Author: Tigranian Ani

USA SUPPORTS TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA: U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE
[email protected]

Trend News Agency
02.10.08 19:04
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 2 October /corr. Trend News R.Novruzov / The
USA supports territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Georgia, the
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, John D. Negroponte, said to press
conference in Baku.

"The United States, as a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, makes
big efforts to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The conflict
settlement may be achieved through talks," he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries appeared in 1988
due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani lands including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding districts. Since 1992 to the present
time, these territories have been under Armenian occupation. In 1994,
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement at which time
the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
(Russia, France and USA) are holding peaceful negotiations.

In addition, Negroponte condemned the actions of Russia with regards
to South Ossetia conflict. "We and the European friends rendered
big assistance to Georgia. We hope that taking into consideration
the cost, which paid for its actions, Russia will twice think before
again acting in this way," the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State said.

According to Negroponte, during the dialogue, the USA told Russia that
its actions with regards to Georgia do not provide an opportunity to
ensure peace and are not suitable for the 21st century.

TAMAYA SUSPENDS SHARE TRADING

Melbourne Herald Sun
September 30, 2008 11:51am
Australia

COPPER miner Tamaya Resources has suspended the trading of its shares,
a month after delivering a $141.2 million half-year loss.

Tamaya said today its securities would be "suspended from quotation
immediately at the request of the company following the commencement
of discussions with the company’s secured creditors".

The company said in August that it would require "adequate working
capital" to carry out its ongoing exploration and production, which
Tamaya expected to be provided from its copper operation in Chile.

Tamaya warned, however, that the company’s cash position may become
"constrained" and potential asset sales, "financing and corporate
opportunities" would be considered to address the situation.

Tamaya delivered a $141.2 million loss during the first half of
fiscal 2008, to June 30, after writing down the value of Armenian
and Portuguese gold projects, which are on care and maintenance,
by $147 million.

The company picked up the two projects after it acquired an 86.2 per
cent stake in Iberian Resources Ltd through an unsuccessful takeover.

Tamaya put the Lichkvaz gold project in Armenia on care and maintenance
after deeming it had "not proven to be what was expected" and was
not ready for development in the "foreseeable future".

Shares in Tamaya last traded at 1.4 cents.

HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIAN FUND: THREE INITIATIVES COMPLETED AND OFFICIALLY OPENED IN NAGORNO KARABAKH

armradio.am
27.09.2008 14:06

Opening ceremonies of the Hayastan Fund three completed initiatives –
Togh School, Hadrut and Spitakashen water mains followed each other
in Nagorno Karabakh.

Students of the Togh School have started the new academic year
in improved conditions. The two-storey building of the school,
severely damaged in the 1988-1992 conflict, is now standing new and
welcoming. Today some 100 students attend the school. Years later,
today’s sixteen first-graders’ lasting memory of their school
will be of an attractive place to study at and a good number of
accomplishments.

"I believe this school will be a stimulus both for the students and
the teachers to do even better" said Ara Vardanyan in his speech.

The upgraded part of the school has enough space and facilities to
also accommodate children from the neighboring communities of Jrakuis,
Mariamadzor, Taghut, Tsakuri Hakaku, Mokhrenes, and Tumi. Not only
the classrooms are now well-lit and clean, they are nicely furnished
and will be heated during the winter months. Renovation of the left
block of the Togh School (around US 139 million AMD) was funded within
the Artsakh Rebirth Project and was carried out through the Hayastan
Fund Western Region Affiliate with direct contribution from the AGBU
Manoogian-Demirdjian school students and pa rents.

Among those attending the opening ceremony were the Nagorno Karabakh
Prime Minister Araik Harutyunyan, Head of the Hadrut Administration
Valerik Gevorkyan, Hayastan Fund Acting Executive Director Ara
Vardanyan, Western Region Affiliate Executive Director Sargis
Kotanjian, Minister of Civil Construction Anahit Vardanyan employees
of the Fund, contractors and others.

"One thing that is special about this project is that the school
has been renovated with the money collected by students and their
parents of a similar school", said Sargis Kotanjian addressing the
participants of the ceremony.

"Now when we are implementing reforms to integrate into the
international educational system, our school will undoubtedly meet
the necessary standards. The laboratories of physics, chemistry, and
informatics are adequately equipped and a great help to the teaching
staff in the teaching process. We wouldn’t even dream about it a few
years ago", said the School Principal Vladimir Ghahryan.

Following the opening ceremony of the Togh School, the officials
left for Hadrut to attend the opening ceremony of the Togh-Hadrut
water main. "We realize how important water supply is in most parts
of Nagorno-Karabakh", said the Fund Acting Executive Director Ara
Vardanyan.The Hadrut city water main project with the total cost of
around 420 million AMD was implemented within the Telethon 2006, and
was mainly sponsored by the Fund’s French local committee. Within
the project a 22 km water pipe was installed from Arjaghbyur to
Hadrut. Thanks to the project, water is run by gravity now and it will
provide the city households will much needed water of a better quality.

Spitakashen people at the opening

Construction of the Kaghartsin-Spitakashen 8 km long water main will
provide water to the Spitakashen community of around 470. The project
worth about 80 million AMD was sponsored by the Hayastan Fund Argentine
local committee.

During the opening ceremony all the villagers expressed their gratitude
to Armenians in Argentine for their generous support.

The Hadrut regional hospital and the gas supply will be completed
by the end of the year. Construction of schools in Spitakasken and
Chartar villages will start next month. The water supply project in
Berdashen is already underway.

45 COMPANIES OF ACTORS FROM 30 COUNTRIES TO TAKE PART IN HIGHFEST 5th INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

Noyan Tapan

Se p 26, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. 45 companies of actors from 30
countries of the world will perform on 17 stages of Yerevan in the
days of the Highfest International Performing Arts Festival to be
held between October 4 to 12 in Yerevan. Companies of actors arriving
in Yerevan from Great Britain, the United States, Russia, Canada,
Germany, Australia, Italy, Spain, Israel, France, and other countries
wil present multi-genre, pantomime, dramatic, puppet performances,
as well as modern dance theaters’ best performances to the Armenian
spectator.

As festival director Artur Ghukasian reported at the September 26 press
conference, renowned artists, chairmen of international festivals,
theater critics will be present at the festival, who on the spot will
hold seminars and round tables dedicated to cultural policy and art
management in Armenia.

A festival dedicated to the 100th anniversary of American Armenian
writer William Saroyan will be held for the first time this year
within the framework of Highfest. Performances by the motives of the
great writer’s works will be shown during the festival: 9 Armenian
and 7 foreign companies of actors will present their performances. A
Festival of Puppet and Children’s Theaters will be also organized.

This year world-famous playwright Mark Ravenhill (United Kingdom)
will take part in the festival. In the days of the festival he will
stage his play Lost Paradise jointly with Armenian actors.

The festival head also said that this year the RA Ministry of Culture
has allocated 35m drams for festival’s organization. In consequence of
the conflicts in the region 4-5 companies of actors, in particular,
from Latvia, Luthuania, Sweden, have refused to take part in the
festival. According to A. Ghukasian, they did not mention in their
letters of refusal that he reason is political, but "it is spoken in
the lobbies that Armenia is Russia’s partner."

ARMENIAN FOOTBALL TEAM HAS BEEN DEFEATED BY POLES

Panorama.am
19:30 25/09/2008

The football team of 19 years old Armenian women has had a meeting
with the Europe team of the same old. The meeting took place in Poland.

According to the Armenian Football Federation, in the first round
of the competition Armenian team has played with Poles and has been
defeated by them – 0:3. In the second round Armenians will meet
with Austrians.

BORDER FIXITY AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
by Boaz Atzili

Harvard International Review
September 23, 2008
MA

Boaz Atzili is an Assistant Professor of International politics
at the School of International Service of American University in
Washington, DC. He received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. His publications include articles in International
Security and SAIS Review. He writes about weak states’ international
relations, territorial conflicts and policies, and the Middle East.

Border Fixity: What is it and why does it matter?

International borders are seldom natural in any meaningful sense. They
are human creations – a social construct. The functions of borders
differ markedly across time and space. Borders could be sealed or
permeable. They may allow some kind of transaction (say, of goods)
but restrict another (say, people). They could be based more on people
(as in nomadic societies) or on territory (as in the modern state
system). Regardless of the function of borders, however, the locations
of borders have always changed throughout human history. And these
changes have never been easy. Ample anecdotal and statistical data show
that disputes about the location of borders — that is, territorial
conflicts — have been among the primary motivations for war. This
was true in antiquity and probably even more so in modern times.

Imagine, then, a world in which people do not fight over territory. A
world in which borders are fixed and, therefore, there is no need
to fight over their location. Would it not be a far more peaceful
world? Wouldn’t this world lack one of the chief reasons to go to
war? We need not really imagine, because we are, to a significant
degree, living in such a world – a world in which "border fixity"
is the defining territorial norm. Border fixity is the prohibition of
foreign conquest and annexation of homeland territory, a prohibition
that became increasingly potent in the last half century.

To be sure, the process of fragmentation of the big multinational
empires, which began around the First World War, still
continues. Secessions, while not common, still happen as well. Yet
conquest and annexation of a neighbor’s territory, a phenomenon
very common until the mid-twentieth century, has become increasingly
rare. The few such cases that took place in the last fifty years either
involve minuscule territories, or are still not legally recognized by
the international community. Some such well-known examples include
Israel’s 1967 conquests and Armenia’s Nagorno-Karabakh territory
(the only such case in the last thirty years, if one discounts the
brief annexation of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990). With this transformation
in territorial norms comes a parallel development in international
law. As historian Martin Van Creveld notes in The Rise and Decline
of the State, "All but gone are a whole series of terms, such as
‘subjugation’ and ‘the right of conquest,’ which as late as 1950
formed a normal part of legal discourse in a work on international
law." This transformation is codified and institutionalized, moreover,
in numerous charters, resolutions, and declarations of the United
Nations and various regional international organizations. This does not
mean that states are always satisfied with their territorial status
quo. Many people in Poland, for instance, still consider parts of
Ukraine as rightfully theirs. Bolivia still resents its territorial
losses to Chile in the 19th century’s War of the Pacific. But states
in Europe and South America are less and less likely to go to war
over these issues. They accept current borders as a fact of life,
if not always fair.

But do we really live in the world described in the aforementioned
thought experiment? The answer is most certainly mixed. The same
factors affect relations between states differently in different
situations. In some parts of the world the norm and practice of
border fixity are greatly contributing to the creation of a much more
stable, peaceful, and cooperative environment. Ironically, in other
parts of the world, the same principles and practices create new
logics and incentives for conflict. What determines whether border
fixity transforms international relations for better or for worse
is the socio-political strength of the majority of the states in a
given region. In regions where most states are relatively strong,
such as Europe (save the Balkans), North America, South America,
and to some extent north Asia, border fixity begets stability and
eliminates border conflict. In regions where most states are weak
or failing, such as in Africa, the Middle East, some parts of Asia,
the former Soviet Union, and Central America, border fixity often
generates more international conflict.

As used here, the socio-political strength of states refers first
to the efficiency and the extent of reach of a state’s institutions
and, second, to the level of identification of the residents with
the state. The first component measures the degree to which the
institutions of the state are capable of governing the state. It
thus contains, such measures as the degree of monopoly on the use of
violence, the ability of the state to extract taxes and to distribute
collective goods and the efficiency and geographic reach of the
bureaucracy of state institutions, such as the judicial system, the
police force, and the education system. The second component measures
the degree to which the state is socially cohesive and the citizens
identify themselves with the state per se (not necessarily with its
regime or government) and are loyal to the state. The stronger these
two essential socio-political components are, the stronger the state
is judged to be on this basis.

Border Fixity and Strong States: Providing the Conditions for Peace

In regions in which most states are socio-politically strong, border
fixity contributes to peace and stability by eliminating the option
of territorial wars, reducing anxieties of the security dilemma, and
providing an environment for cooperation. Since territorial conflict
has historically been among the most salient justification for war,
the fact that borders no longer change, by itself, significantly
decreases the likelihood of waging a justifiable war. Alsace and
Lorraine, for example, were at the epicenter of Franco-German conflict
for centuries, changing hands repeatedly. The provinces were given
to Louis XIV of France in 1648, taken by Bismarck’s Prussia in the
Franco-Prussian War of 1871, annexed by France in the 1919 Treaty of
Versailles, conquered by Hitler in 1940, and returned to France by the
Allies in 1945. But in the era of border fixity, Alsace and Lorraine
cannot be (and are not) a matter of international dispute. Germany
accepted Alsace and Lorraine as permanently part of France by its
1955 regaining of sovereignty, and nowhere in the current German
polity can one find any significant reference to Alsace and Lorraine
as a part of Germany. Thus, border fixity has all but eliminated this
cause of prolonged German-Franco conflict

COMMUNITY: UNDER PRESSURE, MCCAIN SENDS LETTER TO BUSH ON THE PATRIARCHATE

Greek News
Tuesday, September 23 @ 17:17:45
New York

In soft language the Republican presidential candidate urges
U.S. President to address Ecumenical Patriarchate’s religious freedom
rights in Turkey Washington, D.C. By Apostolos Zoupaniotis Bowing
to pressure from major Greek American supporters of the Republican
Party, Senator John McCain has issued a letter to U.S. President
George W. Bush expressing his concern on the religious freedom
issues affecting the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In particular, Senator
McCain cites the refusal of the Turkish government to recognize
the "ecumenical" status of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew, and also their denial to reopen the Orthodox Theological
Seminary of Halki.

It is not known if McCain – who is considered a Pentagonist and a
supporter of Turkey, but not Greece – will issue a statement covering
all the issues that concern the Greek American Community. The Obama
campaign will issue such a statement soon.

The letter was sent to President Bush on August 27, but the
announcement was not made until late last Friday, just three days
before a major fundraising of Greek Americans for Obama in Chicago,
during which the Democratic presidential candidate was expected
to promise the community leaders to work towards a solution of the
Cyprus problem, and support the Ecumenical Patriarchate as well as the
Greek positions in the dispute with FYROM over the name issue. The
event is expected to raise about one million dollars and is closed
to the press..

In his letter, Senator McCain says, "As Americans, I know we share
a deep respect for the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and for the
Greek Orthodox community worldwide… The Ecumenical Patriarchate,
the spiritual home to more than 250 million Orthodox Christians living
and worshiping throughout the world, stands as a stirring testament to
the power of faith in the global community… It is in our interest
to work collectively with the Turkish government and our European
allies to pursue a course of action that will protect the rights of
the Ecumenical Patriarchate and prevent a religious tragedy."

Last June, during a meeting with Archbishop Demetrios of America,
Senator McCain failed to explain why he was one of only 16 senators
that didnʼt cosign the letter to Bush and to clarify if he will do
so in the future.

In a statement, Archonʼs National Commander Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis
said, "As an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and as a citizen
of this great nation, I am encouraged to see that both presidential
candidates, Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama, have taken
strong positions advocating religious freedom for the Ecumenical
Patriarchate. The Archons of America will continue to fight for
religious freedom on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Whether
it is in the Congressional Chambers in Washington, or ministerial
offices in Ankara, or the offices of parliamentarians, commissioners,
and justices of the European Union. We will never quit fighting for
religious freedom until we hear the bells of freedom emanating from
the Phanar."

STATE DEPARTMENT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM The US government criticized
Turkey on Friday, in the International Religious Freedom Report that
was released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

"The authorities continued to monitor the activities of Eastern
Orthodox churches but generally did not interfere with their religious
activities; however, significant restrictions were placed on the
administration of the churches. The Government does not recognize the
ecumenical status of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, acknowledging him
only as the head of the country’s Greek Orthodox community. High-level
government leaders often asserted publicly that use of the term
"ecumenical" in reference to the Patriarch violates the 1923 Lausanne
Treaty. Nonetheless, government officials privately acknowledged that
Lausanne does not address the issue."

On the Seminary of Halki it states: "The Ecumenical Patriarchate in
Istanbul continued to seek to reopen the Halki seminary on the island
of Heybeli in the Sea of Marmara. The seminary was closed in 1971
after the Patriarchate chose not to comply with a state requirement
to nationalize in order to avoid being administered by the state. The
Government nationalized all other private institutions of higher
learning in an attempt to control countrywide rioting. Despite
positive public declarations, AKP officials have reportedly not
responded to formal communications from the Greek Orthodox Church
regarding the reopening of Halki Seminary or to resolution of other
concerns affecting the Ecumenical Patriarchate.".

On the property issues it says: "On November 27, 2007, the ECHR heard
the claim of the 2005 Ecumenical Patriarchate’s appeal with the ECHR
concerning the GDF’s expropriation of the Buyukada Orphanage on the
Prince’s Islands that had belonged to the Patriarchate. The ECHR had
yet to announce a decision by the end of the reporting period.

Minority religious groups, particularly the Greek and Armenian Orthodox
communities, have lost numerous properties to the state in the past
and continued to fight ongoing efforts by the state to expropriate
properties. In many cases, the Government has taken control of minority
foundations and expropriated associated properties on the grounds that
the foundations are not operating in accordance with their charters
or that the non-Muslim communities they support have insufficient
populations to sustain the foundations. Such expropriations are
frequently appealed to the Danistay and, if unsuccessful there, to the
ECHR. In July 2007 the country fulfilled its obligation concerning
a January 2007 ECHR ruling in favor of the Fener Greek Boys High
School Foundation by paying the foundation $1,390,000 (ï~_~B890,000)
in compensation for properties that had been expropriated and sold
to third parties. Many religious minorities experienced problems
operating places of worship due to laws governing foundations."

In a press briefing, responding to a question by Greek News Washington
correspondent, Lambros Papandoniou, the State Departmentʼs coordinator
Ambassador Hanford said that US have raised and continue to raise
these issues with the Turkish government.

"I have personally raised them with the ambassador to Turkey. Our
embassy continues to urge the government of Turkey to address these
issues, to permit the opening of the Chalki Seminary, to further
expand religious freedom in general. And, as I think you know,
President Bush has raised this with Prime Minister Erdogan."

THE FULL TEXT

Dear Mr. President I am writing to express concern regarding the
current situation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople,
located in Istanbul, Turkey. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, the spiritual
home to more than 250 million Orthodox Christians living and worshiping
throughout the world, stands as a stirring testament to the power of
faith in the global community.

Many have spoken out in recent years over actions of the government of
Turkey against the Ecumenical Patriarchate, including its decision not
to recognize the ecumenical status of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch and
its refusal to reopen the Halki Seminary. I too share many of these
concerns and believe that the United States must stand in favor of
basic religious rights and freedoms.

The United States and Turkey share an important strategic partnership
based on many shared interests and principles. It is important that
allies speak candidly not only on issues of agreement, but also
on areas of concern. In discussions with the Turkish government,
the United States must voice our strong support for the Ecumenical
Patriarchate and continue our unequivocal advocacy for the preservation
and protection of fundamental human rights, religious liberty, and
social justice.

As Americans, I know we share a deep respect for the Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew and for the Greek Orthodox community
worldwide. It is in our interest to work collectively with the Turkish
government and our European allies to pursue a course of action that
will protect the rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and prevent
a religious tragedy.

Sincerely, John McCain United States Senator

–Boundary_(ID_2GRKyPnB9AYuWpkmuaGr+g)–

PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS FOR PROPORTIONATE DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIA’S REGIONS

ARKA
Sep 22, 2008

AKHTALA (Armenia), September 22. /ARKA/. Proportionate development
of Armenia’s regions is one of the government-set priorities, said
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

"Our purpose is to make regions outstrip Yerevan, as it is not a
secret that the continued centralization of funds in Yerevan hobbles
regional development," the premier told Sunday at a press conference.

He stressed the importance of complex programs for regional
development.

"Alongside with economy, we should focus on infrastructures, cultural
and educational institutions," he said. "We should see that secondary
schools in regions are of the same level as those in big cities."

Sargsyan believes the global school network will enhance education
level in Armenia.

"With the help of these complex programs, the regions will become
‘livable’, people having an opportunity to get quality education and
find high-paid jobs in regions," the premier was quoted saying.

MARIE YOVANOVITCH PROMET DE FAIRE TOUS LES EFFORTS POUR DEVELOPPER LES RELATIONS ARENIE-ETATS-UNIS.

Nouvelles d’Arméni
lundi22 septembre 2008
France

ARMENIE

Les Etats-Unis ont désormais un nouvel Ambassadeur en Arménie, Mme
Marie L. Yovanovitch qui a remis une copie de ses lettres de créance
au Ministre arménien des Affaires Etrangères Edouard Nalbandian.

En félicitant l’Ambassadeur pour sa nomination, le Ministre lui a
souhaité beaucoup de succès dans sa mission et a exprimé l’espoir
d’une nouvelle dynamique entre les deux pays.

Pour sa part, l’Ambassadeur Yovanovitch a promis de faire tous
les efforts nécessaires pour le développement des relations
Arménie-Etats-Unis.

Les deux parties ont aussi mentionné la résolution du conflit du
Nagorno Karabakh et les possibilités de normaliser les relations
Arméno-turques.

–Boundary_( ID_Y+rMFbCh3AIgnh/lUpIdRw)–

Village Voice, NY

Savina Yannatou
Date/Time:Sat., September 27, 8:00pm

Savina Yannatou
By Richard Gehr

The wonderfully idiosyncratic Greek vocalist Yannatou,
accordionist-arranger Kostas Vamvolas, and the five other members of
Primavera en Salonico perform an Armenian lullaby, a Greek sponge
divers’ work song, a Southern Italian olive harvesters’ tune, and a
Yiddish Ashkenazic melody on their spacious and experimental new
album, Songs of an Other. And since this marks the first evening of
the World Music Institute’s two-day Sephardic Song Festival, you
should also expect music from the group’s namesake Greek-Jewish
community, Salonica (now Thessaloniki).