Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

IP LEADER PERINCEK TO APPLY TO ECJ REGARDING DECISION OF SWISS FSC

Turkish Press
Dec 23 2007

ISTANBUL – Dogu Perincek, the leader of Workers` Party (IP) said he
would apply to European Court of Justice regarding the ratification
of the verdicts of Lausanne Court of First Instance and Regional Court
of Appeal by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, on Saturday.

Holding a press conference at his party`s HQs in Istanbul Perincek,
said the Swiss FSC had seriously violated freedom of thought and
scientific freedom.

Perincek said the verdict of FSC rested on the political decisions
of EU acknowledging the `Armenian genocide lie`.

"This is a politically motivated verdict. The Swiss administration and
Swiss judges are becoming a tool for US plot of separating Turkey under
the Greater Middle East Project. This is a shame for Switzerland,"
noted Perincek.

Perincek who indicated they would not surrender to this decision
wowed to mobilise the Turkish citizens living in Europe to stand to
this verdict.

Perincek said he would apply to the ECJ about the verdict.

"I will put a 90kg pile of Armenian documents –proving that the
allegations of an Armenian genocide is an international lie– on the
bench of the ECJ," said Perincek.

IP leader Perincek, was prosecuted for breaching the Swiss law on
"denying" Armenian allegations of genocide because of the remarks he
made during a conference in the Winterthur city of Switzerland in 2005
saying that Armenian allegations of genocide were "an imperialist lie".

"ACCORDING TO CONTRACT MISS IS AGENT NOT MODEL"

Panorama.am
19:01 22/12/2007

"Usually we sign a contract with "Miss Armenia" agency before the
competition "Miss Armenia", and according to the contract, all the
participants of the competition are registered as agents, whereas I’ve
participated in "Miss Bikini International" competition as a model,"
said Syuzanna Nazarova, one of the participants in "Miss Armenia". In
fact she answered to the announcement of Raffi Sayadyan, the manager
of the agency, that Nazarova broke the rule participating in "Miss
World" competition.

According to Ashot Khachatryan, the president of "Miss and Mister
World" international committee, they received an invitation to
participate in "Miss Bikini International" competition. And the
committee chose S. Nazarova to participate. "It is very difficult
to get visa to go to China, thus it is not easy to get there and
participate in a competition," said A. Khachatryan. According to him
"Miss World 2007" took place in Beijing in December 1, and "Miss
Bikini International" – Hong Kong, December 8.

"The competitions took place at the same time. She did not have an
invitation, so how she could participate," said A. Khachatryan.

The thing is that Nazarova’s photos from "Miss Bikini International"
were found in the web page of "Miss World". But they explained that the
administration of "Miss World" just put the photos in their web site.

Raffi Sayadyan said that Margarita Sarukhanyan, the winner of "Miss
Armenia 2007" will take part in "World Beauty Queen" competition, soon.

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 22 2007

FIRST PRESIDENT SINGLES OUT ORINATS YERKIR PARTY AND DASHNAKTSUTYUN

On December 22 the first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
presidential candidate, addressed the congress of political parties
and civil society which support him and stated that the government is
up for tearing to parts the potential of the opposition, encouraging
nomination of sham candidates. Levon Ter-Petrosyan explained this
circumstance as dangerous, saying that thereby the government is
first creating additional resource, as well as dissipating votes and
facilitating fraud.

With regard to sham candidates, Levon Ter-Petrosyan said it does not
concern two political forces which have nominated presidents – the
Orinats Yerkir Party and the ARF Dashnaktsutyun. According to Levon
Ter-Petrosyan, these forces have their stable electorate and they
lead an ideological struggle in the presidential race. Levon
Ter-Petrosyan says by saying sham candidates he means `some
notorious’ activists who ran in the presidential elections in 1998
and 2003 to strike the opposition from the back, first father then
son Demirchyan.

YEREVAN: BAKU-AKHALKALAKI-KARS RAILWAY PROJECT POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
By M. Alkhazashvili

The Messenger
Dec 20 2007
Georgia

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said at a parliamentary
session on December 19 that the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway project
is "politically motivated," according to the news agency Regnum.

"Armenia proposed a cheaper project which would use the existing
railway line, Kars-Gyumri," he said, adding that the rejection of
this proposal "proves that the railway project has political purposes."

Armenia has staunchly opposed the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars project since
its inception, and argues for the reopening the Kars-Gyumri railway,
which was closed when Turkey shut its border with Armenia in 1994.

While in the past Yerevan has cited concern that the
Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars project will increase its economic isolation,
on Wednesday Oskanian said this is not possible.

"Armenia’s isolation happened when the border closed. We cannot be
anymore isolated than we already are," the foreign minister stated.

Support for the project has not come from the West. Washington passed a
law prohibiting US companies from financing the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars
following pressure from the Armenian lobby. The EU does not back
the project either, and would prefer to see increased transit links
between Georgia’s ports and new EU members Bulgaria and Romania.

The Georgian government hopes that the construction of the railway
will help stimulate the local economy in Samtskhe-Javakheti province.

ARMEN RUSTAMIAN: "ESTABLISHMENT OF RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA DOES NOT FIT IN PAN-TURK PROGRAMS"

Noyan Tapan
Dec 20 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The main reason for the current
crisis of the Armenian-Turkish relations are the preconditions
presented to Armenia by Turkey. This statement was made by Armen
Rustamian, the Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations, in his speech made at the parliamentary hearings on the
"Armenian-Turkish relations: Problems and perspectives" subject held
on December 20.

He mentioned that the preconditions are the following: to unilateraly
recognize the regional completeness of Turkey through a double
ratification of the Kars treaty and provide relations between the
region of Nakhijevan and Azerbaijan, to stop the process on the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide and settle the Nagorno Karabakh
problem by taking troops out of Karabakh and adjacent territories.

In the opinion of Armen Rustamian, with its claim concerning the
double ratification of the Kars treaty, Turkey calls in question
the only document on the Armenian-Turkish relations. The reason for
mentioning Nakhijevan among the preconditions is that, according to
the Kars treaty the latter was handed to Azerbaijan as a protected
territory and not a territory to be included in its own structure,
which has been violated by Azerbaijan.

Making the condition for renouncing the process on the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey aims at avoiding any responsibility
with regard to that issue, and in case of necessity for recognition,
at avoiding any material or regional requital. Thus, in the words of
Armen Rustamian, Turkey not only refuses to recognize the Armenian
Genocide but has also "assumed the ignominous role of a person, who
condemns those, who condemn the crime committed against humanity and
a judge, who reverses the charge concerning himself."

Bringing forward the precondition in connection with the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, Turkey, according to Armen Rustamian, makes itself
an officially not declared part of the conflict.

Armen Rustamian mentioned that the establishment of relations with
Armenia does not fit in the geostrategical programs of Turkey and
Azerbaijan: the two states of the same people, the leading idea for
which remains Pan-Turkism. And that, in his conviction, is a threat
not only for the security of Armenia, but of the whole region.

Turkey’s membership in the European Union, in the opinion of the
speaker, can prove favourable for Armenia, if becoming a European
country is a sincere goal for Turkey and not just a means for
strengthening his pan-turk ambitions. "Only that kind of European
Turkey can realize that it should not only renounce the preconditions
of ultimatum character as soon as possible, but, on the contrary,
to also apart from the Ottoman Empire by recognizing the Armenian
Genocide with a posture decent for a civilized country, as well as
to assume a peacemaking role by remaining positively neutral with
regard to the Karabakh issue," Armen Rustamian mentioned.

SERGE AZATICH WILL BUILD PROSPEROUS ARMENIA

A1+
[07:49 pm] 20 December, 2007

The "Prosperous Armenia" party announced today that it will support
the RA Prime Minister, Chairman of the "Republican Party of Armenia"
Serge Sargsyan during the presidential elections. "We are confirmed
that our joint candidate will be able to settle the problems our
country is facing today and maintain political stability", said the
announcement of the "Prosperous Armenia" party.

The RA Prime Minister met the political board of the "Prosperous
Armenia" party and thanked them for supporting his candidature
during the presidential elections. "With its presence at the National
Assembly, its participation in the works of executive power, its role
in the public life, with the great army of parties and supporters,
the "Prosperous Armenia" party is one of the greatest and influential
political powers in our country. And the assistance of such political
power in the presidential elections is a great honor for each political
actor", said Serge Sargsyan in his speech.

ANKARA BARRED TURKISH HISTORIANS FROM VISITING ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.12.2007 15:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian parliament has sent a special invitation
to Turkish scholars and journalists to participate in hearings on
the Turkish-Armenian relations, chairman of the permanent committee
on external relations Armen Rustamian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"The Turkish government spoke out against the arrival of Turkish
scholars. We provided a firm guarantee of security but Ankara decided
that their presence would be inexpedient. For our part, we expressed
readiness to travel to Turkey for similar hearings dedicated to
cancellation of article 301," Rustamian said.

2-day hearings on the Turkish-Armenian relations opened in the RA
National Assembly December 19.

BEIJING TO HOST DAYS OF ARMENIAN CULTURE

ARMENPRESS
Dec 18 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS: China’s capital city, Beijing,
will host Days of Armenian Culture on December 21-27. The event is
envisaged by a bilateral agreement on cultural cooperation between
China and Armenia for 2005-2010.

The Armenian delegation will be headed by culture minister Hasmik
Poghosian. She is scheduled also to meet with her Chinese counterparts.

The Armenian Days will feature a Yerevan pantomime theater, pop and
opera singers, acclaimed musicians and ensembles.

In 2007 October a marionette theater from the Chinese Funzian played
for Armenian audience in Yerevan.

RUSSIAN COMPANY SOLE BIDDER IN ARMENIAN RAILWAY TENDER
By M. Alkhazashvili, Translated by Diana Dundua

The Messenger
Dec 18 2007
Georgia

Shigeo Katsu, regional vice president of the World Bank’s Europe and
Central Asian department, has expressed concern that only one company
remains in a tender for the management rights of Armenian Railways,
according to the news agency Regnum.

He added that the tender had been well-organized and the World Bank
expected more companies to be involved in it. On December 6, Indian
company RITES withdrew its bid, making Russian Railways the only
remaining participant.

Armenian media claim a secret agreement signed by Russian President
Vladimir Putin and his Armenian counterpart guarantees Russian Railway
management rights, making the tender simply a formality.

Critics of the Armenian government have raised worries about Russia’s
increasing economic presence in the country, which has seen Russian
companies acquire key stakes in Armenia’s energy and telecommunication
sectors.

However, Katsu said the World Bank does not take issue with the bidder
itself. "The World Bank has nothing against Russian Railways and we
do not care from which country the company comes from," Regnum quoted
Katsu as saying.

Yerevan announced the tender in October 2006; the winner will have
a 30-year concession, with a right to a 20-year extension, on the
condition it invests USD 170 million in reconstruction projects.

Ararat Khrimian, head of Armenian Railways, said the winner will be
announced after January 2008.

December 15, 2007
World risks future genocides
By JOESPH QUESNEL

KIGALI, Rwanda — Rwanda has made me rethink my foreign policy
assumptions. While I am a realist in that I believe states are mainly
motivated by power and influence — and this is not in itself a bad
thing — I believe humanitarian values must play a much larger role in
the international system. In 1994, states acted as rational actors in
the international system and allowed genocide to occur. The United
States and other Western states, including Canada, did not believe
rescuing almost a million Rwandans was within their national
interest. France supported the Hutu-dominated government in order to
retain a French influence in the region, despite the Rwandan
government’s support for racial extremists.

The U.S. had just endured the humiliation of Somalia, where their dead
soldiers had been dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. They did
not want to see the same thing happen in Rwanda. I understand that.

I can even understand why Belgium reduced their peacekeepers in Rwanda
after 10 of their soldiers had been killed, even as the genocide grew.

These are all rational actions, but all of these factors allowed the
world to watch as checkpoints were established across Rwanda and
citizen militias murdered their fellow citizens and neighbours were
ordered to kill neighbours. I saw pictures of babies cut with
machetes and whole families buried alive in latrines.

After visiting the genocide memorial in Kigali where more than 250,000
civilians are buried, I came to understand we must change our way of
thinking about national sovereignty and the purpose of the state if
genocides are to be prevented.

While never being enthusiastic about violating territorial
sovereignty, there are grounds for it occurring in rare instances. If
a defining characteristic of the sovereign state is the monopoly on
force and the ability to protect citizens from foreign and domestic
harm, it is reasonable that if this is not happening, the state has
broken down and has, in effect, lost sovereignty.

A failed state loses its sovereignty because it is not performing
basic functions for its citizens. During the Rwandan genocide, only
Hutu citizens who supported the genocide received the protection of
their own state. Tutsis were excluded from protection, as were Hutus
who opposed the organized killings.

The Rwandan army, in murdering its own citizens, was not performing
its role of defending everyone.

A failed state, as in Rwanda, is not in the same standing as a civil
war, for even moral conduct is expected of the state actor involved.

During the genocide, the Rwandan Patriotic Front was liberator. As the
Tutsi-dominated rebel army, it acted on behalf of its Tutsi
cousins. It eventually defeated the forces responsible for the
genocide. But, to a certain extent, it rationally acted on behalf of
ethnic brethren.

What the world lacked was an armed force not connected to the
situation that could help restore the state to its proper functions of
protecting and defending citizens.

Of course, it must be proven this situation exists before such drastic
action is taken.

Until it does, the world risks another Rwanda.

_CANOE_ () home. Winnipeg, Canada