Author: nina hovnanian

Washington Post
September 27, 2013 Friday 8:13 PM EST

Standing up to Russia

by Carl Gershman

Former Soviet states are. Will the U.S. join them?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has had some success recently using
his support for the Assad regime in Syria to strengthen Moscow’s
position in the Middle East. But his progress on this front is much
less important than Moscow’s growing troubles in its “near abroad,” as
it refers to the strategically vital area to its immediate west.

In a replay of the classic East-West rivalry of the Cold War, but with
the United States conspicuously on the sidelines, Russia has used
economic and security threats to draw post-communist countries into
its Eurasian Customs Union and to block the European Union’s Eastern
Partnership initiative, which seeks the reform and possible eventual
integration of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and
Ukraine into E.U. structures. Russian pressures have escalated with
the approach of a November summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, at which
several of the countries could sign association or free-trade
agreements with the E.U.

So far only Armenia has buckled under Russian pressure, agreeing to
join the customs union after Moscow, which guarantees Armenia’s
security against neighboring Azerbaijan, signed contracts to provide
Azerbaijan with $4 billion worth of military hardware.

Elsewhere, Moscow’s bullying has backfired. Russia has banned Moldovan
wine, threatened to cut off gas supplies to that republic and warned
that the people of its Russian-occupied separatist enclave of
Transnistria would resist any agreement with the E.U. But Moldova
remains committed to initialing a free-trade agreement with the
European Union in Vilnius, and it has responded to the threat of an
energy boycott by quickly agreeing with Romania to build a pipeline
linking the two countries.

Georgia, for years the target of Russian boycotts and security
threats, is ruled by Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who was
rumored to be less anti-Russian than outgoing President Mikheil
Saakashvili. Yet Georgia, too, is about to initial a free-trade
agreement in Vilnius, signaling that European integration is a
national aspiration, not the choice of any particular party.

Ukraine is the biggest prize, and there Russia’s bullying has been
particularly counter-productive. In addition to the usual economic
threats and trade sanctions, including a ban on the import of
Ukrainian chocolates, Putin offended Ukrainians during a state visit
in July, saying that they and the Russians were a “single people,” and
that the Ukranians had flourished under Soviet rule – totally ignoring
the famine of the early 1930s that Ukrainians call the Holodomor, or
“extermination by hunger.”

In an Independence Day speech at the end of August, Ukrainian
President Viktor Yanukovych called association with the European Union
“an important stimulus for forming a modern European state.” In short
order, Ukraine’s parliament passed reforms required by the E.U.
dealing with such issues as corruption, tariffs and prisons; and the
daughter of Yulia Tymoshenko, the imprisoned former prime minister
whose release the E.U. has insisted on, has said that she hopes her
mother’s freedom might be imminent.

The Russian online newspaper Gazeta.ru said recently that “Blackmail
is the worst possible way of advertising economic cooperation.” But
Russia’s problem is more than tactical. Its post-communist neighbors
prefer the relative dynamism of Europe – with all its debt and growth
problems – to Russia’s stagnant economy, and they have no interest in
sharply raising tariffs, which joining the protectionist Eurasian
Customs Union would require.

The process playing out in Europe has attracted little attention in
the U.S. media or from the Obama administration, which has been mostly
preoccupied with the Middle East and its pivot to Asia. But the
opportunities are considerable, and there are important ways
Washington could help.

The United States needs to engage with the governments and with civil
society in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to ensure that the reform
process underway not only promotes greater trade and development but
also produces governments that are less corrupt and more accountable
to their societies. An association agreement with the European Union
should be seen not as an end in itself but as a starting point that
makes possible deeper reforms and more genuine democracy.

Russian democracy also can benefit from this process. Ukraine’s choice
to join Europe will accelerate the demise of the ideology of Russian
imperialism that Putin represents. There are signs of the emergence of
a new Russian nationalism: the strong performance by opposition leader
Alexei Navalny in Moscow’s recent mayoral election and polls that show
greater opposition to Putin in the Russian provinces, his traditional
support base. This nationalism is concerned not with the restoration
of Russia’s imperial greatness, which would be inconceivable if
Ukraine joined Europe, but with fighting corruption and addressing the
severe economic and social problems of the Russian people.

Russians, too, face a choice, and Putin may find himself on the losing
end not just in the near abroad but within Russia itself.

The writer is president of the National Endowment for Democracy.

Sud Ouest
28 sept 2013

L’Arménie et les harmonies
Les Riches heures de La Réole font résonner patrimoine et musiques
venues parfois de loin.

La Réole, son ancien hôtel de ville construit sous les ordres de
Richard C`ur de lion, ses maisons à colombages, ses hôtels
particuliers du XVIIIe siècle et, depuis 2009, son festival de
musiques anciennes. Conçues par Jean-Christophe Candau, ancien membre
de l’ensemble Organum et actuel directeur artistique de l’ensemble Vox
cantoris, Les Riches heures de La Réole entendent mettre en résonance
le patrimoine historique et architectural de la cité avec une
programmation musicale qui va puiser un millénaire en amont…

Traditions orale et écrite

…et qui reste actuelle, puisque plusieurs concerts de ce week-end sont
dédiés à des musiques encore vivantes aujourd’hui. Une messe corse –
fusion de chant grégorien, de polyphonies médiévales et de chant
traditionnel – est ainsi chantée ce matin (11 heures) à l’église de
Gironde-sur-Dropt, à deux pas de La Réole.

A 15 heures – et à La Réole – c’est ensuite l’ensemble arménien
Goussan qui viendra donner un concert « dans un esprit très jazz, avec
une large part d’improvisation autour d’un matériau écrit », annonce
Jean-Christophe Candau. Et sur des instruments qui sont les cousins du
hautbois et de la vièle occidentaux.

Dimanche, on alternera entre polyphonies vocales basques et occitanes,
avec l’ensemble Vox bigerri (midi), puis corses (ensemble A Cumpagnia)
et venues du comté de Nice (Vox cantoris) à 16 h 30. « Certaines
manières de faire sonner des harmonies en fonction des voix des
chanteurs sont décrites dans des traités du XVIIIe siècle, mais en
Corse cette tradition est restée vivante. D’où l’idée de confronter
les deux. »

Cet aller-retour entre passé et présent nourrit aussi le concert de
l’ensemble Mora vocis, aujourd’hui à 17 h 30, autour d’`uvres de
Hildegarde de Bingen et de compositeurs contemporains qui la tiennent
pour une référence. Compositrice, femme de lettres, médecin, cette
mystique allemande a laissé quelque 70 chants liturgiques qui ne
respectent aucun des codes musicaux en vigueur au XIIe siècle.

Une liberté qu’on devrait retrouver en soirée (21 heures) dans les
sonates de Heinrich Biber (1644-1704) jouées par l’ensemble Les
Dominos, Vox cantoris et la violoniste Florence Malgoire. Celle-ci a
carrément apporté trois violons pour interpréter ces « monuments du
baroque », des pièces qui nécessitent à chaque fois un accordage
différent. « Sur l’une d’elles, les cordes se croisent même pour
former une croix. Vous imaginez la difficulté pour l’interprète… »

Places de 10 à 20 (-12 ans gratuit). Pass à 110 et 150 . 05 56 61
13 55 –

Armavia Armenian Airline Owner Withholding Salaries of Employees Who Sued Him

09.25.2013 20:21 epress.am

Twenty former employees of Armenia’s flag carrier airline Armavia,
which ceased operations in April this year, protested against its
owner, Mikhail Baghdasarov, outside the presidential palace in Yerevan
today.

They claim that Baghdasarov is seeking revenge against them for suing
him and is not paying their salaries, while other employees have
already received their salaries for March and April.
The demonstrators were invited inside the presidential palace, where
they presented their demands.
“They openly told us that Baghdasarov gave the order that we were not
to be paid. We said this at the president’s residence and asked
whether this is considered normal. They told us no, [but] we can’t do
anything [about it]. They say it’s his right. Take the matter to
court,” said one of the demonstrators, Kristine Lazarian.

Note, the 20 protesters have already launched a lawsuit for the
miscalculation of their wages. One court session in this case already
took place, but the defendant did not appear in court.

The demonstrators, while in the presidential palace, also asked about
the dissolution of the Labour Inspectorate, which concerns them as the
department was dealing with their applications of their unpaid
salaries. The president’s staff informed them that the Labour
Inspectorate has not, in fact, been dissolved, but has been absorbed
by the RA Ministry of Healthcare.

Lazarian said they intend to continue their wave of demonstrations,
including one outside the US Embassy in Yerevan, so they can decide
there “to what extent is our country democratic.”

Mark Geragos Calls U.S. Stance on Armenian Genocide Issue Hypocritical
By MassisPost
Updated: September 27, 2013

[image: markgeragos]

NEW YORK – Armenian-American attorney Mark Geragos voiced about the Turkish
strategy of the Armenian Genocide denial and the double standards policy of
the United States in this issue during CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 program
on This week.

The panelist on the program were unanimous to condemned the policy adopted
by Iran regarding the Holocaust of the Jewish people by Nazis. Mark Geragos
reminded the interlocutors that the United States conduct similar policy in
the Armenian Genocide issue, which was followed by the other genocides of
the 20th century. Among other things Mark Geragos underscored: `Turkey is
our greatest ally in that region. But Turkey denies the Armenian Genocide.
As a presidential candidate Barack Obama stated that he will recognize the
Armenian Genocide, if he is elected. So in my opinion the political
dynamics in this issue is a little bit hypocritical.’

Mark John Geragos (born October 5, 1957) is an Armenian-American criminal
defense lawyer as the Principal with the internationally known trial lawyer
firm of Geragos & Geragos, Mark Geragos cemented his national reputation as
a trial lawyer a dozen years ago with back-to-back State and Federal Court
jury trial acquittals for renowned Whitewater figure Susan McDougal, later
securing a presidential pardon for Ms. McDougal for a conviction sustained
prior to his representation of her.
Geragos was one of the lead lawyers in a pair of groundbreaking Federal
Class Action Lawsuits against New York Life Insurance and AXA Corporation
for insurance policies issued in the early 20th century during the genocide
of over 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turk Regime, eventually
settling these two cases for more than $37.5 million. He is currently suing
the Government of Turkey for reparations arising out of the Armenian
Genocide.

WARLICK’S PARADOXES

Saturday, 28 September 2013 09:48

«No party wishes the resumption of the Karabakh conflict».
This has been stated recently by the U.S. new Co-Chairman of the OSCE
Minsk Group, James Warlick, in an interview to Voice of America radio
station, while sharing his impressions on the recent visit to our
region. Agree, the statement, even if very optimistic, sounds
dissonant against the background of the militaristic rhetoric
permanently voiced from Baku. When appointing James Warlick a
co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, the U.S. President,
Barack Obama, characterized him as a highly experienced diplomat.
We’d like to believe in his professional acumen very much, as the
relentless threats by the Baku regime to unleash a new military
aggression against the NKR maintain the dangerous tension in the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict zone. We’d like to, but something is
preventing to believe unconditionally the words of the American
mediator. Of course, we do not intend to question Mr. Warlick’s
sincerity. Not at all. The matter just is that the very interview is a
kind of conglomerate of eclectic thoughts entering into conflict with
each other.

Referring to the visit itself, James Warlick noted that its was mainly
of familiarizing nature aimed at “listening to all the parties and
opinions” and assured of his readiness to “work with all the parties.”
It should be emphasized that the phrase «all the parties» was
mentioned repeatedly in the interview. The position and intention,
frankly speaking, are commendable, since in accordance to the
documents of the OSCE represented by James Warlick, three entities are
recognized the parties to the conflict – Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh,
and Armenia. But then the U.S. diplomat, as if forgetting about “all
the parties”, in different contexts speaks of “working closely with
both Armenia and Azerbaijan”, of the fact that the conflict “is not in
the interests of the population of Armenia and Azerbaijan”. Maybe, it
should be concluded from this that the conflict … is in the interest
of Nagorno-Karabakh?

However, we’d not clown about and we’d rather recall Mr. Warlick’s key
phrase, which sounds simply as a nonsense: “I met with Aliyev and I
know that he wants a peaceful settlement”. We believe that the reader
will come to genuine confusion, if we note that the American diplomat
made such a conclusion, commenting on the last speech of the
Azerbaijani President, in which he called the Armenians “fascists” and
voiced the threats of resolving the conflict by force. Agree, it is
difficult to understand such a flight, or more precisely – a sharp
turn of James Warlick’s thoughts. Wasn’t the “highly experienced
diplomat” so disarmingly affected by Aliyev’s eastern euphony, and he,
succumbing to his false charm, easily bought the outright hypocrisy?
In any case, this speech, which, as recognized by the American
co-chairman, he read, hasn’t got the appropriate condemnation. His
conclusion is striking in being amorphous and inert: “All of us should
be worried by such a rhetoric, which, instead of peace, may lead to
the deepening of the conflict”. A reasonable question arises – who are
`all of us’? If he meant the co-chairmen of the Minsk Group, so both
Armenian parties, as well as sensible politicians and international
structures have repeatedly drawn their attention to the danger of the
Azerbaijani leadership’s belligerent statements. However, there were
only non-binding appeals again addressed to “all the parties”, which
even more encouraged the Azerbaijani authorities to tighten their
militaristic rhetoric and to intensify their hostile actions on the
Line of Contact between the parties’ armed forces.

By the way, the situation on the contact-line was touched upon also by
Mr. Warlick in the aforementioned interview. “I saw the tension there
and realized how important it was that we were able to do everything
possible to end the hostilities”, shared his thoughts the diplomat. We
wonder whether the U.S. mediator thought who is to blame for the
current tension. And the answer is obvious – as has been repeatedly
emphasized, it is Azerbaijan that despite the calls of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairmen, refuses to withdraw snipers from the front line,
blocks the creation of a mechanism to investigate the incidents in the
contact zone, and continues the sabotage actions. James Warlick, a
highly experienced diplomat, cannot but know this. Similarly, he
cannot but know that Aliyev poisons his own people with hatred towards
Armenians, intensively arms, and makes cynical claims not only for
Nagorno Karabakh. “The Erivan khanate, the Gyoychai and Zangezour
mahals are our historical lands. The time will come and we shall live
there. I believe in this and I am confident of it’, stated Aliyev in
the noted speech, which Warlick read, according to himself. Can in
these conditions the American co-chairman imagine any compromises that
he calls for? And how can his assurance of Aliyev’s aspiration for
peaceful settlement correlate with the destructive reality created by
Azerbaijan?

Speaking of the prospects of this very peaceful settlement, the Minsk
Group U.S. co-chairman was not original, and following the example of
many mediators, he called upon the parties to display political will,
to prepare their people for peace and not for war, and to use efforts
for achieving lasting peace. The words themselves are great, but to
become real, The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen should also make
efforts, as the main reason of the negotiation process failure is the
uncompromising and toughly ultimatum stance of Azerbaijan. Meanwhile,
Warlick noted in his interview that to make such efforts was not the
co-chairs’ duty. Really? Isn’t it primarily necessary to force
Azerbaijan to abandon the futile and very dangerous aggressive policy
running counter not only to the norms of international law, but also
to the proposals of the Minsk Group co-chairs? Only in this case,
lasting peace is possible and can be established, which, according to
James Warlick, “will open a new era of prosperity of the Caucasus
region”.

Leonid MARTIROSSIAN
Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper

10 Bulgarian footballers who play outside to arrive in Armenia with
national squad

September 28, 2013 | 14:02

The coaching staff of the Bulgarian national football team has decided
as to how many of their footballers who play outside will arrive in
Armenia to take part in the 2014 World Cup qualifier match against the
host nation.

As a result, ten Bulgarian footballers who play outside will travel to
Armenia as part of the Bulgarian national squad, Sportal.bg reports.

To note, the Armenia-Bulgaria match will take place on October 11, in
Armenia’s capital city Yerevan.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

Armenia vs. Georgia 3-1

September 28, 2013

YEREVAN. – A friendly match between the Armenian and the Georgian U17
national football teams was played in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan.

In the end, Armenia defeated the guests by a score of 3-1, informs the
Football Federation of Armenia website.

The squads will play another friendly on September 30.

To note, the Armenian national team is preparing for the Group 7
tournament for the 2013/14 UEFA European Under-17 Football
Championship qualifiers.

The aforesaid tournament will be held from October 23 to 30 in Armenia.

NEWS.am Sport

Treasury of Holy See Has New Exhibits

Society – Saturday, 28 September 2013, 11:27

On September 30 Catholicos Garegin II will dedicate Carl and Emma
Soghoyan Exhibition of Manuscripts at the Alex and Marie Manoogian
Treasury at the Mother See Saint Echmiadzin. Mr. and Mrs. Soghoyan
have donated two dozens of manuscripts and the first printed Armenian
Bible (Amsterdam, 1666). The manuscripts will be exhibited in the new
hall of the Treasury. The exhibition includes some exclusive documents
from the archive of the Mother See, including the secret documents of
the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople Zaven Yeghiayan relating to
the Armenian genocide, as well as his letter to the Catholicos of All
Armenians Gevorg on marking April 24 as the Genocide Memorial Day.

Re-Greening Armenia

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

Just a few days ago, some good news hit regarding the environment of
our homeland. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bill titled `Haiti
and Armenia Reforestation Act’. But as with everything in life, it is
not unalloyed good news. Also, in a somewhat atypical development, the
bill was initiated by the senator, not the Armenian community, though
he did reach out to our groups regarding the legislation.

The first thing to pop into anyone’s mind that sees this is, `Haiti
and Armenia together? Huh? What’s the connection?’ There’s history and
there’s politics. Both countries used to be extensively forested. Over
time, each through its own series of abuses, the trees have been
largely lost.

When in French hands some three centuries ago, Haiti was described as
the richest colony anywhere in the world. But it was also a slave
based economy. Then, Haiti became independent, but was saddled with
the antipathy of its former overlord and has struggled economically.
That impoverishment coupled with ignorance of the economic importance
of forests, as happens everywhere, led to consumption of trees at
unsustainable rates, creating an island almost devoid of trees. Now,
when tropical storms strike the (Caribbean) isle, massive mudslides
destroy homes and kill people. When earthquakes strike, landslides
take another huge toll. With no forests to do the job, fresh water for
drinking is scarce. Armenia’s history is similar, though spanning a
longer period of time. Centuries of invaders, desperation, and
ignorance have rendered Armenia almost desert like. No doubt you’ve
seen pictures of the Western Armenian landscape and noticed the
desolation. The Republic of Armenia (RoA) is not quite as badly off,
but given the extractive rapaciousness that is driving the
government’s resource management policy (or lack thereof), the
moon-scaping of the RoA may not be far off.

So there is some logic to the juxtaposition of Armenia and Haiti. But
the fact that Sen. Durbin has tried to pass a Haiti reforestation bill
unsuccessfully probably played a larger role in this `joining’ of
countries. Plus, he visited Armenia last year, and while there, may
have observed or been informed of the dangers Armenian woodlands (what
little remains) are facing. He’s probably thinking, `With both Haiti
and Armenia in my bill, I can get the lobbying support of both
constituencies,’ and he’s probably right.

Next you’re probably wondering how this will be implemented if the
bill becomes law. Will the U.S. buy a bunch of trees and have them
planted in Armenia? Will it just give the money for this to be done?
It turns out that the RoA would be required to set aside tracts of
land, both currently forested and subsequently planted, that would be
protected from the axe. In exchange, the RoA would receive two things:
technical assistance, support, and capacity-building expertise to
accomplish the reforestation and debt forgiveness/reduction from
international creditors. This arrangement, referred to as a
debt-for-nature swap, would be mediated by a nongovernmental
conservation group.

So we have a situation where, based on first principles, there is a
good proposal on the table. But, it needs refinement. Given the
irresponsible approach demonstrated by the RoA’s government on the
environmental front (questionable mining practices unchecked, illegal
lumbering ignored, the near irrelevancy of very good laws that are on
the books, and the ever-present corruption that taints everything in
the country), strong compliance and enforcement measures must be
included in the legislation.

A very important, though hidden, political calculus may also be
driving Durbin. Despite his strong support on issues revolving about
Artzakh and the Genocide (he used to be an author of resolutions), in
recent years, he has backed off. In part, he has used the foolhardy
Protocols as an excuse. It is our job to make clear to him that we
appreciate environmental initiatives such as this proposal, but it
cannot replace, only supplement, his support on our core issues, the
ones he has been cool to since the lying President Obama commenced his
love-fest with Turkey.

Let’s all support this bill. Let’s make sure it is strengthened before
it is passed. Let’s communicate our concerns to Sen. Durbin. Let’s get
our compatriots, friends, and relatives in his state of Illinois to
convey the same concerns. It’s good to see how much more integrated in
world politics and economics our concerns have become. But, let’s make
sure we achieve a comprehensive, meaningful, and practicable law as
the outcome.

Poland to facilitate recruitment procedure for migrants

11:26, 28 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESSÖ? In the result of the implementation
of the amendments to the Legislation of Poland, the citizens of the
Republic of Armenia will be provided with the opportunity to use the
facilitated mechanism to get involved into the employment market.
Armenpress was reported about it by the Head of the State Migration
Service of the Ministry of Territorial Administration of the Republic
of Armenia Gagik Yeganyan. `Poland has a problem mainly with the
agricultural workers. After the EU integration their labor forces move
to the countries with higher salaries and a demand for the local
workers appears. Thus they facilitate the recruitment procedure for
the migrants providing the citizens of other countries with the
opportunity to get jobs in their country without a special permission.
Soon the citizens of the Republic of Armenia as well will be provided
with the opportunity to get jobs in Poland using that mechanism’, –
said Gagik Yeganyan.

The citizens of Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine can work
for six months without a special permission in Poland within a year.
The working permission is a document, which provides the foreigners
with the right to work legally in the territory of Poland. The work of
a foreigner is considered to be legal, only in the case, when he
implements the work described in the mentioned document.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am