Author: Taslakhchian Andranik

Separation of two processes ineffective: Jamestown Foundation

News from Armenia – NEWS.am
17:21 / 12/12/2009

Vladimir Socor, the analyst at Jamestown Foundation comments on U.S.
role in Armenia-Turkey reconciliation, saying that separation of
Karabakh conflict and Armenia-Turkey rapprochement or privileging the
latter proved to be `ineffective’. `Some U.S. administration officials
with experience in the region did caution that progress was achievable
if the two tracks were synchronized, rather than separated.’

`Obama’s initiative could have generated positive dynamics throughout
the region, with strategic gains for the United States, had it pursued
the Turkish-Armenian normalization track in synchronization with the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict-resolution track,’ the article reads.

According to the author, during his visit to U.S., Turkish Premier
Erdogan was reminded that Protocols should be ratified `without
preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe.’

`The US and EU pressed for fast progress on Turkey-Armenia
normalization, but failed to press for Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict-resolution in the &`Minsk Group’ or the bilateral format,’
Socor says.

According to Socor, Erdogan’s visit to Washington proves that Turkish
authorities `have adjusted their course’. `It remains for Baku to
diversify its outreach to Turkey beyond Kemalist, nationalist, and
moderate conservative groups, so as to encompass also the increasingly
influential liberal opinion-making circles,’ the author concludes.

A.G.

TURKEY VIOLATED

Lragir.am
10/12/09

Judging by the meeting of the Obama-Erdogan, Turkey managed to
extract from it the benefits and provided the American president
with its approaches concerning the Armenian and Turkish process,
said Kiro Manoyan who is in charge of the ARF Bureau Hay Dat. ‘This
time too Turkey managed to present its positions somehow convincing
the American president’, – says Manoyan.

He believes that this is another convenient reason for the Armenian
authorities to declare a violation by Turkey of the rules of the
football diplomacy and to leave the negotiation process. Kiro Manoyan
considers symptomatic the fact that the Turkish parliamentary committee
on foreign relations did not issue its opinion on December 7 on the
Armenian-Turkish protocols, despite the deadline in accordance with
the Turkish legislation.

‘The later we leave the process, the deeper we will go and the
possibility to reduce our harms will decrease’, – said Kiro Manoyan.

AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES TOOK PART IN TRAININGS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

Thu 10 December 2009 | 10:48 GMT

Eldar Sabiroghlu 170 events to be held within third stage of IPAP.

170 events will be held within the framework of the third stage of
the Individual partnership actions plan, according to spokesman for
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry Eldar Sabiroghlu.

"The third stage will start in March-April of this year. 170 events
will be held in frames of the third stage with 119 to be held by
the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry", Sabiroghlu told a news conference
Thursday.

Also, the Azerbaijani armed forces took part in NATO seminars and
courses in different countries in the past three months.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

December 9, 2009
___________________________________________

AT THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES ASSEMBLY, ABP. AYKAZIAN REFLECTS ON HIS
TERM AS PRESIDENT

The National Council of Churches’ annual general assembly met November 11-13
in Minneapolis, Minn., under the joint presidency of Archbishop Vicken
Aykazian, NCC President and Legate of the Diocese, and Bishop Johncy Itty
(who chairs the board of directors of the NCC’s outreach arm, Church World
Service).

The meeting marked the last time the country’s largest ecumenical
organization would gather under Archbishop Aykazian’s presidency. Elected to
a standard two-year term of office in 2007, he is the first Armenian
clergyman (and the first of the Oriental Orthodox family of churches) to be
elected to head the NCC. Archbishop Aykazian also serves on the central
committee of the World Council of Churches, and is an active figure in the
national and international ecumenical arenas.

The 2009 NCC assembly took its theme from one of the Pauline Epistles
("Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances," I
Thess 5:16-18), but also called upon member churches and world governments
to advance toward more universal justice and peace.

The Rev. Michael Kinnamon, the NCC’s general secretary, and the Rev. John
McCullough, executive director of Church World Service, made forceful
presentations on combating poverty, and on addressing reform of the U.S.
healthcare system.

The General Assembly also issued a statement on the massacre at Fort Hood,
Texas-which had occurred days prior to the gathering-which called for "all
Christians and religious communities of good will to reach out to one
another through personal dialogue, local awareness-building, national
advocacy advancements, and other means of fostering relationships of trust
and mutuality."

Other statements coming out of the assembly revolved around nuclear
disarmament and gun control.

The NCC affirmed its role in advocating awareness of historic and current
genocides, and in seeking progress for a Middle-East peace process which
acknowledges the rights and historic presence of the region’s beleaguered
Christian minorities. Archbishop Aykazian has been a vocal proponent for the
latter causes during his tenure as NCC president.

A whole new level

The Armenian Church has been very active in the ecumenical movement for
decades. The church entered the arena under the pontificate of Catholicos of
All Armenians Vasken I, and ecumenical engagement has been nourished and
advanced under his successors Catholicos Karekin I and Catholicos Karekin
II.

In America, the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church has had a long and
influential relationship with the NCC, and the Western Diocese likewise.
Armenian representatives at the 2009 NCC assembly included the Very Rev. Fr.
Aren Jebejian (of Chicago, Ill.) and Yeretzgin Arpi Kouzouian (of Cambridge,
Mass.) from the Armenian Church of America’s Eastern Diocese, and the Rev.
Fr. Vartan Kasparian (of Yettem, Calif.) from its Western Diocese.

Building on this long history, the 2007 election of Archbishop Aykazian to
the NCC presidency brought the Armenian Church’s interaction and influence
"to a whole new level," in the words of Fr. Aren Jebejian. "He was an
excellent president to the NCC, because of his national and international
connections."

Regarding his term as president, Archbishop Aykazian does not look upon it
as a personal achievement. "The NCC elected the participation of the
Armenian Church in ecumenical life here in the U.S. and around the world. It
was a sign of appreciation for the work that our church has done so far."

He stressed the importance of bringing churches together and getting
involved in the social lives of people: helping the hungry, the
poverty-stricken, those affected by HIV. "The NCC is the voice of the
voiceless," said Archbishop Aykazian. "As the most prestigious Christian
organization, its role is to find unity among the churches and then to use
that unity to make the world a better place."

Archbishop Aykazian will finish his two-year term as president on December
31, 2009. But when he steps down he will remain a member of the NCC’s
executive committee. The installation of the new president, Rev. Peg
Chemberlin, currently the executive director of the Minnesota Council of
Churches, took place on November 13, as part of the general assembly.

"As president of the NCC, it was a blessing to be able extend friendship to
people in the Middle East and Far East, and to meet with religious leaders
in those parts of the world," reflected Archbishop Aykazian. "My role will
not change much once I step down."

He believes that the challenges now faced by Christians in the U.S. relate
primarily to interfaith dialogue, and to creating an environment within
which peace can develop and flourish, here in the U.S. and around the world.
"We can only create more opportunities for dialogue. The NCC supports
interfaith dialogue, and will continue along this path."

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ
in the USA has been a leading voice for ecumenical cooperation among
Christians in the United States. The NCC’s member faith groups include
various Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic
African-American, and "Living Peace" churches.

###

Photos attached.

Photo 1: Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, NCC President and Legate of the Eastern
Diocese, and the Rev. Michael Kinnamon, the NCC’s general secretary.

Photo 2: The Very Rev. Fr. Aren Jebejian (of Chicago, Ill.) and Yeretzgin
Arpi Kouzouian (of Cambridge, Mass.) at the NCC annual general assembly in
Minneapolis, Minn.

AMERICAN AZERBAIJANIS WELCOME THE OBAMA-ERDOGAN NEGOTIATIONS

APA
08 Dec 2009 20:41

Washington. Isabel Levin – APA. American Azerbaijanis network welcomes
the Obama-Erdogan negotiations, held in Washington DC yesterday,
APA’s US correspondent was told at USAN. US Azerbaijanis notice,
that "the item of most interest to our community was on the subject
of the opening of the land border between Armenia and Turkey".

The U.S. Azeris Network is content with the public remarks and results
of the talks between the two leaders, "because they re-emphasize the
historic and umbilical link between the symbolism of the opening of
the land border between Armenia and Turkey, and the need for Armenian
military withdrawal from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region."

USAN also stresses that "It was precisely because of Armenia’s
military occupation of 16% of Azerbaijan and the ethnic cleansing
of some 800,000 Azerbaijanis from their homeland in 1991-1994,
culminating in the occupation of Kelbajar region in April 1993, that
the Republic of Turkey, complying with several UN Security Council
resolutions and OSCE decisions dealing with Armenian occupation and
military aggression, closed its border with Armenia".

They remind Turkey’s assistance: "Turkish action saved countless
Azerbaijani lives, and made an important precedent in the penalizing a
nation that broke all international laws and chose military aggression
and occupation as the way to develop".

USAN states, that today, with Armenia wanting to open the border,
"these talks and negotiations present a unique chance for the
international community, particularly Turkey and the U.S., to bring
the OSCE Minsk Group peace negotiations, that are going on since 1992,
between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan, to a successful fruition."

The USAN calls on: Armenia to comply with the four outstanding UN
Security Council resolutions from 1993; the Armenian Diaspora and
its lobby and advocacy organizations to stop being an impediment to
the peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus; regional powers to
more strongly support the sequential course of actions; Turkey for
continued coordination of actions with Azerbaijan, and fending off
pressure to open the border unilaterally; United States for using its
unique influence to compel Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora to view
this sequential course of action as a necessity primarily for Armenia
and Armenians, as it is in full interest of the Armenian nation.

AZERBAIJANI EXPERT SAYS USA TO SUPPORT ARMENIA

Panorama.am
15:07 07/12/2009

Day.az referred to recent developments of US-Turkish relations and
Armenian-Azerbaijani ties over the ground of those relations.

Political expert Zardusht Alizade said the US won’t make any changes in
its disposition over the NKR conflict. He is sure US was supporting
and supports Armenia in this issue. Hence, it would be naïve to
wait for any changes. Regarding the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs,
Alizade said, they are implementing the issue put before them. The
Minsk Group co-chairs prepare meetings between the conflict sides and
makes recommendations to them. Alizade stated that we should remember
the conflict states are Armenia and Azerbaijan, hence in this matter
those states have principle role.

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
Dec 3 2009

Armenian Inflation Accelerates in November

BYLINE: Venla Sipila

According to latest consumer price data from the Armenian National
Statistical Service, annual inflation in November came in at 4.6%,
accelerating from the October rate of 3.5%, and also clearly exceeding
the September measure of 3.7%. Very diverse developments within food
categories continued. Indeed, food prices continued falling in annual
comparison, even if the decrease moderated to 0.5% after food price
deflation of 2.6% year-on-year (y/y) was witnessed in October. Growth
of non-food good prices accelerated to 10.9% y/y, while the increase
in service tariffs eased, however remaining in double digits too, with
a gain of 10.4% y/y. Meanwhile, month-on-month (m/m) comparison shows
in inflation accelerating to 1.2%, following the October result of
0.5% m/m. This acceleration was clearly driven by strengthening food
price pressures. The latest developments took the cumulative consumer
price growth since the beginning of the year to 4.5%, while the annual
inflation rate for the January-November period was reported at 3.1%.

Significance:Demand-side inflation pressures remain very weak, amid
the drastic economic contraction Armenia is dealing with. However,
notable cost side push is evident via the rapidly rising annual
service price inflation, due to the increase in Russian gas prices
implemented earlier in the year. In any case, annual inflation this
year should quite comfortably remain within the central bank’s target
range of 4% with limits of 1.5 percentage points on either side. Om
the other hand, given Armenia’s worryingly wide external financing
requirement, exchange rate risks also serve as a factor in lending
major uncertainty to the inflation outlook.

LINKING SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT WITH OSCE MINSK IS UNPROMISING: AZERBAIJANI MP

Today
Dec 4 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with member of Azerbaijani Milli Majlis (parliament)
Fazil Mustafa.

Day.Az: Optimistic statements were made after Azerbaijani and Armenian
foreign ministers’ meeting. Is resolution of the Karabakh conflict
likely to see progress soon?

Fazil Mustafa: Of course, it is difficult to judge outcome of
foreign ministers’ negotiations from aside. Azerbaijan-Armenia
negotiations have recently been intensified due to the Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement. However, I see no reason for an optimistic spirit
about resolution of the conflict.

What can give an impetus to resolving the Karabakh conflict?

First, the international community is trying to eliminate possible
military solution to the Karabakh conflict limiting the ways Azerbaijan
can use to return the Armenia-occupied lands. I believe the world
community’s pressure on Armenia to take constructive position may give
impetus to the conflict settlement. If this does not happen, Azerbaijan
has a right to consider other ways of solving the Karabakh conflict.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that he is going
to debate the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at a coming meeting with U.S.

president Barack Obama. Do you think the new U.S. administration may
change position on the Karabakh issue?

I think the new U.S. administration will not change position on the
Karabakh issue. Washington took a position more loyal to Moscow to
avoid confrontation with Russia that might occur in case U.S. changes
position on our region. On other hand, much will depend on the Turkish
prime minister and his ability to change Barack Obama position on
the Karabakh conflict.

Can activities of the OSCE Minsk Group be revived through reforms?

I think linking settlement of Karabakh conflict with OSCE Minsk
is unpromising. The fact is that the OSCE is losing credibility as
an organization. The OSCE Chairman also admits it noting a need to
reform this organization. I think that a new format will be offered
soon to replace the OSCE Minsk Group to assist in resolving the
Karabakh conflict.

LIFE ON A STRING
by Devi Berdzenishvili and Maria Mirzoyan

Transitions on Line
Dec 4 2009
Czech Rep.

Recalling an artistic institution of Armenian Tbilisi, before it
disappears.

Click here to watch a slide show about the Davtyan Family Marionette
Theater.

In 1993 the Tbilisi State Armenian Drama Theater mounted a new
production of the famous Armenian folk tale Khach Nazar (Brave Nazar).

That this oft-told satiric story of undeserving, battle-hungry
rulers would be staged in Georgia’s capital at a time of civil war
and economic strife is not surprising. What was remarkable about this
performance was the cast – a troupe of puppets built and brought to
life by the Armenian master Garegin "Gary" Davtyan.

DAVTYAN’S ‘SELF-PORTRAIT.’

Soon afterward Davtyan launched his own puppet playhouse in the family
apartment in Avlabar, a historically Armenian enclave in old Tbilisi.

Here the artist – a sculptor, painter, and mechanical engineer who
had focused on puppetry since the late 1960s – had his studio and his
stage. With the help of his wife, Zhanna, and their children, Anna
and Giorgi, he created what Georgian art critic Marina Medzmariashvili
calls "one of the brightest phenomena of Tbilisi urban culture."

Medzmariashvili places Davtyan in the long line of great Armenian
artists from Tbilisi, such as filmmaker Sergei Parajanov and writer
Hovhanness Tumanyan (author of the most famous version of Khach Nazar).

Davtyan died in 2002 at age 55 of a blood disease. Since then his
family has maintained the theater, continuing to manipulate his
expressive handmade characters in frequent, usually impromptu,
and always free performances for audiences ranging from local
schoolchildren to international celebrities.

Giorgi, a 35-year-old magazine layout editor, said he and his sister,
now 31, who works at the Armenian Embassy in Tbilisi, acquired their
father’s obsession in their student years. "We became engrossed
headlong in this pursuit, forgetting about day-to-day activities,
responsibilities, sleep, and food," he recalls. "Our puppet theater
became the job of our life. And to some extent it remains so today."

Giorgi’s 11-year-old daughter, Alexandra, is a budding puppeteer
as well.

But the puppet playhouse’s days may be numbered, at least in its
original incarnation, as urban renewal takes hold in Avlabar. As
in other older parts of Tbilisi, the Armenian district’s ramshackle
buildings, including the one housing the Davtyan theater, are slated
for demolition to make way for modern homes. "Nothing has been decided
yet, but it’s a matter of time," Zhanna Davtyan says.

The change is welcomed by locals, who will be moved out of crumbling
old buildings and relocated by investors in the development project.

Even Zhanna is philosophical about the situation: "Sooner or later
the house will be demolished. And it will be done by law – nothing to
complain about." She hopes to re-establish the puppet theater in her
new home but acknowledges it will not be the same: "It’s unbearable to
watch Gary’s life’s work be wiped off the face of the earth," she says.

Alexandra Davtyan, 11, performs with her grandmother and aunt.

Photo by Zaven Sarksyan.

Devi Berdzenishvili covers culture, politics, and the economy
for Russian-language publications in Tbilisi and writes for the
Moscow-based daily Argumenti I Fakti. Maria Mirzoyan is a Tbilisi
native now based in Yerevan, where she writes for the arts magazine
MenQ.

BARACK OBAMA DIDN’T USE "GENOCIDE" IN LETTER TO ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA

APA
Dec 4 2009
Azerbaijan

Washington – APA. "I agree that normalization between Armenia
and Turkey should move forward without preconditions and within a
reasonable timeframe," said U.S. President Barack Obama in a letter
to Hirair Hovnanian, chairman of the Armenian Assembly of America,
APA reports quoting ArmToday.

The letter was sent in response to a joint appeal to Obama from
Armenian Diaspora. The American Armenians urged Obama to honor his
campaign pledges to recognize the "Armenian genocide", but in his
reply, Obama again didn’t use the word "genocide" calling 1915 events
as "one of the great atrocities of the 20th century". I believe that
the best way to advance that goal is for the Armenian and Turkish
people to address the facts of the past as part of their efforts to
move forward", said Obama.