Author: Tadevosian Garnik

CONSOLIDATION OF THE ARMENIANS – IMPERATIVE

Azat Artsakh Daily
27 Nov 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

On September 27, in Los Angeles under the aegis of "Hayastan"
all-Armenian Fund the next telethon will start for the purpose of
providing means for realization of programs of socio-economic character
in Armenia and Artsakh. It’s necessary to say, that it’s the thirteenth
yearly humanitarian share of "Hayastan" Fund: the first was collection
of contributions for construction of "Goris-Stepanakert" 64 km long
main motor highway, which is called by the people "the way of life".

This highway, which is the unique hopeful ground way connecting
Karabakh with Armenia and outer world is a successful work fully
justifying its name.

Last years, owing to "Hayastan" Fund, various programs directed not
only to postwar restoration of the republic, but to its socio-economic
development were realized in NKR. Construction of "North-West"
highway of 169 km long, which has given a chance to connect all
NKR administrative regions to each other, belongs also to the range
of strategic problems.It’s important to note, that if not all the
programs of the Fund bear "strategic" epithet, so it humbles in no
way their significance in comparison with more important, really,
strategic problems.

And it’s natural, as in20conditions of the conflict’s nonsettlement
with Azerbaijan, for Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, it continues to be
threat to its de-facto independence, here cannot be trifles, and all
the programs in practice take startegic turn.All these, certainly, are
of imortant socio-economic and political significance, as successful
realization of each program creates a hopeful basis for solution of
next urgent problems and progressive and dinamic development of the
republic. If we study the list of programs realized by the Fund, ,
so we can notice, that their spectrum is rather wide.It’s restoration
and construction of dwellings and schools, health service and cultural
objects, creation of road substructures, assistance to the development
of agrarian part and watersupply system and so on. That is, a whole
complex of socio-economic problems embraced in one "Artsakh’s revival"
united program, the realization of which will give a chance to reach
to the solution of demographical problem.Because it’s obvious, that
without realization of this vital, we may say, fundamental political
program, all other programs lose their sense, otherwise, existance
of Artsakh will be called in question.We think, that we’ll not be
mistaken, if we call "strategic" the idea underlined the activity of
"Hayastan" all-Armenian Fund in the name of solution of all-Armenian
problems. It’s quite obvious, that realization of natio nal purposes,
purposes among which are particularly strengthening of statehood of
independent Republic of Armenia, international recognition of the
Armenians’ genocide in 1915, securing of NKR safety and protection
of its vital interests, demand solidarity of efforts and potential of
Armenia, Diaspora and Artsakh. And it’s necessary to say, that certain
successes have been acquired on this way. It’s understandable, that
NKR by its chances can hardly compared with Armenia and Diaspora in
sense of political econimical potential.But it doesn’t mean at all,
that it must sit with folded arms and request assistance from other
part of the Armenians.And it doesn’t essentially sit. It,s true,
in initial stage, Nagorno-Karabakh exhausted by the war, really
needed all-round assistance, which took a humanitarian turn. But
later on, after strengthening, the republic decided itself to refuse
from tutorship and suggested to pass from humanitarian programs to
developing programs. In the circles of the current share on November
18, the contribution began in the republic. For making a contribution
in the work of its development the testimony of Nagorno-Karabakh’s
readiness is the fact, taht the people’s psychology is changed, and
the number of Karabakh participants of the telethon and the sizes of
the contributions made by them grow year by year.

Many bodies of institutions and educational institutions have
stated about readi ness for making their contributions. Because
today humanitarian means transfered to on account of "Hayastan"
Fund tommorrow will be returned to the people. So they will work
for political and economical strengthening of Nagorno-Karabakh
republic, for its steady future. Only in all the senses the strong
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will be able to confront to the modern,
quickly changed world’s war-calls.

EU TO DEVELOP COOPERATION WITH EASTERN PARTNERSHIP MEMBER COUNTRIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.11.2008 14:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Commission will issue the draft
communiqué on Eastern Partnership next week, head of delegation of
the European Commission to Armenia said.

"The project offers more favorable conditions for EU cooperation
with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine," Mr. Raul
de Luzenberger said during ‘European Union and South Caucasus –
A Security Partnership?’ international conference in Yerevan today.

The document is similar to the ENP proposals but the Eastern
Partnership envisages more active cooperation, according to him.

"It supposes creation of a free trade zone and a simplified visa
system. Besides, the level of political dialogue will be considerably
raised," Mr. de Luzenberger said.

The European Commission is to propose pulling the EU’s six post-Soviet
neighbors closer to the West by recognizing their "European
aspirations" and creating a new "European Economic Area."

The new EU policy – first floated by Poland and Sweden in May –
proposes signing "Association Agreements" with Belarus, Moldova,
Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the next few years and to
"acknowledge the European identity and aspirations of these countries."

The draft communique underlines that the new pacts, which recall
the association treaties signed with Poland or Lithuania prior to
the 2004 round of enlargement, do not amount to a promise of future
accession. "The conclusion of Association Agreements will be without
prejudice to the partners’ European aspirations."

The draft communique proposes holding an "Eastern Partnership
Summit" in June 2009 to launch the project. Follow-up meetings of
EU and Eastern Partnership foreign ministers are to take place each
Spring. "Senior officials" from the "27 + 5 (6)" countries are to
meet twice-yearly to prepare for the ministerials.

The European Partnership is to raise the EU’s per capita spending in
the region from the current 6 euro per head to 12 euro per head by
2013 and 20 euro per head by 2020, compared to the current 30 euro
per head in the Balkans. The shift will cost 2.1 billion euro, atop
the lost income of 75 million euro per year as a result of waiving
EU visa costs.

–Boundary_(ID_1S6n50EYnoaVk5wQ+C79vA)–

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS CARDINAL TAURAN,
THE PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

Meeting Cardinal Tauran on 25th of November 2008, His Holiness Aram I
discussed issues pertaining to inter-religious dialogue in general and
Christian-Muslim dialogue in particular. Cardinal Tauran welcomed His
Holiness as an old friend from Lebanon, and as a spiritual leader dedicated
to inter-religious dialogue.

His Holiness Aram I responded to the greeting of His Eminence, remembering
the friendship that goes back to early 80s. His Holiness appreciated the
vital role that Cardinal plays in the sphere of Christian-Muslim dialogue.

The discussion then focused between His Holiness and His Eminence mainly on
the recent developments in the area of the on Christian-Muslim dialogue.

Catholicos Aram I and Cardinal Tauran shared their perspectives in respect
to different aspects of Christian-Muslim dialogue, emphasizing the crucial
importance of enhancing collaboration between the two monotheistic
religions. They both stressed that in this dialogue priority must be given
to issues related to Christian-Muslim co-existence rather than to
theological matters of theoretical and philosophical nature.

Primates accompanying His Holiness as well as the colleagues of Cardinal
Tauran participated in discussion by sharing their experiences.

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos336.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

PRESS-SECRETARY OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: EUROPEAN OFFICIALS ARE OBVIOUSLY STARTING TO GAIN A COMPLETE IMAGE OF SITUATION IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2008-11-25 09:37:00

ArmInfo. "European officials are obviously starting to gain a
complete image of the situation in our country",- Arman Musinyan, the
press-secretary of the first Armenian president, leader of opposition
Levon Ter-Petrossyan said to ArmInfo correspondent when commenting
on the results of Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
Thomas Hammarberg’s recent visit to Yerevan.

According to Musinyan, Hammarberg gave tart assessments concerning
observance of human rights in Armenia, investigation of March 1
incidents, judicial proceedings related to leaders and activists
of opposition. "Actually, during a press-conference in Yerevan,
Thomas Hammarberg stressed the hopelessness of the criminal case
against seven oppositionists, including three MPs and the chairman
of Levon Ter-Petrossyan’s campaign headquarters. In addition,
the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights stressed that if no progress
in implementation of PACE requirements is fixed before December 17
when the PACE Monitoring Committee is to hold a sitting, the concept
"political prisoners" may become applicable for Armenia", – Musinyan
said.

Asked about a probable impact of the geopolitical factor while European
structures’ assessment of the results of implementation of PACE
requirements during the January session, Musinyan said: "We want to
believe that the political situation will not play the crucial role".

EC TO PROPOSE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENTS TO SIX POST-SOVIET NEIGHBORS, INCLUDING ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.11.2008 19:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Commission is to propose pulling the
EU’s six post-Soviet neighbors closer to the West by recognizing
their "European aspirations" and creating a new "European Economic
Area." But a draft communique indicates that EU-Russia relations have
preferential status.

"The conflict in Georgia in August 2008 and its broader repercussions
have resulted in increased awareness of the vulnerability of
Eastern partners," the draft commission communication on the Eastern
Partnership (EP) says. "There is a sense of urgency among member
states as to the need to enhance relations with our Eastern neighbors
to support them in drawing closer to the EU."

The new EU policy – first floated by Poland and Sweden in May –
proposes signing "Association Agreements" with Belarus, Moldova,
Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the next few years and to
"acknowledge the European identity and aspirations of these countries."

The draft communique underlines that the new pacts, which recall
the association treaties signed with Poland or Lithuania prior to
the 2004 round of enlargement, do not amount to a promise of future
accession. "The conclusion of Association Agreements will be without
prejudice to the partners’ European aspirations."

But the EP is to contain measures designed to send "a clear and lasting
political message of EU solidarity" and to "produce benefits perceived
and recognized by citizens of the partner countries."

The moves include establishing "a single deep and comprehensive Free
Trade Area, providing the basis for the development of a common
internal market, such as the European Economic Area [EEA]," which
the EU currently has with Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.

The future EEA will require the six states to "take over the entire
acquis communautaire [the EU’s legal code], including the acceptance
of European Court of Justice rulings."

The Eastern Partnership will aim to create visa free travel in the
long-term, but to waive the cost of obtaining EU visas more quickly
and to set up Common Application Centers in the six countries to help
people enter the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone.

On the energy front, Memorandums of Understanding are to help guarantee
EU energy security, leading to "joint management, and even ownership
of pipelines by companies of supplier, transit and consumer countries."

At the institutional level, the commission is to publish the final
version of its EP communication on 3 December, in time for the French
EU presidency’s last summit on 11 December to cement the text in
its conclusions.

The draft communique proposes holding an "Eastern Partnership
Summit" in June 2009 to launch the project. Follow-up meetings of
EU and Eastern Partnership foreign ministers are to take place each
Spring. "Senior officials" from the "27 + 5 (6)" countries are to
meet twice-yearly to prepare for the ministerials.

The European Partnership is to raise the EU’s per capita spending in
the region from the current Ë~F6 per head to Ë~F12 per head by 2013
and Ë~F20 per head by 2020, compared to the current Ë~F30 per head
in the Balkans. The shift will cost Ë~F2.1 billion, atop the lost
income of Ë~F75 million per year as a result of waiving EU visa costs,
EUobserver reports.

–Boundary_(ID_FIX84GEMUaDLz2F39VYs1w)–

"CONVERSE BANK" AND EBRD SIGN CREDIT PROGRAM COSTING 10 MILLION USD

ARMENPRESS
Nov 25, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS: The executive director of "Converse
Bank" Ararat Ghukasian and representative of the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Michael Weinstein signed today
a credit program costing 10 million USD. The funds provided by EBRD
will be directed towards crediting small and medium-sized business.

A. Ghukasian told the reporters that the credits will be provided
without geographic limitations to those dealing with trade, services,
industry, agriculture. The credits will be provided with 4-year
term and with market interest. The executive director of "Converse
Bank" expressed hope that the first provisions will be received in
January. Before that, credit specialists of the bank will have special
training classes.

Chairman of the Armenian Central Bank Arthur Javadian underscored
such like cooperation, at the same time saying that the realization
normals of Armenian banks are quite high today.

Such credits, according to A. Javadian, simply support in confronting
the further impact of global financial crisis. He said that the
recently spread information as if Armenian banks do not provide
credits today do not correspond to reality.

A JOB FOR JOE BIDEN: A TURKISH-GREEK BOUNDARY DEAL

Hurriye
Nov 20 2008
Turkey

We have a nominee for an early bit of Turkish business for the incoming
administration of Barack Obama and his No. 2, the world-savvy Joseph
Biden.

No, not Biden’s old screwball idea to divide Iraq into
conveniently-sized ethnic "statelets." And no, not that hardy
perennial, the "genocide resolution" that could only derail the new
thaw in Turkish-Armenian relations. Biden should move on the "Law of
the Sea," a rather weighty set of rules to set maritime boundaries
produced by the United Nations nearly 40 years ago and yet to be
ratified by either the United States or Turkey.

Maritime rules are complex. They are particularly complex when the
issue is an archipelago such as the sets of islands governed by the
Philippines, Indonesia or Greece. Just where the boundary is — or
should be — is an issue that has brought Turkey and Greece close
to war repeatedly. Thankfully, cool heads have prevailed in recent
years and we are sure this will continue.

But a Norwegian ship prospecting for oil under Turkish contract
near the Greek island of Meis has, in recent days, again triggered
angry diplomatic missives between the two countries. Let us be clear
about what is involved. Meis is a pleasant little island. A good
swimmer can get there from the Turkish town of KaÅ~_ in about 45
minutes. By boat it takes five. The islanders and KaÅ~_ townsfolk
all know one another. The lack of a customs facility, for example,
does not prevent most of the island’s 200-odd souls from making their
way every Thursday to the open air market in KaÅ~_. Technically it
is illegal but nobody seems to mind. For the people of Meis and KaÅ~_
have been trading for centuries.

It is long past time that Turkey and Greece hammer out reasonable
rules. The best forum for this would be the arbitration mechanism of
the United Nations as outlined in the Law of the Sea. It has worked
in recent years for Barbados and Trinidad as it has for Suriname
and Guyana. Except Turkey does not recognize the authority of this
body. And why should Turkey, when the nation with the world’s seventh
longest coastline still shuns the deal?

This is where Biden comes in. As chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, Biden last year promised he would move this
document through his committee and finally get it ratified by the full
Senate. An election campaign got in the way. But now, he is soon to
be vice president, a job he was tapped for because of international
expertise. This is an even better post to finally wrap up this bit
of unfinished business. While at it, Biden could also demonstrate
the Obama Administration’s leadership in our part of the world and
help resolve one of the last remaining antagonisms between Greece
and Turkey.

–Boundary_(ID_Bxnu9tUzCEFgA6jF88ebew)–

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO COME TO ESTONIA

Baltic News Service
November 18, 2008 Tuesday 11:57 PM EET

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will be in Estonia on a
visit on Thursday and Friday.

Nalbandian has meetings scheduled with President Toomas Hendrik Ilves,
speaker of the Riigikogu Ene Ergma, and Foreign Minister Urmas Paet,
spokespeople for the Estonian Foreign Ministry said.

The topics to be discussed at the meetings are bilateral relations,
Armenia and the European Union, the situation in the Southern Caucasus
region, and Armenia’s relations with its neighbors.

SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY DOES NOT COMMENT ON ACCUSATIONS OF IMPURITY AND APPLICATION OF ‘KICKBACK SCHEMES’

ArmInfo
2008-11-19 18:30:00

ArmInfo. The South Caucasus Railway (SCR) CJSC doesn’t comment on
the Armenian pro-power newspaper ‘Hayots Ashkhar"s accusations
of application of "kickback schemes" and inappropriate use of
investments. ArmInfo’s request to give comments on these serious
accusations has remained without response for several days.

To note, in a series of articles ‘Hayots Ashkhar’ newspaper actually
accused SCR, which is the 100% branch of the Russian Railway (RR)
OJSC, of impurity.

On the first broadside of the Nov 11 issue, the newspaper writes
that a total of $1,8 mln were spent on the repair of an Armenian
electric locomotive in Georgia. This value is comparable with that of
repair of a plane. The article says that experts estimate the repair
of the electric locomotive at $200 thsd. The author of the article
concludes that the company’s investments are puffed up, and to all
appearances, the "kickback" mechanism operates here. The newspaper
blames the company for the fact that its leadership acquired dozens
of expensive flats and cars in Yerevan, and the investments in the
repair and modernization of the railway infrastructure and the movable
equipment are nothing but money laundering.

In the Nov 12 issue the same newspaper blames the SCR leadership for
the fact that the company has created some affiliated intermediary
organization "South Caucasus company on transport deliveries" and calls
on its clients to make use of its services while the company itself
intentionally delays the carriages of transport companies’ cargoes.

In fact, some large economic entities are extremely discontent with
the railroaders’ activity, and in this connection, the Commission for
Protection of Economic Competition started administrative procedure
against SCR.

NAGORNO KARABAKH AZERBAIJANIS EXPECT EXPLANATIONS FROM OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS

Today.Az
Nov 18 2008
Azerbaijan

On November 17, Day.Az with reference to Novosti-Armenia posted
extracts from announcements of two co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
on Nagorno Karabakh – Bernard Fassier (France) and Matthew Bryza
(United States).

In particular, the French co-chair said that "currently, the security
of Karabakh people is ensured by Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia,
on par with strong confrontation from the side of Azerbaijan. In
the future there is a plan to form complex measures to ensure
security of people of Karabakh and international guarantees under
Azerbaijan’s consent. In case there is an adequate replacement,
including international guarantees of security of the Karabakh people,
the lands can be returned".

In turn US co-chair Matthew Bryza announced that "the Karabakh people
must be secured from physical and economic pressures, which does not
however envision demilitarization of the region".

At the same time, the co-chairs noted that "the opinion of the Karabakh
people regarding such approaches has not been learned yet and it is
early to speak of their positions".

>From the moment of publication of extracts from Bernard Fassier and
Matthew Bryza’s statements, the news agency has received endless calls
from Azerbaijani internally displaced persons from Nagorno Karabakh,
in which representatives of the Azerbaijani community of this region
voiced a determined protest in connection with the irresponsible use
of the term "people/population of Nagorno Karabakh" by the co-chairs
and stressed incorrect (and even dangerous) understanding of this
concept by two diplomats. Day.Az joins the voice of protest of the
representatives of Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Karabakh, waiting
for the chance to return to their homes.

Either we are facing a deliberate distortion of words of the two
co-chairs by the Armenian journalists or the diplomats really consider
that the Nagorno Karabakh people is only a part of the population,
whose security is today ensured by the armed forces of Armenia. Isn’t
it early for the co-chairs to monoethnize the whole population of the
region and consider the forced expelling of Azerbaijani community an
irreversible fact? Perhaps, by implying only Armenian component under
the term "people of Nagorno Karabakh", the co-chairs try to persuade
the Azerbaijani IDP from Shusha and four other regions of Nagorno
Karabakh that them and their ancestors are no longer a part of the
Karabakh people, but if so, their security today is ensured by the
armed forces of Armenia "under strong confrontation of Azerbaijan"? It
is a strange care.

It is resulting from the co-chairs words that for monopolization
of the right to name itself "the Karabakh people" by one of the
two communities of Nagorno Karabakh, it must expel the other
community. Otherwise, how can their statements be explained? Who
are the Azerbaijanis, if not the integral part of this term? Or is
it possible to remove them from the demography of the region and
calmly stop to get interested in their opinion and speak of their
physical security? Perhaps, after their return they will still not
be considered one of the two components of the communities of the
Nagorno Karabakh people and will be considered immigrants on the
land of their forefathers? If no, why while speaking of the "Karabakh
people", the French and US co-chairs imply only Armenians and ignore
the Azerbaijani community?

The Day.Az news agency appeals to Bernard Fassier and Matthew Bryza
with a request to clarify their position in this issue and specify
what they imply by saying "people of Nagorno Karabakh". The news
agency also calls on them to specify the phrase "the opinion of the
Karabakh people has not been learned yet and it is early to speak of
their positions". In this connection, there is a reasonable question:
who will the consultations be conducted with to specify positions
of the Karabakh people – the leaders of only Armenian community in
Khankendi or the leaders of both communities?

The wide audience of Day.Az in the country and abroad, including tens
of thousands of Azerbaijanis from Nagorno Karabakh expects the two
co-chairs to explain these key issues.