Author: nina hovnanian

Editorial
Le courage de Nicolas Sarkozy

Bravo. C’est le premier mot qui s’impose pour qualifier la prestation
de Nicolas Sarkozy lors de son voyage en Arménie des 6 et 7 octobre.
En à peine deux jours, le président de la République a non seulement
apaisé les brûlures qu’avait fait naître l’affaire du Sénat en mai
dernier, mais il a réussi à inverser la tendance en redonnant espoir
aux Arméniens. Depuis la cause de la lutte antinégationniste, jusqu’à
celle du Karabakh, en passant par l’affirmation claire d’un soutien au
pays pour l’aider à faire face à l’ensemble des défis auxquels il est
confronté, Nicolas Sarkorzy a largement répondu aux attentes de cette
visite d’Etat.
L’Arménie n’a pas eu l’impression de recevoir en sa personne le plus
haut représentant d’une grande puissance, mais un membre de la
famille. Et c’est d’ailleurs ainsi que s’est présenté le président, en
évoquant la tragédie du génocide « d’où est née notre alliance,
j’allais dire notre alliage, qui fait de la France et de l’Arménie
pour toujours, des nations s`urs et pas seulement des amies. » Faisant
droit au langage du c`ur, organe vital dont il a rappelé que celui de
la France était « depuis le génocide en partie arménien », Nicolas
Sarkozy a également laissé s’exprimer une autre dimension de son
engagement politique : le courage. Et c’est l’esprit du Gaullisme qui
a soufflé quand le président a déclaré depuis Erevan que la France
n’avait pas renoncé à légiférer contre le négationnisme et qu’en tout
état de cause elle le ferait si d’ici les prochaines échéances
présidentielles, la Turquie devait persister dans la logique du déni.
Nicolas Sarkozy a certes pu susciter quelques irritations à Ankara. Et
il en a été probablement de même à Moscou, suite à ses propos tenus
sur la Place de la Liberté à Tbilissi. Mais en disant des vérités,
comme on le doit d’ailleurs à ses amis, il leur a au fond également
rendu service, tout en levant au plus haut les valeurs du drapeau
français.
Il y a bien sûr souvent loin du dire au faire. En particulier quand
l’exigence éthique se heurte aux lois de la Realpolitik et a celles du
marché. A fortiori en période de crise. Mais le président de la
République s’est montré suffisamment ferme dans son expression et
précis dans les délais (d’ici à la fin de son mandat), pour qu’on soit
très vite fixé sur la concrétisation de ses intentions. A ce titre les
réactions à ses propos des ministres turcs Egemen Bagis et Ahmet
Davutoglu qui relèvent davantage de l’arrogance traditionnelle de
l’ottomanisme plutôt que d’une inclinaison à la conciliation devraient
en toute logique très vite se traduire par des avancées dans le
domaine de la législation contre le négationnisme. D’autant que,
soutenu également par la gauche qui vient de remporter la majorité au
Sénat, il ne devrait plus y avoir désormais le moindre obstacle
politique pour combattre ce fléau et défendre ainsi la mémoire des
victimes, la dignité de leurs descendants, et ce sans compter la
sécurité de l’Arménie. Car – faut-il le rappeler ? -, le négationnisme
ne constitue pas seulement une continuation du génocide par d’autres
moyens, mais procède aussi d’une prédisposition à la récidive.
Il est clair, et ça relève de l’intérêt général, que la France plus
encore que tout autre pays européen milite pour une normalisation des
relations turco-arméniennes. Mais, en ayant affirmé « qu’il ne peut
pas y avoir de réconciliation durable sur la contestation des
souffrances (…), sur la négation de faits historiques », le
président s’est montré aujourd’hui trop conscient de la réalité des
enjeux pour se laisser abuser par de nouvelles man`uvres dilatoires.«
Le temps n’est pas infini », et « de 1915-2011, c’est suffisant pour
la réflexion » a-t-il en outre déclaré. On veut donc vraiment croire
pour l’ensemble des Français d’origine arménienne, qui sont à bout de
patience, qu’ils touchent enfin au but pour obtenir, si ce n’est la
justice, du moins une forme légale de protection. On veut vraiment y
croire.

Ara Toranian
dimanche 9 octobre 2011,
Ara ©armenews.com

The Kingston Whig-Standard, Ontario
Oct 8 2011

Armenian delight

By Greg Burliuk

>From the Paris opera to singing an eerie soundtrack on Lord of the
Rings, Isabel Bayrakdarian has done it all. Now Kingston audiences
will get to see another side of the four-time Juno Award winner.

She will perform folk songs from her native Armenia as well as from
the tango when she appears with the Amici Chamber Ensemble on Sunday
at Grant Hall as the opener for the Queen’s Performing Arts Office
series. The Amicis are acclaimed, having also won a Juno. The trio’s
pianist, Serouj Kradjian, is married to the singer.

“This concert is an integral part of who I am,” says Bayrakdarian, who
lives in Toronto. “My interests are varied but this concert represents
an extension of who I am and what I love to sing. Usually people are
used to hearing me sing opera or classical music in concert.

“I have a strong sense of possessiveness about these folk songs. I
feel very free in how I colour the words and with my interpretation of
them.”

In the first half of the concert, the singer will perform folk songs
collected by the Armenian composer Father Gomidas. “Some of the songs
I have sung since I was a child and others I have just learned,” says
Bayrakdarian. “Gomidas collected the songs from different villages and
distilled them in classical arrangements. So many of the songs were
lost during the Armenian genocide (which began in 1915 and is said to
have resulted in the deaths of more than a million people).

“One of my favourites is the song Dear Maral, which is one of the more
recent ones I have learned. It’s a story of love lost.”

The Amicis have also investigated Armenian music. Their most recent
CD, Armenian Chamber Music, was nominated for a 2011 Juno. At the
concert, the group (whose other members are clarinetist Joaquin
Valdepenas and cellist David Heatherington) will perform three
selections from that CD. One of them is called Elegy for Restive Souls
and was composed by Kradjian. “It was written in 2008 to commemorate
the Armenian earthquake which decimated most of Northern Armenia,”
says Kradjian. “I was a kid growing up in Canada and I remember this
one picture of a clock in the middle of a destroyed town. It had
stopped at exactly 11:43, which was when the earthquake hit.

“I went back there many years later and there were still traces of it
and still homeless people after 20 years. The 17 minutes of the
composition is a description of the chaos and sadness and struggle of
that time but it ends on a note of rebirth.”

The two other pieces to be performed by the Ensemble are Arno
Babadjanian’s Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano, and Alexander
Arutiunian’s Suite for Clarinet, Violin and Piano. The latter is still
an active composer at the age of 92.

When asked to characterize Armenian music, Kradjian said, “Armenia is
at the crossroads of Asia and Europe so it has rhythmic and melodic
structure from both. It also borrows from Armenian folk music. In my
piece, I used elements of liturgical music, which is also heavily
present.”

The concert will end with two pieces of tango music performed by
singer and ensemble. The works are Carlos Gardel’s El Dia Que Me
Quieras and Kurt Weil’s Youkali. “I lived in Spain for a few years so
that’s where I came to love the tangos,” says Bayrakdarian. “They are
the people’s expression. I love the way they express raw human
emotions. They are sungs that are meant to be sung and enjoyed by all
people.”

One of the singer’s more unusual assignments was learning to sing in
Elfish as part of the soundtrack for the Lord of the Rings: Two
Towers. “After I made my debut at the Paris Opera, I had four days off
and I went to the Abbey Road Studio in London where the Beatles
recorded,” she says. “I got to see still unedited clips of footage
because we had to match the voice to the footage.

“They wanted a very ethereal sound that could be made by a woman or a
boy. It was other worldly but it was a lot of fun to do.”

Sportinglife.com
Oct 8 2011

TRAPATTONI UNSURPRISED BY ARMENIA

Giovanni Trapattoni insists he has not been taken by surprise by
Armenia’s barnstorming finish to the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

The free-scoring Armenians stand between Trapattoni’s Republic of
Ireland and a place in the play-offs in Dublin on Tuesday night after
Russia effectively ended their hopes of snatching automatic
qualification.

Should the Russians beat Andorra, who lost 2-0 to Ireland in the
Pyrenees on Friday night, in Moscow on Tuesday, even victory for the
Irish will secure only second place in Group B.

Barring a shock of monumental proportions, Trapattoni’s men seem
likely to have to be satisfied with yet another play-off adventure,
and a point against Armenia would keep the group’s dark horses at bay.

The Armenians, who lost 1-0 at home to Ireland in the first round of
qualifiers in September last year, have won each of their last three
games, against Andorra, Slovakia and Macedonia, and scored 11 goals in
the process.

But asked if he had been surprised by their late surge, Trapattoni
said: “No. Maybe if you know the players who play for Armenia, it is
not a surprise.

“The Armenian players play in strong leagues, and some of our players
play in the Championship.

“If you think about it, it is no surprise.

“We must play with 100% mentality and 100% attitude and 100%
concentration, and be careful of silly mistakes.

“We are in this position because of one or two silly mistakes against
Russia, for example.

“Armenia is a very, very strong team. They have scored more goals than
us and we must pay very, very much attention.”

The 72-year-old Italian will send his team into their final group game
with his own future still undecided amid speculation that he will be
offered an extended contract should he guide them to the play-offs.

However, as his second qualifying campaign draws to a close – the
first ended in a controversial aggregate defeat by France which denied
him a trip to the World Cup in South Africa – Trapattoni is confident
significant progress has been made.

He said: “At this stage, I hope I have succeeded in instilling a
mentality in our players.

“Unfortunately, I am quite demanding because in the past, I have built
this mentality with teams I have previously managed.

“I am very pleased with our way, but we can improve again.

“Yesterday evening, I said we want to look at Manchester United.
Obviously, we do not have the players of Manchester United, but with
their mentality, with attitude, with balance, I think we can achieve.”

Ireland’s Rugby World Cup exit was unfolding as Trapattoni and his
players touched down in Dublin during the early hours of on Saturday
morning following a gruelling trip back from Andorra.

Trapattoni said: “I am sorry that Ireland lost in rugby against Wales
because Brian O’Driscoll and his team are our friends and we wished
them to do well.

“But sport is sport and it teaches us that when we have the right
mentality, we can achieve every result.”

The nation had been swathed in optimism in the run-up to the
quarter-final, but as O’Driscoll and his team-mates prepare to head
home, attention will turn to their football counterparts once again.

However, that is a pressure Trapattoni is happy to take on.

He said: “In the first qualifying campaign for the World Cup, we
deserved to achieve the minimum of a play-off place.

“You saw the games against France and with a bit of luck – or without
bad luck – we could have achieved this.

“We feel this pressure. No, it’s not pressure, it is commitment.”

Skipper Robbie Keane was on Saturday undergoing a scan on a sore
adductor muscle, but only as a precautionary measure, while Stoke
striker Jonathan Walters, who did not travel to Andorra because of an
ankle problem, has now joined up with the squad.

Left-back Stephen Ward is suspended for Tuesday’s game as a result of
his second booking of the competition, but Richard Dunne is available
after completing his ban.

Agence France Presse
October 7, 2011 Friday 7:44 PM GMT

‘Peacemaker’ Sarkozy admonishes Russia and Turkey

TBILISI, Oct 7 2011

French President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Russia on Friday of
threatening Georgia and also drew swords with Turkey during a
whistle-stop tour of the Caucasus that played up his commitment to
rights issues.

Seeking to portray himself as a peacemaker during the three-nation
trip, Sarkozy — who brokered the deal to end the 2008 Georgia-Russia
war — told thousands of cheering Georgians that Moscow was still
intimidating its defeated neighbour.

“France sees Russia as its friend, as a strategic partner. But to
restore confidence, threats, intimidation, threats and attempts to
destabilise (the situation) are fully unacceptable,” he told the
receptive Freedom Square crowd.

Georgia accuses Russia of violating the peace agreement by not pulling
its troops back to pre-war positions and “occupying” the rebel
provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Moscow recognised as
independent states after the 2008 conflict.

In comments likely to irritate the Kremlin, which says its troops in
the provinces are there to protect them from Georgia, Sarkozy said
Russia must withdraw its forces and fulfill its “word and honour”.

“Against all strategic logic and contrary to undertaken commitments,
significant military forces are still stationed and were reinforced at
your (Georgia’s) door, on the other side of the dividing lines,” he
told the flag-waving crowd.

Using firm language that echoed the recent split with the Kremlin over
action in Libya and Syria, Sarkozy said that Russia must stop the
Soviet-era practice of bossing sovereign territories that once
answered to Moscow.

“Everyone must admit that the Soviet Union does not exist anymore and
that a policy of spheres of influence is not intended to succeed it,”
he said, adding that Georgia should be able to express its aspirations
to join the EU and NATO.

The French leader — who is expected to seek re-election despite
current difficulties at home — also courted controversy in Armenia by
demanding that Turkey recognise the World War I-era massacres of
Armenians as genocide before his first term ends next year.

“From 1915 to 2011, it seems to be enough (time) for reflection,” he
said in Yerevan.

Turkey, which denies genocide, responded with fury.

“It would be better… if Monsieur Sarkozy abandons the role of
historian and puts his mind to getting his country out of the economic
gulf in which it finds itself,” said Ankara’s European Affairs
Minister Egemen Bagis.

Armenia and Turkey have gone through decades of hostility over the
Ottoman empire massacres, but Sarkozy said “the time has come to find
the path of lasting peace”, citing the example of France and Germany
after World War II.

He warned that if Turkey did not make a “gesture of peace” and a “step
towards reconciliation”, he would consider proposing the adoption of a
law criminalising denial of the killings as genocide.

Armenians say that up to 1.5 million of their kin fell victim to
genocide, but Turkey counters that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at
least as many Turks died in civil strife.

The French leader previously angered Ankara ahead of his election in
2007 by backing a law aimed at prosecuting those who refused to
recognise the massacres as genocide.

France’s lower house of parliament later rejected the measure,
infuriating the Armenian diaspora in France estimated at around
500,000 people.

During his visit, Sarkozy also urged Armenia and the third country on
his Caucasus tour, Azerbaijan, to reinvigorate their stalled peace
process over Nagorny Karabakh — the focus of a bitter unresolved
conflict that erupted into war in the 1990s, leaving some 30,000 dead.

In Baku, he encouraged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to “move
towards peace in the region”, which he said was “possible”, a French
presidency official told AFP.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders both welcomed Sarkozy’s
involvement, but on the eve of his arrival three soldiers were killed
on the front line in a sign of continuing tensions over mountainous
Karabakh, which Armenian separatists backed by Yerevan seized from
Azerbaijan during the war.

pa-emc/zak/gk

Agence France Presse
October 7, 2011 Friday 1:40 PM GMT

Turkish ministers rebuff Sarkozy over Armenia ‘genocide’

ANKARA, Oct 7 2011

Turkey rejected French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s call Friday for it
to recognise the World War I-era massacres of Armenians as genocide.

“It would be better … if Monsieur Sarkozy abandons the role of
historian and puts his mind to getting his country out of the economic
gulf in which it finds itself and comes up with plans for the future
of the European Union,” European Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis said.

“Our mission, as politicians, is not to define the past or past
events. It is to define the future,” he added on a visit to Sarajevo,
quoted by the

Anatolia news agency.

Bagis accused Sarkozy of exploiting the Armenia question for electoral
reasons, saying, “he probably adopted this stance after being
frightened by the latest opinion polls in France.”

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also accused Sarkozy of “political
opportunism” linked to French presidential elections next year.

“Those who tell Turkey to reconcile with its past should first look in
a mirror,” he said, referring to France’s colonial past.

Earlier Friday, Sarkozy urged Turkey to recognise, within a “very
brief” period, the 1915 massacres of Armenians under Turkish Ottoman
rule as genocide.

“From 1915 to 2011, it seems to be enough (time) for reflection,”
Sarkozy told reporters in Yerevan on the second day of his visit to
Armenia.

On Thursday, he had urged Turkey to “revisit its history” calling its
refusal to recognise the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
as genocide as “unacceptable”.

French Interior Minister Claude Gueant, in Ankara to sign a security
agreement, told journalists not to “overinterpret” Sarkozy’s remarks,
saying he had set Turkey no deadline.

Asked how Paris would react if Turkey were to recognise the colonial
repression in Algeria as genocide, Gueant said Sarkozy had been in
Algeria and expressed himself in strong terms “on this painful moment
of our past.

“He has turned the page.”

Sarkozy already angered Turkey ahead of his election in 2007 by
backing a law aimed at prosecuting those who denied genocide, although
the French lower house of parliament later rejected the measure.

The Armenian diaspora in France is estimated at around 500,000 people.

Armenians say that up to 1.5 million of their kin fell victim to
genocide during World War I under the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey counters that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many
Turks died in civil strife when Armenians rose up against their
Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian forces.

Gueant earlier signed an accord under which France and Turkey would
cooperate in cracking down on separatist militants of the Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK).

nc-ba-ms/mlr

EuroNews, France
Oct 7 2011

Sarkozy’s foreign policy trip turns sour with Turkey

In what appear to be comments made for a domestic audience in an
election year, the French president has managed to annoy both Turkey
and Russia in the last 24 hours.

In Armenia Nicolas Sarkozy told the Turks off for brushing what he
called the “genocide” of Turkey’s Armenians under the carpet. Turkey’s
foreign minister was quick to react.
“I consider such remarks as political opportunism and unfortunately
such political opportunism comes out of Europe whenever there is an
upcoming election. It would be more beneficial for world peace if
France confronts its own history first, especially its history with
African nations,” said Ahmet Davutoglu.

Sarkozy has said Turkish failure to recognise the genocide is one
reason why he does not support full Turkish membership of the EU.

Going on to Georgia Sarkozy then proceeded to accuse Russia of not
repecting the terms of the 2008 peace deal which he brokered. He also
called on the Georgians to improve their relations with Moscow.

He is also visiting Azerbaijan on a two-day tour of the Caucasus,
where he will attempt to continue brokering talks with Armenia over
the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

APA, Azerbaijan
Oct 7 2011

Charles Aznavour: `Armenia can not move forward being focused on the
`genocide’ term’

[ 07 Oct 2011 11:40 ]
`Armenia is suffering; it is getting emptier day by day. I hear
terrible stories about mafias’

Baku – APA. Renowned chansonnier and Armenian Ambassador to
Switzerland Charles Aznavour expressed interesting ideas about the
`Armenian genocide’, migration and Armenian-Turkey relations in an
interview with `Nouvelles d’Arménie’. Answering the question
concerning his thoughts about the genocide in TV program Vivement
Dimanche, Aznavour said that this issue tired him. `We can not move
forward in that way. Which country will sacrifice its interests to
protect Armenians? There’s no such country. France had recognized the
genocide, but that’s its only step. No country will ever support us’.
`The dream of Arabs, who’ve started a revolution, was to have Kemalist
government, which, basically, plays into Turkey’s hands. Ankara, a G20
member already, gets increasingly richer, with an EU membership only a
matter of time. Whereas, Armenia is suffering; it is getting emptier
day by day. Thousands of unfortunate people will scatter around the
world. And what we are doing now is acting against Turks, and focusing
on the term genocide’, Aznavour said and added that Armenia cannot
move forward, being focused on the genocide term.

`Armenia is facing a serious threat, with everybody focused on the
term genocide. I don’t understand how it is possible to move the
country forward in that way. Where are my critics? What do they do to
help Armenia? When do they send money to Armenia? Are they to teach
me? I must teach them’, Aznavour said.
Touching upon the migration problem of the Armenians, Aznavour said
nothing was done to help the people in Armenia. `I hear terrible
stories about mafias. They must be executed’.
The singer said inflated figures have been reported about the number
of Armenia’s population. `How many people stay in the country? They
say there are 2.3 million. Officials show 3.6 million, but it is not
true. The number of population will decline to 1.8 million in a short
time and then to one million. Do we ask Chinese to help us in this
condition?’
Aznavour said he wished the Turkish-Armenian borders to be opened
soon. `I want reconciliation. Turks must recognize the events. But I
don’t consider the term genocide important. What will this term change
for me?’
Aznavour considers that if Turkey doesn’t want use the term genocide,
it must accept it as a massacre.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Oct 7 2011

Sarcozy’s statement may affect Turkish-Armenian relations: Turkish FM
7 October 2011, 16:26 (GMT+05:00) Azerbaijan , Baku, Oct. 7 / Trend E.Kosolapova

The statement of French President Nicolas Sarkozy may affect the
Turkish-Armenian relations, which are quite vulnerable even now,
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu said, Anadolu agency
reported.

According to Davutoglu, this is in an incorrect statement, which
reflects France’s internal policy.

Visiting the memorial dedicated to the memory of victims of the
so-called ‘genocide’ in Armenia French President Nicolas Sarkozy said
France will take appropriate action unless Turkey recognizes the
“Armenian genocide” by the end of 2011.

Earlier, Turkey’s European Union Minister Egemen Bagis stressed that
French President Nicolas Sarkozy must deal with internal problems of
his country, and not act like historians.

Bagis added that Sarkozy’s statement is aimed at improving his own ranking.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Oct 7 2011

French President: OSCE Minsk Group to double efforts to resolve
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

7 October 2011, 13:15 (GMT+05:00) Azerbaijan , Baku, Oct. 7 / Trend E.
Tariverdiyeva /

Speaking about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, French President Nicolas
Sarkozy said during his visit to Yerevan that France, the U.S and
Russia are ready to double their efforts to resolve the problem
peacefully.

“I will take this message of peace to Azerbaijan ,” he said.

The French and Armenian Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Serzh Sargsyan
inaugurated the statue of “Jules Bastien Lepage” by the famous French
sculptor Auguste Rodin in Yerevan today.

France presented the statue to Armenia in connection with the 20th
anniversary of independence.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are
currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

RUSSIA’S ACTIVITY DOESN’T CONTRADICT TO FRANCE
Igor Muradyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 18:51:14 – 07/10/2011

After the utter failure of Russia’s attempts to play a key role in
the handover of the territories of the Lowlands of Karabakh, the
United States and France got the “right” to “stretch the blanket”
on themselves and launch new devices in the process of settlement of
the Karabakh issue. In addition, the United States is not interested
in demonstrating its activity in this issue.

The main goal of the United States has been achieved. Russia has a
secondary role now, and the Americans have a more large-scope issue –
to form anew the logistic scheme from the Black Sea to China.

France has every chance to act as a neutral power in the South
Caucasus, at the same time, representing the European Union. However,
the problem is not the Karabakh issue. Europe is trying to establish
itself as a more imposing force and is making efforts to work out
and achieve its key political and economic goals. In addition, France
believes that it is time to change the West’s approach to and policy
on the South Caucasus, which means “neutralization” of the policy
and position of the countries of the region.

The status quo is the basis of Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan, which means
that the main goal is not settlement of the conflict but security. The
United States and Russia cannot support this plan, which are, in fact,
also interested in this approach on the condition that the balance
of power and interests in the region will be ensured.

For Russia, this role of France is extremely important because it
allows hoping for the exclusion of the United States from regional
conflicts. Therefore, it is simply meaningless to consider rivalry
between France and Russia in the region. Certainly, Russia will be
following attentively the policy of France but this policy will never
be in line with the Russian interests.

At the same time, an important circumstance of the French policy
speaks not only about the economic but also geopolitical goals of
France. Armenia is viewed by the French from the same point of view
as by the Americans, in other words, as a factor for restraining
Turkey’s regional expansion, considering the synthetic importance of
the Armenian factor not only in the Caucasian but also in the European
direction. The United States and France have no detailed agreements
on the goal of restraining Turkey but these two great powers cannot
have no agreements regarding the Turkish policy.

In this case, however, the problem is not agreements but the fact that
France is conducting an independent policy of restraining Turkey,
and the complex of the Armenian problems is a key instrument in
the French policy in this direction. Therefore, Armenia needs to
understand its role more thoroughly in this long-term situation and
try to get certain support in various spheres, including defense and
security because this role in the region will not lead to increase
of the level of its security.

In addition, the economic issues are concerned. For instance,
is transportation of gas from Iran to Europe via Armenia, Georgia
and Black Sea organized realistically? The question occurs whether
France is ready to understand and make those efforts or delegates
responsibility for security to Russia.