soir, lors d’un dîner offert
par le président arménien Serge Sarkissian, que la France voulait
“être l’amie de la Turquie”, où son ministre de l’Intérieur, Claude
Guéant, se trouvait au même moment pour signer un accord de
coopération dans la sécurité intérieure.

Il a néanmoins réaffirmé vendredi qu’il restait opposé à l’adhésion de
la Turquie à l’Union européenne, même si ce pays avait un “rôle
essentiel” à jouer, et qu’il ne voyait pas de raison de changer de
position.

Avec Ibon Villelabeitia à Ankara, édité par Patrick Vignal

High Fest festival completes in Yerevan

October 9, 2011 – 15:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – High Fest International Performing Arts Festival has
completed in Armenia.

During the closing ceremony, Festival president Arthur Ghukasyan
thanked all for the attendance and handed over certificates to all
participants, volunteers and media representatives who covered the
event.

PanARMENIAN.Net received 2 certificates for information support and
coverage of the festival.

The 9th High Fest International Performing Arts Festival was held in
Yerevan from October 1 to 8. This year’s event featured more than 400
participants (theatre companies and VIP guests) from over 30 countries
(Russia, UK, France, USA, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Spain,
Switzerland, The Netherlands, Israel, Belgium, Kazakhstan, India,
Japan, Singapore and other countries).

Festive spirit in Etchmiadzin today

08.10.2011, 13:23
Aysor.am

Today is the day of Etchmiadzin city which is being celebrated since
2009. The festive events have kicked off with a marching which has
started at 11:45 from the St. Hripsime cathedral and will end at the
Square after Komitas.

According to the chroniclers Mesrop Mashtots returns to his fatherland
with the Armenian letters in his hands in 405 AD and the people of
Etchmiadzin headed by the king Vramshapouh and Catholicos Sahak Partev
greet him on October 8.

By the new calendar on October 8 Komitas was born.