Author: nina hovnanian

I DON’T KNOW A JEW, WHO DOESN’T RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: ANNA AZARI

10:05, 20 June, 2014

YEREVAN, JUNE 20, ARMENPRESS. The Deputy Director General of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Head of the Eurasia Department,
Ambassador Anna Azari arrived in Yerevan to participate in the
diplomatic and political consultations between the Foreign Ministries
of the two countries. In a conversation with “Armenpress”, Anna Azari
introduced the agenda of the consultations and her assessment of the
Armenian-Israeli relations.

– You arrived in Armenia and held consultations with the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. It’s known that the
issue of visa facilitation between the two countries has been under
discussion. What other issues have been discussed at the meeting?

– We tried to discuss a row of issues. We introduced the current
issues in the Near East from our perspective: the Armenian colleagues
introduced the regional issues. Soon we’ll sign an agreement on the
contract without visa regime. First the agreement will be in force
for the diplomats. The second significant issue we were negotiating
about was the Customs Union’s issue. Armenia will join the Customs
Union soon, and Israel has start negotiations on the cooperation
with that union. If we also sign it, it will give a new impetus to
our cooperation.

– Recently, the Israeli Parliament has elected a new President –
Reuven Rivlin, who had urged the Knesset to recognize the Armenian
Genocide for a number of times. Can we be hopeful that Israel will
join the countries recognizing the Armenian Genocide by the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide?

– I don’t want to give you great hopes, because President Rivlin
has talked about the Armenian Genocide for a number of times and,
naturally, he will defend the bill on recognition, but anyway it’s the
Prime Minister, not the Presidents, who decides important political
issues. I can say that you have a good friend in the political elite
of Israel. It’s noteworthy that I don’t know anyone, who does not
recognize the Armenian Genocide. But on the state level… The matter
is that we solve a row of strategic issues for the existence of the
state and we officially don’t recognize and I don’t see a hope in
coming future that Israel will recognize the Armenian Genocide.

(THE FULL VERSION FO THE INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)

Interview by Hasmik Harutyunyan

TWO ARMENIAN SOLDIERS KILLED AT AZERBAIJANI BORDER

12:35 20.06.2014

Two Armenian soldiers were killed at the border with Azerbaijan on
June 19 and 20Spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Defense Artsrun
Hovhannisyan told news.am.

The first incident took place at the military positions in one of the
military units of NKE, the other – in Ararat province. The names of
the soldiers are not known.

The Spokesman said that according to preliminary version, the soldiers
were killed by the rival’s bullet.

ZIYAFAT ASGAROV: “THE ARMENIAN DELEGATION REPORTS THAT THEY ARE ALLEGEDLY HARASSED AND KEPT IN PRISON-LIKE CONDITIONS HERE”

APA, Azerbaijan
June 18 2014

[ 18 Juny 2014 13:54 ]

Baku. Mubariz Aslanov – APA. “The Armenian delegation transmitted
information to Armenia from Baku that they are allegedly harassed, not
allowed to make speeches and generally kept in prison-like conditions
in Azerbaijan,” First Vice-Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament,
Head of the Azerbaijani Delegation to the NATO PA Ziyafat Asgarov
said at the NATO PA 86th Rose-Roth Seminar titled “South Caucasus:
Challenges and Opportunities”, APA reports.

He said it was revealed how the Armenian MPs transmitted this
information: “However, what have the participants witnessed? The
Armenian MPs are acting as freely in Baku as they aren’t in Armenia.

They are talking about whatever they want, even interrupting
others’ speeches, walking around Baku freely. Apparently, the aim of
provocative information transmitted by the Armenians is completely
different and disgusting”.

Asgarov recalled the Armenians’ pressure on the Azerbaijani
parliamentarians at the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Black Sea Economic Cooperation held in Yerevan last year: “The
Azerbaijani MPs were not allowed to deliver speeches at that seminar”.

AZERBAIJAN, ISRAEL ENJOY SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION IN NUMBER OF FIELDS

Azer News, Azerbaijan
June 19 2014

19 June 2014, 12:14 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova

Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan Rafael Harpaz has visited the
country’s Ganja district.

During the trip, the diplomat met head of the Ganja City Executive
Authorities Elmar Valiyev.

Valiyev stressed the importance of the Azerbaijani-Israeli ties, and
briefed the ambassador on socio-political life and economy of the city.

Harpaz, in turn, said Azerbaijan was a friendly country for Israel. He
noted that Israel attached great importance to cooperation with
Azerbaijan in all spheres.

The diplomat said Azerbaijan, including Ganja, was home to nearly
30,000 Jews. He thanked the Azerbaijani government for the creation
of all conditions for their normal life.

The envoy noted that Azerbaijan and Israel enjoyed successful
cooperation in a number of fields, in particular agriculture,
healthcare and science.

Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Harpaz
said his country recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and
supported peaceful solution to the dispute.

Following the meeting, the diplomat was presented with keepsakes.

Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Israel were established
in April 1992.

Azerbaijan and Israel are focusing on many areas, and the four areas
that relevant are telecommunications, agriculture, water supply and
medical technologies.

Israel recently discovered gas fields onshore and intends to use the
experience of Azerbaijan in this regard. Israel is also willing to
assist Azerbaijan in the diversification of its economy.

Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee has reported the trade turnover
between Azerbaijan and Israel in 2013 reached $1.28 billion.

Azerbaijan exported $1.26 billion worth of products to Israel last
year, while Israel’s exports to Azerbaijan amounted to $17.59 million.

ARAZ AZIMOV: “I THINK IT’S NOT TOO BAD THAT THE ARMENIANS CAME TO BAKU AND SAW WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE”

APA, Azerbaijan
June 19 2014

[ 19 Juny 2014 15:51 ]

Baku. Aynur Aliyeva – APA. “Armenian MPs showed their true colors
during the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s 86th Rose-Roth seminar in
Baku. It didn’t take us by surprise, because we know them.

But they also unmasked themselves before international community and
parliament representatives of NATO’s member countries”, said Deputy
FM Araz Azimov, APA reports.

According to Azimov, the Armenians’ participation in the seminar,
on the other hand, has been quite useful and important: “They have
seen and understood something when they were here in Baku”.

Araz Azimov thinks that increase in the number of Armenians thinking
differently is essential: “A kind of solidarity built upon the fascist
concept on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is currently dominating in
Armenia. But this solidarity stems from fear, it has no other name.

This is a negative case. There needs to be more Armenians who are
thinking of living peacefully with Azerbaijan and looking for ways to
make it a reality. Therefore, it’s not too bad if one or two Armenians
come to Baku, eat, stay and see what’s happening here”.

SPEECH BY RUSSIAN FM LAVROV DURING JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE IN BAKU

States News Service
June 18, 2014 Wednesday

SPEECH BY THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEY LAVROV, AND HIS ANSWERS
TO QUESTIONS FROM THE MASS MEDIA DURING THE JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE
SUMMARISING THE RESULTS OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN, ELMAR MAMMADYAROV, BAKU,
18 JUNE 2014

MOSCOW, Russia

The following information was released by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Russian Federation:

1461-18-06-2014

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We had very valuable negotiations with Elmar Mammadyarov. Azerbaijan
is our strategic partner. We are developing our relations on the basis
of the principles of friendship, neighbourliness, equality and mutual
benefit. These principles have shaped our relationship over the ages;
we should multiply and transfer them to future generations.

Our cooperation is developing intensively not only in the bilateral
format, but also in different multilateral areas, including stability
and security problems in the South Caucasus and in the Caspian region.

As Elmar Mammadyarov has said, our work is based on the agreements
reached, when the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin,
visited Azerbaijan in August 2013. There is an intensive exchange
of delegations – a series of events with participation of Russian
representatives of executive and legislative power are scheduled
for June in Azerbaijan. A reciprocal flow of delegations is sent
to Russia as well. The Russian-Azerbaijani regional forum will be
held in Gabala in the near future, where 200 representatives from 25
constituent entities of the Russian Federation will participate. The
Baku international humanitarian forum, which is held under patronage
of presidents of our two countries, is scheduled for this October. We
noted with satisfaction that the preparations are going well.

We have set up regular dialogue on regional and international
problems. We touched upon the situation in the Nagorny Karabakh
settlement. We welcomed the meeting between the presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan in Vienna last autumn. We noted the efforts of the
co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group to promote the formalisation of the
understanding reached between the presidents. The quicker we coordinate
the sequence of practical steps, which will allow the deescalation
of the situation and come to a sustainable settlement, the better it
is for Armenia, Azerbaijan and the entire Caucasian region.

We touched upon the situation in Ukraine. Tragic events are happening
there – people are dying in the area of military actions, your
colleague journalists are dying, as happened yesterday with two VGTRK
correspondents. We express our condolences and confirm our solidarity
with all those who are working in the zone of military actions. We
believe that it is another signal for an immediate cease fire and
de-escalate the situation and begin negotiations on the basis of the
propositions, which are included into the Geneva Statement of the 17
April and the “roadmap” of the Current OSCE President.

We exchanged opinions on the situation in the Middle East – in Syria,
Iraq and area around these countries – because, firstly, we are close
to this troubled region, and, secondly, international terrorism has
raised its head there now, and those who join its troops will not
stop at promoting their harmful plans only there. This is our common
task, because it is a threat for everybody – for Russia, Azerbaijan
and Europe. We agreed to activate contacts in all the directions for
the purposes of counter-terrorism.

We reviewed the problems of the Caspian cooperation in the context of
preparations for the 4th Caspian summit, which is scheduled for the
end of September in Astrakhan. We discussed the course of preparation
of the final documents of this important event.

We agreed to extend our cooperation within the framework of
international organisations – the UN, the OSCE, and the Council of
Europe where Azerbaijan is a president in the Ministerial Committee.

We expect there to be close cooperation in other multilateral formats
as well.

I am quite satisfied with the results of the negotiations and express
sincere gratitude to my colleague and friend for his traditional
hospitality.

Question: In the near future the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada is going
to turn to the President Petro Poroshenko asking him to introduce a
martial law in the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions. In
your opinion, how will it affect the situation in the region, and
won’t it lead to the de-escalation, of which they are talking so much?

Furthermore, could our please comment on the information that Petro
Poroshenko proposes a unilateral cease fire to let the separatists,
as he calls them, in the East of Ukraine lay down their weapons.

Sergey Lavrov: As to the idea to introduce a martial law, I do not
see how it can lead to de-escalation. On the contrary, the martial
law is introduced to give a free hand for the authorities, to rely
on the brutal military force even more to suppress protests in the
South-East. Therefore, I expect that the Verkhovna Rada will be
reasonable, although, I repeat, nothing can be excluded. We have
seen many manifestations of unimaginable aggression from the current
Ukrainian leaders.

The same concerns the unilateral cease fire. If the aim of this
initiative is to make the cease fire comprehensive, so that the
insurgents, protesting against the authorities, could show their good
will; if negotiations followed, representatives of the South-East
were invited to them, then I guess it would be the step, which the
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko promised to make and which we
are waiting from him so much. Or everything is formulated like a
unilateral cease fire for a certain period, to let the insurgents lay
down their weapons, and then, as Kiev promised (they are conflicting
in their strong statements) to put them into prison for life. I heard
of another variant, that such a temporary cease fire is required to
let the “separatists” leave the territory of Ukraine. This is close
to ethnic cleansing, if it is proposed that Russian-speaking and
ethnically Russian population leave the country and if the authorities
do not want to consider their legal obligations towards them. I also
read a reprint of one of Ukrainian newspapers, that the parallel plan
is to resettle up to 250,000 of Ukrainian nationals from western
regions to the South-East. You know, this is undoubtedly serious
social engineering.

If it is true, then such intents are contrary to the trends of the
modern European civilisation, which consist in the need for everybody
to live and have respect for ethnic, language, cultural, humanitarian
and religious traditions. If we talk about European values, then the
way the Ukrainian representatives conducted negotiations about gas
– exclusively based on ultimatums, showing no negotiation culture –
they did this in an un-European way. This is probably is the behaviour
of those, who believe that they are exclusive or their patrons are
exclusive. This is where the all-permissiveness is born. These are
links of one chain: both the absolutely outrageous uncompromising
ultimatum position at negotiations, and intents to resolve the conflict
in the South-East by introducing a martial law or using ultimatums
against their nationals.

Question: Russia is inviting Azerbaijan to join the EurAsEC. How
will the conflict in the Nagorny Karbakh be resolved within this
organisation, if Azerbaijan joins it?

Sergey Lavrov (answers after Elmar Mammadyarov): There was no formal
invitation to Azerbaijan to join the Customs Union or the created
Eurasian Economic Union. However, in the contacts between our leaders,
when they touched upon the topic of economic cooperation, we always
noted that we will be pleased to have any partner who shows interest
in becoming closer to the Customs Union and later the Eurasian
Economic Union.

The Nagorny Karabakh problem has nothing to do with the process of
the Eurasian economic integration, which are currently taking place
between Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, and very soon Armenia, after
respective documents are signed. These processes are taking place in
the territories of the states, which are members of the Customs Union.

Nagorny Karabakh is not such a state, it is a subject matter of
international negotiations, which are conducted based on a range of
principles, which were agreed between the parties. Armenia already
announced its participation in the WTO within the framework of
the borders recognised by the UN, it does not pretend to have any
other borders. The same will take place with regard to the Eurasian
Economic Union.

“SYRIAN ARMENIAN COMMUNITY MAY DISAPPEAR”: POLITICIAN (VIDEO)

12:48 | June 19,2014 | Politics

“Terrorist activities in Iraq may have great influence on Armenia,”-
is sure politician Gagik Hambaryan.

According to him, Islamists victory in Iraq may cause the elimination
of Armenian community in Syria, “The main reason of Turkish
intervention in Syrian civil war is to eliminate Armenian population.

That is the reason that ethnic cleansing is carried out in the
territories conquered by the terrorists and Armenian churches are
desecrated.

Mr. Hambaryan notes that the elimination of Syrian Armenian community
is a harm not only to Armenia, but all Christian world, “Armenians
are among those little nations, which are presented in the Middle
East as Diaspora and the elimination of the community is a big
blow to Christians, at the same time Syrian Armenians big flow will
start into Armenia, but our country is not able to provide even its
citizens from the social- political aspect. I also must note that
after Islamists victory, Turkey will get stronger not only in the
Middle East but also in Arab world, which is not beneficial for us,”-
summed up the politician.

ARMENIA-GEORGIA: PREZ SARGSYAN SEES PROSPECTS FOR BOTH NATIONS IN DIFFERENT INTEGRATION PROCESSES

NEWS | 19.06.14 | 10:09

President Serzh Sargsyan believes that the engagement of Armenia and
Georgia in different integration processes in fact creates more mutual
opportunities for the two neighboring countries’ business communities.

The Armenian leader voiced this opinion in a statement to the media in
Tbilisi after talks with his Georgian counterpart Georgi Margvelashvili
on Wednesday.

As quoted by his press service, President Sargsyan, in particular,
said: “We, of course, addressed Armenia’s participation in the
unfolding integration processes in the Eurasian region. We presented
to our Georgian colleagues the work that we have already done in this
direction and our future programs, in particular, in this context of
the prospect of mutually beneficial economic cooperation with Georgia.”

“I am deeply convinced that Georgia, by signing on June 27 the
Association Agreement [with the European Union] and becoming part of
the Free Trade Agreement, creates an opportunity for the Armenian
businessmen who see their participation in the European market, to
invest in Georgia and I see the opposite – after Armenia’s accession
to the Customs Union a prospect of making investments in Armenia will
open for those Georgian businessmen, who have or may have a market
in the Russian Federation or other countries of the Customs Union,”
Sargsyan emphasized.

WAR AND GENOCIDE: THE GALLIPOLI/DARDANELLES CAMPAIGN AND THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

By MassisPost
Updated: June 16, 2014

By Alan Whitehorn

The Entente naval bombardments of the Dardanelles Straits in February
and March and later the amphibious landings at Gallipoli on April
25, 1915 were two interrelated military deployments that gravely
threatened the survival of the Ottoman empire. These military battles,
in turn, are linked to the Young Turk regime’s draconian decision to
arrest several hundred Armenian community and political leaders in
Constantinople on April 24, an act that was an opening phase of the
Armenian Genocide.

In WW I there were several major battle fronts: Western Europe, Eastern
Europe, the Near (Middle) East, and the Caucasus Mountains. In the
East, Russia, as the major ally of Britain and France, was battling
Germany, Austro-Hungary, and the Ottoman empire. Russia’s troops
were engaged in combat from the Baltic Sea in the North, through
Eastern Europe, to the Black Sea and Caucasus Mountains in the
South. The Ottoman-held strategically key Bosporus Straits, linking
the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, were crucial for supplying
Russia with munitions and supplies. However, from the outset of the
war, the Straits had been closed. The British and French fleets blocked
the Dardanelles Straits at the Western end, while the Ottoman empire
mined and controlled the Straits elsewhere.

For a number of British and other Entente strategists, the Ottoman
empire was perceived to be the weak link in the German-centered
military alliance. Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the
British Admiralty, was a forceful advocate of attempting a bold
naval maneuver to break through the lines of Ottoman naval mines,
destroy the shoreline fortresses along the Dardanelles, and sail up
the Straits swiftly and decisively to capture the Ottoman capital of
Constantinople. In so doing, the strategists expected to be able to
knock the Ottoman empire out of the war and strike a key blow against
Germany. Drawing upon an unrivalled history of centuries of dominating
the oceans of the world, the British fleet seemed more than capable
of achieving such a bold and daring naval task.

>From February onwards, the British and French fleets commenced
their naval bombardments and later sought to penetrate the lines of
floating mines. As a result, a state of great apprehension existed in
Constantinople amongst the Young Turk leadership. Plans were made to
abandon the capital city, if need be. However, after several Entente
warships were sunk by mines, the British naval commanders paused, as
they were unwilling to suffer the loss of more major warships. They
opted not to proceed with the operation by sea alone. Instead, they
chose to await for the mounting of a complex amphibious landing at
the rugged shores of Gallipoli.

Preparations to assemble the troops, equipment and supplies were
substantial and had been underway for considerable time. Troops
had been gathered in various locations on the Mediterranean Sea and
eventually were forwarded onto islands near the Dardanelles.

Increasingly, it was clear to Ottoman and German military officials
that a large landing was imminent, although they did not know the
exact location. Two hundred Entente ships and about 75,000 troops
finally left the port of Mudros on April 23. It was the date they
were initially scheduled to land, but were, in fact, delayed due to
poor weather conditions. Two days later on April 25. British, French,
Australian, and New Zealand troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula
that guarded the entrance to the Dardanelles. An epic new land front
was now opened.

In between the night that the Entente fleet had left Mudros and the
day prior to their military landings in Gallipoli took place, the
Young Turk regime rapidly implemented one of the opening phases of the
Armenian Genocide. Working with already drawn up lists of the names of
prominent Armenians, the police and military arrested several hundred
Armenian community and political leaders in Constantinople throughout
the night of April 24th. It was one day before the British and allied
landings at Gallipoli. War and genocide are often intertwined and
this was particularly evident during the hours between April 24 and
April 25. Would the Armenian community leaders have been arrested at
that time if the Entente ships and troops had not been about to invade?

Certainly, the Armenian community was already being targeted by the
Young Turk nationalist regime. But the secrecy, violence, and sense
of urgency of major wartime threats made committing such genocidal
deeds more feasible.

Many books and articles written about the military battles at Gallipoli
note the substantial number of military casualties on both sides. For
Australians and New Zealanders these days of battle are heroically
identified with ANZAC Day, a day of national mourning and pride. For
Turkish citizens, it is a battle that saw a rare military victory
in WW I and the emergence of a charismatic Turkish officer Mustafa
Kemal who rallied his troops in defence of the empire and who would
go on to become Ataturk, the founding President of the Republic of
Turkey. Military histories often focus on brilliant commanding officers
and brave, often suffering, soldiers, but usually offer less on the
societal context of the war. However, in the era of modern ‘total
war’ where civilian targets were seen as a key part of a strategy for
victory, incomplete accounts of the totality of war are insufficient.

In most of the writings about Gallipoli, civilian deportations and
casualties are rarely mentioned. Even more disappointing is the
failure to make the important link that the Gallipoli/Dardanelles
campaigns had to one of the key phases of the Armenian Genocide –
a genocide that would lead to the death of approximately 1,500,000
Armenians. The stark fact is that the number of naval and army
personnel who were wounded and died in the Dardanelles and Gallipoli
campaigns pales in comparison to the number of civilians who were
arrested, starved, tortured, and died in the Armenian Genocide –
a genocide that gained significant momentum coinciding with the
Entente landings at Gallipoli. For the Young Turk dictatorship the
two events were linked in key ways. Amidst foreign military peril
and possible Entente military occupation of Constantinople, there
was swift and deadly action to target the Armenian Christian ethnic
minority for genocide.

******

Alan is an emeritus professor of political science at the Royal
Military College of Canada and author of Return to Armenia: Veradardz
depi Hayastan.

ARMENIA TO HOLD CULTURE DAYS OF BELARUS

20:41, 18 June, 2014

YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenia will hold Culture Days of
Belarus on June 23-29 by the initiative of the Culture Ministries of
the Republic of Armenia and Belarus.

The Department of Mass Media and Public Relations of the Culture
Ministry of the Republic of Armenia informed Armenpress that within
the days of culture Days of Belarusian Cinema will be held.

The opening solemn ceremony of the event will take place in “Nairi”
cinema on June 23. The films “Apostles’ tracks”, “Wolves” and “Sniper:
vengeance weapon” will be shown during the days of the Belarusian
Cinema on June 24-29.