Author: nina hovnanian

PRESS RELEASE
HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY
Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Beirut – Lebanon
Email: [email protected]

On Monday, May 7, 2012, Haigazian University hosted its second event
under the umbrella of the 500th Anniversary of Armenian Printing and
the 100th Anniversary of Armenian Press in Lebanon.

Launched under the patronage of Minister of Information,
H.E. Me. Walid Daouk, and in the presence of Minister of Industry,
Mr. Vrej Sabounjian, MPs Hagop Pakradouni and Serge Toursarkissian,
former MPs and government officials, an outstanding and unique
exhibition traced the century-long history of Armenian print media in
Lebanon, dating back to 1912.

The event opened with the welcoming words of Dr. Arda Ekmekji, Dean of
the Faculty of Arts and Science, in the name of the organizing
committee. Ekmekji offered a brief historical background of Armenia’s
500-year history with printing and publication, and she discussed how
the Armenian written press had played an important role in the
advancement of the Armenian community in Lebanon.

Dr. Armen Urneshlian, a representative of the organizing committee,
tackled the scientific approach of the Armenian specialized press,
covering such issues as research methodology for scientific and
academic journals and other publications.

University President Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, expressed his gratitude
to the minister for his patronage, before allowing him to take the
floor.

Minister Daouk addressed the important role of Haigazian University
and of the Armenian community by blending in with the larger Lebanese
society while simultaneously preserving their identity and
culture. Daouk gave examples of Armenian pioneers in the field of
media in Lebanon, including a former Minister of Information, the late
Me. Khatchig Babikian, and the first photojournalist in Lebanon George
Semerdjian.

This was followed by the ribbon cutting ceremony and the official
opening of the exhibition, which features the first issues of around
150 historical posters and print media pages that tell the story of
100 years of Armenian press in Lebanon. The exhibition is open until
Saturday, May 12, from 3 to 7pm.

IRANIAN AMBASSADOR: “IDEAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IRAN AND ARMENIA IS AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL COUNTRIES”

APA
May 10 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Konul Jafarli – APA. “Friendly relationship between Iran and
Armenia is an example for the region and all countries,” said Iran’s
outgoing ambassador to Armenia Seyed Ali Saghayian, APA reports
quoting IRIB.

He said that there were ideal relations between the two countries:
“Iran-Armenia relationship is an example for all countries within
the dialogue of civilizations and religions.”

AMBASSADOR: RUSSIA CONFIRMS INTENTION TO CONTINUE MEDIATION IN RESOLVING NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT

Trend
May 9 2012
Azerbaijan

Russia has once again confirmed its intention to continue mediating
mission in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, Russian Ambassador
to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin told journalists in Baku on the
wreath-laying ceremony at the common grave of soldiers, killed in
World War II.

According to Dorokhin, the presidential decree of Vladimir Putin
“On some elements of the country’s foreign policy” has an item on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in which Russia reaffirms position on the
necessity of peaceful settlement.

“In this document we reaffirm our decision to continue mediating
mission in the conflict,” Dorokhin said.

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

With regard to Gabala radar station Dorokhin said that the negotiations
are underway.

“Three rounds of consultations have already passed, and we expect
continuation of negotiations in the near future,” Dorokhin added.

The Gabala radar station located in north-western Azerbaijan was built
in Soviet times as one of the most important elements of a missile
defence system of the USSR. After Azerbaijan gained independence the
radar station become the country’s property and Russia continued to
use it.

Previously, the Defence Ministry reported about holding negotiations
with Azerbaijan to extend the lease of the Gabala radar station until
2025. The term of the lease agreement and exploitation conditions of
this facility expires in December, 2012.

NEW REALITIES COMING OUT OF THE BALLOT BOXES

Today’s Zaman
May 9 2012
Turkey

Editorial by by Bulent Kenes

With the start of this week, we have seen major political developments
in the countries around us. For instance, in France, Nicolas Sarkozy,
known for his dislike of Turkey, lost the presidential elections
held over the weekend, and he was replaced with socialist Francois
Hollande. Having seen their worst era when Sarkozy was at the helm
of Paris, Turkish-French ties may make a new start with Hollande’s
election.

Sarkozy had blocked five chapters in Turkey’s EU membership
negotiations. Hollande’s attitude towards Turkey’s EU membership
has yet to be seen, and his attitude in this regard will serve as a
litmus test. On the other hand, the likelihood of Pierre Muscovici,
who is supportive of Turkey’s EU membership, being appointed as
the new foreign minister is raising Ankara’s hopes. However, the
possibility that Hollande may adopt sharper attitudes than Sarkozy
regarding the Armenian issue and, as the former leaders of his party
had done, with respect to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its
affiliations is creating serious concerns in Turkey. In particular,
the concerns that Turkish-French ties may yet see tensions further
heightened because of the Armenian issue as the 100th anniversary of
the 1915 incidents nears cannot be underestimated.

In Greece, which is suffering from the worst economic crisis in its
history, centre-right and left parties considerably lost support in
the parliamentary elections, as expected. The elections held over the
weekend failed to offer hope for a solution for the country, which is
again on the brink of total economic collapse. As no one is willing
to form the new government due to the current political scene, which
is further fragmented by the economic crisis, a new election in June
seems inevitable. Antonis Samaras, leader of the New Democracy (ND)
party, which secured the highest number of votes with 18.8 per cent,
failed to form the new government on Monday. The likelihood of the
country holding snap elections in June was reinforced. Yet, it is
obvious that re-holding elections will bring no solution. Indeed, if
the elections are held again, this will probably help to strengthen
the far right and far left. In the Greek parliamentary elections,
a neo-Nazi racist party – namely, Chrysi Avgi, or Golden Dawn – saw a
boom in its electoral support, and this is not the only indication of
a rising far right in Greece. The right-wing Independent Greeks (ANEL)
party, which has reacted to the trio that are effectively managing
the bankrupt Greek economy – the European Union, the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Central Bank (ECB) – is also on
the rise. There is no need to explain why the rise of the far right
translates into losses for Greece, a country that is unable to pay
its debts, and Turkey, a country searching for peace and stability.

In the elections held in our close neighbour, Armenia, the
already-problematic status quo was largely preserved. In other words,
all of Turkey’s problems concerning Armenia will continue without
change. The recent Armenian elections will be remembered for the
questions raised about their transparency and fairness. Suffering
from the paradox of “conscious voters and weak democracy” with its
politicized public, Armenia, like other ex-Soviet republics, continues
to suffer from a failure to fully internalize democracy.

On the other hand, in Serbia, one of the major actors of the crisis
in the Balkans, which was frozen by the cease-fire obtained with the
Dayton Agreement of 1995, Boris Tadic and Tomislav Nikolic were the
winners of the first round. These two strong candidates are entitled
to compete in the second round, slated for May 20. It is our biggest
hope that the results of this round will not harm the fragile stability
in the Balkans, especially in Bosnia and Hercegovina.

Of course, the political developments that concern Turkey are not
restricted to these countries. A sort of election was held in Syria,
where violence and oppression continue to rule as well. No one
has any hope that the r esults of the election from which dissident
groups and protesters were banned will lead to any improvement in the
anti-democratic nature of the Bashar al-Assad regime that counters
people’s demands with violence. As a matter of fact, this is not the
first time the Syrian people have gone to the polls. The question
is whether the ballot boxes placed in front of some of the Syrian
people last weekend were really democratic. I don’t think anyone,
including the United Nations, is convinced of the democratic quality
of any elections in Syria.

In this context, what happened to the party of German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, whose policies are of concern both to Turkey and Turks living
in Germany, deserves special mention. In the parliamentary elections
held in Germany’s northern province of Schleswig-Holstein, Merkel’s
Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) secured the highest number
of votes, but as its coalition partner, the Free Democratic Party
(FDP), suffered a big loss, the coalition government of the CDU and
FDP lost power in this state. Both the election defeat of Sarkozy,
who was known to act in perfect harmony in opposing Turkey’s EU
membership, developing joint policies against the European debt crisis
and sharing the EU leadership, and the loss of a local government in
Schleswig-Holstein are serious blows to Merkel.

Our big northern neighbour, Russia, saw an important development on
Monday as Vladimir Putin, who won the presidential elections in late
2011, made a comeback to the Kremlin after a hiatus of four years
with an extremely sumptuous oath-taking ceremony. It is no secret
that Putin is more hawkish than his predecessor in his foreign policy
approaches. It is also clear that with the re-election of Putin to
president, Russia will adopt harsher stances in the face of the issues
involving Syria, Iran and the Caucasus, as well as on other problems
that relate to Turkey’s because of its close vicinity. I think the
only advantage available to Turkey is the friendship between Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Putin, who are unfairly likened to
each other in the international media, as well as the recent tremendous
rapprochement between the two countries.

In sum, while all of the countries and nations that were mentioned
above stay where they are, their political preferences and developments
that appeared over the weekend, and earlier this week in nearby
countries, make it inevitable that Turkey will re-discuss the
positions of these countries in the framework of Turkey’s regional
and international policies.

RESEARCHER COLLECTS 1915 SOLIDARITY STORIES

Hurriyet Daily News
May 10 2012
Turkey

A London-based academic is gathering the stories of Turks who saved
the lives of Armenians during the forced deportation of the latter
in the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

“The [notion of] the ‘murderous Turk’ disturbs me as an individual. It
is much more important to remember the good than to remind [people of]
the bad. I have no special [desire] to compile Turkish and Armenian
stories. I want to do this project in the name of humanity,” Ziya
Meral, a Turkish researcher and academic living in London, told the
Hurriyet Daily News.

Meral said she did not use the term “genocide” to describe the events
of 1915, and that he disliked emphasizing the word.

The story of Mehmet Bey, a factory owner, is among the most striking
accounts she came across, according to Meral. “Mehmet Bey established
a factory in [the eastern province of] Malatya with the aid of an
Armenian family. He hid the family that helped him during the events
of 1915 and arranged for their safe departure to Aleppo,” he said.

The project will also be launched on the Internet soon.

A LEFTIST LEADER ELECTED BY THE PLOY OF THE EXTREME RIGHT
by Saadet Oruc

Star
May 7 2012
Turkey

Francois Hollande has been elected president of France with 51.8 per
cent of the popular vote. The front that built up against Nicolas
Sarkozy played a role in this outcome of the French elections. The
extreme right-wing seeds Sarkozy planted with his own hands ended his
political career. Sarkozy targeted many groups, especially foreigners
and Muslims in France, throughout his campaign. This policy fed the
extreme right and allowed it to win 18 per cent of the vote in the
first round.

The rise of the extreme right, which was fuelled by the policies of
fear promoted by Sarkozy, is the true outcome of the French elections.

Hollande’s election does not mean that the left has come to power;
it means that Sarkozy has departed. Hollande is now a politicianwho is
shackled by the rising power of the extreme right in France. This is
because he was elected thanks to the decision of Marine Le Pen not to
support Sarkozy despite the majority of rightist votes in the country.

This is why Le Pen sees Sarkozy’s defeat and Hollande’s election
as a victory for herself. As the true representative of the French
right, she calculates that the extreme right will take power under her
leadership. Hollande will never be able to step outside the framework
defined by the extreme right.

That framework suggests that hostility to foreigners will continue to
surge as a trend and that politicians who rise to become leaders will
be the slaves of this trend in their policies. This is why Hollande
did not say anything different from Sarkozy with regard to immigration
during the televised debate between the two candidates.

Hollande also does not project an image of “being willing to take a
risk” with regard to Islamophobia.

Hollande will appoint a caretaker prime minister to serve until the
[parliamentary] elections on 10 June. Subsequently, the party that
wins a majority in the parliamentary elections will determine the
permanent prime minister. In view of the narrowing gap between the
two candidates in the last days of the presidential race, we can say
that we must be prepared for a France where the president and the
prime minister are from different parties.

We can already assume that the French hurdle to Turkey’s membership
in the EU will continue during Hollande’s tenure. In addition to
the hurdles raised by Sarkozy, Hollande sees the recognition of
allegations of Armenian genocide as a prerequisite for Turkey’s
membership in the EU. The Armenian question is not the only issue.

Hollande has a tougher stance on Cyprus than his predecessor took.

Even pro-Turkish figures in his party – such as Pierre Moscovici –
will apparently be unable to exert any influence on Hollande on
these issues.

The absence of Sarkozy’s “Turkey obsession” in Hollande may be cause
for expecting some positive developments in the future. Nonetheless,
Turkey should not expect easier days in France or Europe in the next
five years.

[translated from Turkish]

NOT ENOUGH THERE IN ‘HERE’
By Sarah Hotchkiss

KQED Arts

May 10 2012

Here is a quiet film of several familiar genres rolled together. It is
a road trip movie, a travel movie, and a romantic drama. Though the
basic plot structure involves a man meeting an enchanting woman in a
foreign land, the real romance is not between the characters, but in
filmmaker Braden King’s love for his surroundings. Shot entirely in
Armenia, the camera slowly pans across spectacular panoramas in the
film’s most powerful moments, leaving other elements of the story
underrealized or underserved.

The film follows Will, an American mapmaker in the age of satellite
technology, and Gadarine, an expatriate photographer, returned to
Armenia on a grant. Will is by nature and profession a loner, every
now and then superficially bonding with those around him through shared
shots of vodka and broken conversations. Ben Foster, behind spectacles
and a scruffy blond beard, plays Will persuasively as he diligently
pins images to a map of the country, creating a more accurate survey
of the land for his private (and possibly shadowy) employers.

Gadarine, played by Lubna Azabal, is a fitting counterpart, estranged
from both her family and her homeland. The film introduces her as
she walks slowly towards a hotel in the middle of the night. She is
followed by a cab driver who first propositions and then threatens her
after she curses him in English. Though Armenian, she is a foreigner,
as is repeatedly demonstrated by this scene and in her interactions
with her brother early in the film.

Will and Gadarine meet briefly over breakfast at their shared hotel,
neither one seeming to make much of a lasting impression on the other.

A later chance encounter at a swanky reception in Gadarine’s honor
sets the stage for Will’s interest in her, but their flirtation
is awkward to watch and unconvincing, much like the rest of their
on-screen relationship will be.

The moments between the narrative dialogue, in which Braden King
lingers over the landscape and Will and Gadarine are tiny figures in
the midst of larger tableaus, are breathtaking. A soundtrack of light
strings and guitar plucks, along with traditional Armenian music,
suits these scenes particularly well. It is a pleasure to roam over
a beautiful, unfamiliar landscape and soak in these sights and sounds.

Commissioned interludes by a group of avant-garde filmmakers,
often featuring the rumbling voice of Peter Coyote as narrator,
interrupt the larger narrative. These more mystical segments of cut-up
film and flashing colors serve no tangible purpose, cheapening the
actual transcendence provided by King’s landscape shots. One appears
potentially dangerous to epileptics.

In the end, Will and Gadarine’s affair is difficult to comprehend.

King suggests their relationship mirrors the political confusion of
the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is where things start
to fall apart for them romantically as well. Gadarine, in a moment of
tension, yells at the mapmaker, “You don’t know where you are.” Will’s
measurements persistently refuse to match up, a heavy-handed sign
that his worlds of absolutes may no longer suffice. Gadarine’s
feline independence and easy photographic successes make her (and,
subsequently, her attraction to Will) all the less real.

Here excels in many ways: in pinpointing Will’s wanderlust; in
capturing the beauty of the Armenian land; in exploring Gadarine’s
guilt as she pursues her artistic career while sacrificing her familial
duties. It suffers in overreaching. What should be a story of two
people thrown together by chance attempts to become an epic story of
“the explorer.” This is an identity neither Will nor Gadarine truly
inhabits, despite their ultimate and somewhat unexpected outpouring of
emotion toward each other. Enjoy the startling beauty of a distant
land, but don’t expect larger truths to emerge while observing
its vistas.

Here is showing at the San Francisco Film Society May 11 – 17, 2012.

For showtimes and more information visit sffs.org.

FM ACCUSES BAKU OF VIOLATING BANDUNG PRINCIPLES, PROMOTING HATRED

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 10, 2012 – 20:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On May 10, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian delivered a speech on the sidelines of Sharm
el-Sheikh-hosted Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial meeting.

As the Foreign Minister stressed during his speech, Yerevan, in the
capacity of NAM observer, shares the values of the movement.

Dwelling on Karabakh conflict settlement, the official specifically
pointed out Azeri military rhetoric, noting that the official Baku’s
statements run counter to the spirit of OSCE MG-mediated negotiations.

“Azeri approach not only threatens the peace process and shaky
situation in conflict zone, but also contradicts the main principles
of NAM. Azerbaijan, though a member of NAM for only a year, violated
the principles of Bandung, while promoting discrimination and ethnic
hatred. This is the only explanation to the recent statement of Azeri
leadership announcing Armenians worldwide as Azerbaijan’s enemy No 1,”
the Foreign Minister concluded.

POST ELECTION INTRIGUE: COALITION OR NO COALITION?
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan

ArmeniaNow
10.05.12 | 14:08

NAZIK ARMENAKYAN

With elections settled, the most discussed issue in the political life
of Armenia is the formation of possible coalitions at the National
Assembly, and it appears the period of deal making has emerged.

The most predictable is the collation formed by Republican Party of
Armenia (RPA) and Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law) Party. Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP) is left to decide whether to again join RPA,
which won in the parliamentary elections and form a coalition with it,
or to be alone at the National Assembly and become an opposition.

According to preliminary data of this year’s election results, PAP
will have ten more lawmakers in the parliament as compared to previous
ones – 36 instead of 26 MPs. Meanwhile, RPA with its 69 lawmakers
will enjoy overwhelming majority in the parliament and will not
need to form any coalition. Nevertheless, Prime Minister of Armenia
Tigran Sargsyan (RPA member) when having a dinner with World War II
veterans in Haghtanak (Victory) Park in Yerevan on Wednesday, ceding
to journalists’ persistent questions, stated that “RPA is inclined to
establish a coalition.” The premier said that negotiations are held
in this respect; however, he avoided clarifying whether PAP will be
invited to enter the new collation. Other RPA members, such as RPA
Deputy Chairman Galust Sahakyan in an interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian
service said he believes that “it is not expedient for PAP to become
an opposition” and that “experience is needed for being an opposition.”

While PAP leader Gagik Tsarukyan significantly keeps silence, former
Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian who was the second on the
PAP proportional list, in an interview with Civilnet stated that he
“categorically opposes” formation of a collation with RPA.

“I have often said that if a political force has an absolute majority
alone then forming a coalition with it does not solve any problem,
and it does not create any counterbalance in the parliament,”
Oskanian said.

A similar statement was made by PAP member Naira Zohrabyan, however,
she emphasized that it was her personal viewpoint.

Meanwhile Heritage Party, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF,
Dashnaktsutyun) and Armenian National Congress (ANC) have excluded
their collaboration with RPA.

ARMENIA-TURKEY CINEMA PLATFORM PROMISES $10,000 TO BEST FILM AUTHOR

10.05.12

The Armenia-Turkey Cinema Platform is launching a film contest devoted
to the Turkey-Armenia relations.

Participants are invited to submit short length movies and
documentaries.

A special commission will select the authors of 10 film projects for
participation in the meeting and a speech in the presence of a jury.

The winning participant will awarded a $10,000 grant by Eurasia
Partnership Foundation.

The deadline for the submission of projects is May 1. More details
are available the following website. The online submission form is
available here.