Author: Vardapetian Ophelia

LA CHRONIQUE DE CHRISTIAN MAKARIAN: DEGEL TACTIQUE
par Makarian Christian

L’Express
11 Septembre 2008
France

On est très loin de Camp David et de l’accolade entre Sadate et
Begin. Mais la courte escapade du president turc, Abdullah Gul,
a Erevan n’en represente pas moins une date historique. Non pas en
raison de ce qui s’est produit, ce 6 septembre 2008, mais pour ce
que cette journee inaugure.

On peut d’abord esperer un dialogue bilateral, peut-etre enfin "
normal ", entre deux Etats voisins ayant traverse tant de haine que
les limites sont atteintes. Habilement, un soft agenda a ete fixe :
les ministres turc et armenien des Affaires etrangères se rencontreront
a New York, a la fin de septembre, et le president Serge Sarkissian est
invite en Turquie pour le match retour de qualification a l’occasion du
Mondial 2010. On peut ensuite escompter l’ouverture de la frontière,
exigence de l’Union europeenne envers Ankara, qui decreta un blocus,
en 1993, par solidarite avec l’Azerbaïdjan, defait par les Armeniens
sur leurs terres ancestrales du Haut-Karabakh. Cette normalisation
est de l’interet des deux pays. L’Armenie est, a l’heure actuelle,
obligee de faire transiter l’essentiel de ses echanges par la Georgie,
redevenue très instable, soit un surcoût global de 30 %. La Turquie,
elle, y voit surtout un moyen d’ameliorer son image de candidate a
l’integration europeenne et d’aider au desenclavement de son Far East
anatolien. Mais tout cela ne pèserait pas lourd si Moscou ne poussait
pas Erevan a se rapprocher des Turcs, avec des arrière-pensees tant
economiques que strategiques, et si Washington n’encourageait pas
Ankara a s’eriger en geant diplomatique moyen-oriental destine a
damer le pion a l’Iran.

A supposer que ces avancees se realisent, elles ne doivent pas occulter
ce qu’il ne faut pas attendre de sitôt : la reconnaissance par la
Turquie du genocide de 1915, perpetre par l’Empire ottoman. En optant
pour le rapprochement avec l’Armenie (3 millions d’habitants), la
Turquie vise aussi a isoler la diaspora armenienne (4 millions d’âmes),
très active, que rien ne pourra faire renoncer a la reconnaissance du
genocide. Or ce projet, brûlant, se poursuit independamment du degel
entre Ankara-Erevan : Barack Obama et Joe Biden se sont prononces
recemment en faveur de cette reconnaissance. L’elite turque doit
encore mediter cette phrase de Nietzsche : " L’homme de l’avenir est
celui qui aura la memoire la plus longue. "

–Boundary_(ID_o/1fkxC/UkwPKxEeaVGAtg)–

TIGRAN TOROSYAN: REALIZATION OF THE RIGHT FOR SELF-DETERMINATION THE ONLY SOLUTION TO NK CONFLICT

armradio.am
11.09.2008 17:09

On September 11 Speaker of RA National Assembly Tigran Torosyan
received the delegation headed by the special representative of the
Foreign Minister of Greece, Ambassador Nicolaos Kalantsianos. The
meeting was attended by Armenia’s Permanent Representative in the OSCE
Ashot Hovakimyan, Head of the OSCE Yerevan Office Sergey Kapinos,
Armenian Ambassador to Greece Vahram Kazhoyan and Greek Ambassador
to Armenia Ioannis Korinthios.

Greeting the guests, the Armenian Parliament Speaker noted that the
visit coincided with an interesting and hard period in the region:
the August events have created a complex situation. Mr. Torosyan
expressed confidence that Greece, which is assuming the chairmanship
of the OSCE, can contribute to the settlement of regional issues,
and Armenia is ready to participate in that important process.

Ambassador Nicolaos Kalantsianos noted that after assuming the
presidency of the organization in 2009, Greece will keep in focus the
events in Georgia and through cooperation with the European Union and
the OSCE member states everything possible will be done to overcome
the crisis, which is very important for the region. Mr. Kalantsianos
asked the NA Speaker to present his views on the resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh issue and the Armenian-Turkish relations. Turning to
the Karabakh iss ue, NA Speaker presented the process of the conflict
and the bases of settlement within the framework of international
law. Mr. Torosyan said it’s absurd that the conflict is viewed as a
conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ignoring NKR, while the OSCE
has recognized Nagorno Karabakh as a party to the conflict and the
truce has been signed between the three sides. The only real solution
to the conflict is the realization of the right of Karabakhi people
for self-determination.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF WILLIAM SAROYAN TO KICK OFF IN ARMENIA ON OCTOBER 6

ARKA
Sep 10, 2008

YEREVAN, September 10. /ARKA/. An international workshop on the 100th
anniversary of Armenian-American writer William Saroyan will take
place in Armenia on October 6-10, the RA Ministry of Culture reports.

"The conference is an attempt to delve deeper into Saroyan’s literary
heritage," said Karo Vardanyan, head of the cultural policy department
of the RA Ministry of Culture.

Local and foreign writers, as well as literary critics from 25
countries will participate in the workshop. The organizers of the
conference are the Union of Writers of Armenia, Yerevan-based Brusov
State Linguistic University and the RA Ministry of Culture.

Saroyan (1908-1981) was born in Frezno, California, to a family of
Armenian immigrants.

The young playwright made his breakthrough after publishing
"The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" (1934) in the Story
Magazine. Saroyan’s first play "My Heart’s in the Highlands" was
published in 1939.

ARMY FOLLOWED AND RECORDED MOVEMENTS OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES IN TURKEY

AsiaNews.it
Sept 8 2008
Italy

The revelations, made by a newspaper, highlight the reports by military
agents on the activities of all the Christian Churches. Meanwhile,
there is tension over the visit to prison by the head of the military
district of Koaceli, to the generals detained over the Ergenekon
affair.

Ankara (AsiaNews) – The front pages of the newspapers continue to be
dominated by two events, both related to the Ergenekon (clandestine
Turkish paramilitary group) affair. The reports reveal how the Turkish
army followed all of the movements of Christian missionaries in Turkey,
and the visit made by the head of the military district of Koaceli,
on the orders of the defense chief, to the men detained over the
Ergenekon affair.

The newspaper Radikal has made important revelations, at the 53rd
anniversary of the famous pogrom against the Orthodox community in
Istanbul, which began the definitive "cleansing" of this community
(in reality, it had its origins at the beginning of the 20th century,
and was carried out during the 1920’s, ’30’s, and ’40’s, with various
methods). Today, the community has been reduced to 3,000, with an
average age of 60. The same factors have influenced the Catholic
community. These revelations have brought to light reports drafted by
the armed forces of the Aegean, which took on the task of following and
recording all of the movements of Christian missionaries in Turkey, in
seven of the nine regions under its jurisdiction, including Istanbul,
Izmir, and Samsun. The reports contain a detailed daily account of the
movements of the missionaries, and in the various Christian Churches.

In a report signed with the initials of a lieutenant colonel, all of
the movements in the Kurtulus Catholic Church in Ankara are recorded,
demonstrating that all of the churches and missions were under close
surveillance by army intelligence.

So all of the movements of Christian missionaries were recorded
in those regions, and there was aggression toward them and their
churches. The victims of this violence include Kiamil Kyroglu,
head of the Protestant church in Adana, in 2005; Adriano Francini,
in Smyrna, in 2007, and Fr. Santoro, killed in Trabzon in 2006. All
of the attackers arrested in these cases were underage or psychopathic.

In order to make an ironic description of the zeal of the intelligence
agents toward Christian minorities, the same newspaper highlights an
event that took place in Smyrna in 2005, when ecumenical patriarch
Bartholomew, viewed as the greatest threat, attended a concert
there. In that case, the agents recorded every aspect of the concert,
even making detailed mention of the flute soloist. The comment of
the patriarchate in this regard is laconic: "we have nothing to hide".

And precisely in the light of these events, there is a great deal
of concern over the visit made, on the order of the defense chief,
by the head of the military district of Koaceli, General Galip Menti,
to the two retired generals Tolon and Eruigur, imprisoned in Kadira
over the Ergenekon affair. There has been a variety of comments over
the visit. Erdogan has described it as purely humanitarian, while the
opposition parties CHP and MHP have expressed their satisfaction with
the visit, which according to them was a long time in coming. Some
of the intellectuals, and most of the newspapers, are expressing
a contrary view, considering it interference with the process of
justice: the army seems to be saying that it still has a hand in
managing political affairs in Turkey.

Just a few days ago, at his inaugural address the new head of the
army said that foreign countries should not be trusted in Turkey’s
fight against terrorism, and that the United States and the European
Union instead have a concealed plan to dismember Turkey.

Significant in this regard is the analysis made by the authoritative
newspaper Hurriet, according to which this visit was intended to
transmit a message. The newspaper notes that: 1) the news of the visit
was published on the website of the armed forces, which in this way
expressed its solidarity and protection toward those who have served
in the army; 2) the visit had the approval of the leadership of the
armed forces; 3) in its statement, the armed forces expressed its trust
in the judiciary, and declared that it does not intend to influence
its decisions; 4) authorization for the visit was requested from the
judiciary, and General Galip Menti made the visit in civilian clothing.

In short, the struggle continues between the AKP end the armed forces.

But the latest surveys, conducted after the court decision declining
to shut down the AKP, and published by Turkish Daily News, see a
reinforcement of the positions of the Islamic AKP party, with 50.9%
supporting it, while 9.5% support the CHP (of Kemalist origin), 6.6%
the MHP (ultranationalist) and 2.7% the DTP (pro-Kurdish). In another
survey, published by Today’s Zaman, controlled by Fetulah Gulen,
67% of Turks say they are in favor of their country joining the
European Union. As for the shutdown of the DTP, the pro-Kurdish party
represented in the Turkish parliament, 57.6% say they are against
it being disbanded, while 31.2% are in favor and 11.3% expressed no
opinion. Finally, 77.9% approve of President Gul.

Finally, there is a rather curious and unique fact for Turkey. The
historic visit of Gul to Erevan was supported by 60% of Turks – and
by Bush – and protested by the opposition. But during and after the
game against Armenia, that ended with a win for Turkey, there was
not even a whisper of celebration. Orders from above?

Il Manifesto, Italia
04 Settembre 2008

IL PRESIDENTE TURCO ROMPE IL TABÙ
Gul in Armenia per la partita

Ha scelto una partita di calcio per compiere un gesto clamoroso, che
non mancherà di rinfocolare la polemica con i nazionalisti. Il
presidente turco, Abdullah Gul, assisterà sabato prossimo a Yerevan,
in Armenia, all’incontro tra la nazionale locale e quella turca, per
la qualificazione ai prossimi campionati mondiali. I due stati non
hanno relazioni diplomatiche e la loro frontiera comune resta chiusa
da quando, nel 1991, l’Armenia è diventata indipendente. La Turchia
rifiuta di considerare «genocidio» il massacro di circa 1,5 milioni di
armeni sotto l’impero ottomano, tra il 1915 e il 1917. Da decenni le
autorità armene si battono in sede internazionale, affinché il governo
di Ankara riconosca il genocidio. Ad oggi oltre 12 Paesi, diverse
organizzazioni internazionali nonché gran parte degli storici
occidentali hanno riconosciuto l’esistenza dello sterminio di
massa. Le autorità turche, sinora, si sono limitate a confermare
l’uccisione di molti civili armeni, negando tuttavia che si sia
trattato di genocidio sistematico e premeditato. Gul, esponente del
partito islamista moderato Akp, è già stato aspramente criticato in
patria semplicemente per aver preso in considerazione l’idea di un
viaggio in Armenia. Secondo quanto annunciato dal sito internet della
presidenza della repubblica, Gul assisterà al match assieme al suo
omologo armeno Serge Sarkisian. Gul ha espresso la speranza che il
viaggio offra ai due paesi l’opportunità d’intendersi meglio e creare
un nuovo clima d’amicizia nella regione.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Sept 5 2008

Talking with elected politicians instead of Diaspora

by Kenan DAÄ?CI*

Both Armenia and Turkey are eager to preserve the status quo in
bilateral relations. Armenia developed an official policy involving
Armenian genocide allegations and territorial claims whereas Turkey
closed all communication channels to Armenia and created an official
stance vis-à-vis this country. It closed its borders withArmenia;
additionally, it has also declared that it would never abandon its
current policy unless Armenia gives up on its allegations with regard
to so-called Armenian genocide and the territorial claims.

Status quo disruptive to interests of both countries

Armenia’s uncompromising stance alienates Armenian people with
international community; for this reason, Armenia fails to integrate
with the civilized world. The people are suffering from extreme
poverty because of this policy. Armenia’s integration with the West
and the international community through Turkey which shares sea and
land borders with the Western world. An Armenian with good ties with
Turkey may become a country which enjoys economic prosperity and
greater political independence.

Likewise, Turkey expects any probable change in Armenian attitude
without compromising from its official policies. However, preservation
of the current status quo is harmful to both Turkish and Armenian
interests. Armenia is an important country `at least as important as
Georgia is’in terms of geopolitical location. It serves as a vital
bridge for Turkey’s reach to the eastern markets and its energy
policies. It also has a crucial place for Turkey in terms of its
connection with the Turkic republics in Central Asia. As observed in
the recent war between Georgia and Russia, Turkey’s reliance on
policies that only consider Georgia in the region may bear great risks
for the present and for the future.

Instead of remaining inactive, Turkey can create an island of peace
and stability in its east by developing new instruments. Why is Turkey
anticipating the first step that will be useful for its interests from
Armenia?

Whether or not President Abdullah Gül should watch a soccer
game between Turkish and Armenian national squads on September 6 has
been extensively discussed. Armenian President Serj Sarkisyan’s
invitation can actually be interpreted as their eagerness to take some
action and to voice the will of Armenian people. President Gül
positively responded to the olive branch extended by Sarkisyan by
accepting the invitation. Turkey should be able to use this invitation
as a new instrument.

Should Turkey hold talks with the elected Armenian President or the
Armenian Diaspora?

Serj Sarkisyan is the President of Armenia who was elected to this
post after receiving support of 57 percent of Armenian people. For the
first time, Sarkisyan took such a great risk after his election as
president. He ignored harsh criticisms by the diaspora and extremely
nationalist Dashnak Party and invited Gül.

In Turkey, National Movement Party (MHP) and People’s Republican Party
(CHP) carried out a campaign to prevent Gül’s visit to
Yerevan. MHP described Gül’s visit as a historically grave
mistake, adding that this would injure our national honor and
pride. CHP leader Baykal who said, `I rather go to Baku instead of
Armenia,’ tried to put pressure over the president. However, the
discourse of both parties does not involve a vision that will
contribute to the resolution of the existing problems. What could this
approach do other than sustaining the current status quo? However,
Gül’s visit to Yerevan could serve as a great opportunity that
will initiate a peace process between the peoples of Armenia and
Turkey. If such opportunities are properly used, the current situation
cannot be changed. A dialogue process that could possibly include
Armenia Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia could open new communication
channels and ultimately contribute to the improvement of stability and
peace in the region.

Improved relations between Turkey and Armenia could contribute to
resolution of Karabagh Question

Improved relations between Armenia and Turkey and opening of new
communication channels in these relations are also helpful for
Azerbaijan to attain its goals. Policies pursued in regards to the
Karabagh Question under the auspices of countries and international
organizations including the US, Russia and Organization of Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have not produced any fruitful
results for many years. It is evident that these policies will not be
useful at the present time as well because big powers which have
interests in the region do not want to see this issue resolved. As
long as the Karabagh issue remains, Azerbaijan and Armenia stay
dependent on big powers including Russia and the US. Sustenance of
this state of dependence is consistent with the interests of big
powers because they are able to keep their control and influence over
Azerbaijan and Armenia. For instance, Russia has installed bases in
Armenian territories by exploiting the tension between Azerbaijan and
Armenia in connection with this issue whereas the US seeks to maintain
political and economic influence in relation to the energy issues
relying on this problem.

Normalization in the bilateral relations between Turkey and Armenia in
a geography where big powers have such certain and important interests
may also serve to the interests of Azerbaijan. Turkey can play an
active role in the resolution of KArabagh Question after making sure
that the projected policy is well explained to Azerbaijan. Last but
not least, Gül’s visit to Yerevan will create a positive image
of Turkey in international arena, further showing that it is pursuing
a constructive policy vis-à-vis the Armenian issues. And of
course, such moves will take Turkey to a stronger position in
international relations. It is time for Turkey to reconsider its
policy towards Armenia.

d=detay&link=152239&bolum=109

CTK National News Wire, Czech Rep.
September 5, 2008 Friday 5:26 PM (Central European Time)

Truth about South Ossetia conflict must be found – Czech MP

Moscow/Tskhinvali, Georgia Sept 5 (CTK)

The truth about the recent conflict in the Georgian province of South
Ossetia must be found, Czech deputy Lubomir Zaoralek, opposition
Social Democrat (CSSD) shadow foreign minister, said today.

The conflict in South Ossetia erupted when Georgian units tried to
control this pro-Russian separatist province in early August to which
Russian reacted by military intervention.

Zaoralek is a member of the group of deputies from the Czech Republic,
Armenia and Ukraine who visited Tskhinvali, capital of South Ossetia,
accompanied by Russian legislators.

The Russian ITAR-TASS news agency reported that the deputies had
condemned the Georgian aggression in South Ossetia as a crime against
humanity and demanded that the conflict be investigated.

"It is necessary to search out the truth about what actually happened
there," ITAR-TASS quoted Zaoralek as saying.

"I did not understand the military aim of the operation. Houses of
ordinary people were damaged there. This is a crime against humanity,"
Zaoralek said.

He added he would like to speak about his experiences in the Czech
Chamber of Deputies.

ITAR-TASS reported that the Armenian and Ukrainian deputies had also
called for an international investigation into the conflict.

The delegation visited a neighbourhood in Tskhinvali demolished by the
Georgian intervention. Zaoralek talked to local elderly inhabitants
who recalled shooting and bombing of civilian inhabitants.

Moscow blames the West for siding with Georgia in the conflict and
ignoring the Russian stance that claims the operation’s aim was only
to force Tbilisi to peace.

Russia last week recognised the independence of Georgia’s separatist
provinces South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The Czech government condemned the Russian operation in Georgia and
called on Russia to withdraw its troops. The Czech Republic officially
supports Georgia’s territorial integrity.

Representatives of the the EU summit on Georgia on Monday did not
agree on any sanctions against Russia, they only decided to postpone
their talks with Russia on a strategic partnership, scheduled for
September 15-16, if Russia does not pull out of Georgia by then.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Sept 6 2008

Gül’s visit raises hopes for symbolism paving way for thaw

Turkish national soccer team players arrived in Yerevan on
Friday. They play against the Armenian team today.

President Abdullah Gül will become the first Turkish president ever
to set foot in Armenia today in a visit largely viewed as symbolic but
that may well spur a period of rapprochement between the estranged
neighbors.

Gül will meet his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarksyan, for about an
hour and dine with him before proceeding to Yerevan’s Hrazdan Stadium
to watch a World Cup qualifying game between the two countries’
national soccer teams. Officials have warned against overestimating
the meeting, underlining that it will be a "framework" meeting
discussing in general terms the primary bilateral disputes and a
Turkish proposal to establish a Caucasus platform to resolve regional
disputes.

But despite the short length of the meeting with Sarksyan and the
largely symbolic nature of the visit — Gül will stay for only five
or six hours in Yerevan — there are hopes that it could spark a
period of reconciliation eventually paving the way for a restoration
of relations between the two countries. Ankara severed its diplomatic
relations and closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in protest of the
Armenian occupation of a chunk of Azerbaijani territory in a dispute
over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. According to the official policy,
ties will not be normalized unless Armenia withdraws from Azerbaijani
territory, stops backing its diaspora’s efforts to win international
recognition for Armenian genocide claims and officially recognizes its
border with Turkey.

If Turkey and Armenia can move beyond the symbolism to re-establish
normal relations, that could have huge significance for Turkey’s role
as a regional power, for energy flows from the Caspian Sea and for
Western influence in a South Caucasus region where Russia flexed its
muscles last month by sending troops into Georgia.

"Football [soccer] diplomacy will become a new term in the
international community’s lexicon," if after Saturday’s match there is
a real improvement in relations, former Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian told Reuters.

Russia’s decision last month to send its forces into Georgia, an
ex-Soviet state which borders both Armenia and Turkey, has convinced
many that it is time for Ankara and Yerevan to put their differences
aside. Western-backed pipelines shipping oil and gas from the Caspian
Sea to Turkey’s Mediterranean coast bypass Armenia and bend north
instead to go through Georgia. With that route looking vulnerable
after the Russian intervention, Armenia could be an attractive
alternative route.

Russia’s actions — which have unsettled its neighbors and been widely
condemned by the West — have also encouraged NATO member Turkey to
seek a bigger role as a regional power broker, a task hampered by its
lack of ties with Armenia.

"The crisis in Georgia has underlined the importance of good
neighborly relations in the region, including Turkish-Armenian
relations," said Olli Rehn, the European Union’s enlargement
commissioner.

Not everyone welcomes Gül’s visit. Turkey’s main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) urged the Turkish president not to
go. In Yerevan, the nationalist Dashnaktsutyun party said it activists
would be at the airport where Gül is to arrive and the soccer stadium
to stage protests demanding Turkey recognize genocide claims.

Observers in both countries hope substantial negotiations will follow
on from Gül’s visit. For Yerevan, a first step would be for Turkey to
re-open the rail link with Armenia. For Ankara, it would be for
Armenia to stop lobbying foreign parliaments to recognize the genocide
claims, and for some movement on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. "I
suppose for Turkey it wants to strengthen its position in the region
and immediately wants to avoid a situation next year when the US
Congress would most likely pass a resolution recognizing the killings
as genocide," said William Hale, an author and expert on Turkish
politics.

The key, though, is what happens after the final whistle blows on
Saturday. "This is a feel-good all around," said Oskanian, who now
heads the Civilitas Foundation for democracy and development
issues. "The challenge is to make it a meaningful win-win and it can
be that only if there’s a continuation to this initial demonstrative
period," he said. "If this doesn’t happen … then Turkey will have
demonstrated that all this was just a show. And that means both
Armenia and the region will be the losers."

———————————– ———————————

Azerbaijan lawmakers, media resentful of Gül’s visit to Armenia
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has refrained from
criticizing President Abdullah Gül for making a visit to Armenia,
saying it is a decision that should be left up to Turkish authorities,
but Azerbaijani lawmakers and newspapers have voiced their disapproval
of the visit.

"It is not possible for Azerbaijan to get involved in this issue one
way or another," Mammadyarov told reporters on Thursday. He also noted
that his country supports Turkey’s proposal for a Caucasus Stability
and Cooperation Platform, a scheme that is planned to include Turkey,
Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

But lawmakers in the Azerbaijani parliament criticized the
visit. Sabir Rustemhanli, chairman of the Party of Citizens Unity,
claimed that Gül’s visit to Armenia was a result of pressure from the
United States and the European Union. He also warned that the visit
might undermine Azerbaijani trust in Turkey and said Turkey "should
keep its promises" of not having formal ties with Armenia unless
certain conditions are met.

Guler Ahmadova, a deputy from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, said
Armenia was still supporting propaganda efforts around the world
against Turkey and Azerbaijan and expressed regret that Gül had
decided to visit Armenia. Ä°stanbul Today’s Zaman with wires

06 September 2008, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH REUTERS Ä°STANBUL

Armenian National Committee of Canada
Comité National Arménien du Canada
130 Albert St., Suite/Bureau 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622 Fax/Téléc. (613) 238-2622
E-mail/courriel:national.office@anc-canad a.com

PRESS RELEASE

September 4, 2008
Contact: Roupen Kouyoumjian

ANCC Reacts Cautiously to Abdullah Gul’s Visit to Armenia

Ottawa – The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) has reacted
cautiously to president of Turkey, Abdullah Gul’s visit to Armenia to attend
a soccer match between Armenia and Turkey. Serzh Sarkisyan, president of
Armenia, invited Mr. Gul to the Sept. 6th FIFA World Cup group qualifying
match in Yerevan, capital of Armenia.

The ANCC has followed with reservation the different reactions of various
Turkish political entities and organizations since Sarkisyan’s invitation to
his Turkish counterpart more than a month ago. "We followed the process of
the invitation acceptance and we shall be watching with vigilance whether
Mr. Gul’s visit will lead to any meaningful thaw in the non-existent
diplomatic relations of the two neighboring states," said Dr. Girair
Basmadjian, president of the ANCC.

"We are very cautious in our expectations of the risks Armenia is taking for
the sake of peace. Being aware of Ankara’s long standing hostility towards
Armenia, we will watch carefully whether the visit will be fruitful," added
Dr. Basmadjian.

Since 1994, Turkey has enacted an illegal blockade of Armenia and imposed
pre-conditions to open its border and has refused to establish diplomatic
relations with Armenia. On the other hand, Armenia has advocated the
establishment of normal relations without pre-conditions.

The ANCC hopes that Mr. Gul will follow in the footsteps of other heads of
states and foreign dignitaries who have visited Armenia and pays his
respects at the Armenian Genocide memorial during his visit.

******

The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of
the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.

Regional Chapters/Sections régionales

Montréal – Laval – Ottawa – Toronto – Hamilton – Cambridge – St.
Catharines – Windsor – Vancouver

ARMENIA: THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A VOTING IMBALANCE

esctoday.com
Sept 4 2008
Netherlands

Over the next few weeks, esctoday.com will be publishing a number of
exclusive interviews with several Head of Delegations of the Eurovision
Song Contest. In these interviews we will establish the views of some
the major decision makers involved in the contest. On the agenda are
their views on the current voting process, if action should be taken
to redress any possible voting imbalance and changes they would like
to see introduced to the contest. In the first of these exclusive
interviews esctoday.com spoke with Diana Mnatsakanyan, the Head of
Delegation for Armenia.

Diana, do you think that the competition needs a change in the voting
procedure?

"Well, what we have now is acceptable for us and the voting activity in
Armenia is really high even at 02:00 am. It means that Armenian viewers
love and enjoy the Eurovision Song Contest as it is and they don’t go
to their beds at 03:00 am until the winner is announced. Actually it
unites people not only in Armenia as they enjoy the contest sitting
in outdoor cafes and watching the show with friends and families,
but in the whole Europe. This is an inexplicable feeling – being a
part of a huge mechanism and know that your vote really counts and
may change a lot of things! What I love in the contest most of all
is the knowledge that millions of heartbeats are united and wait for
the happy end, no matter if that happy end is unhappy 43rd sometimes."

Do you think emphasis should be more on ‘redressing the voting
imbalance’ or reducing the amount of time it takes to announce the
results?

"We constantly discuss this during the Head of Delegation meetings
prior to the show and the opinions differ. I do not think that
"redressing the voting imbalance" will help much. There will be no
solution found that can make all people happy. Majority votes will
always differ from the minority votes and this imbalance will always
exist. As to the time of the results’ announcement, EBU has once
reduced it and it helped a lot. But still it is too much for audience’s
ears to listen to the greetings and figures from all 43 countries. "

What option would you prefer from those on offer in the questionnaire?

"I still have to think about that as there are to many things to be
taken into account. Though what we have now is quite satisfying."

Esctoday wishes to thank Diana Mnatsakanyanfor this exclusive
interview.