Author: Virabian Jhanna

TURKEY, ARMENIA ON THE ROAD TO NORMALIZING STRAINED RELATIONS

318563.asp?gid=244
March 31, 2009 07:51

ANKARA – Turkey and Armenia agree on the roadmap to establish
diplomatic ties and open the shared border. The timing of the
declaration of the agreement remains key for Ankara. The key question
is whether to announce the agreement before, during or after President
Obama’s visit.

Ankara and Yerevan have agreed on the major parameters of a historic
reconciliation in secret talks to start diplomatic relations and
re-open their shared border, which Turkey closed in 1993 after Armenia
occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Turkey and Armenia are readying to sign a protocol that marks
commitment by both sides to establish diplomatic relations and set up
committees on issues ranging from border management, customs, history
and more. Having achieved a satisfying deal which includes setting
up a history committee to discuss 1915 events, on which Yerevan
dragged its feet for a long time, the remaining dilemma for Ankara
is the proper timing of the announcement, the Hurriyet Daily News &
Economic Review has learned.

"The hard work is done. Everybody has faith that the deal will be
made public soon," a diplomat told the Daily News, speaking on the
condition of anonymity.

The draft protocol will set the framework for transition to full
diplomatic relations possibly starting with low-key representations
in Ankara and Yerevan or accreditation of ambassadors from other
neighboring capitals.

Simultaneously Turkey will come up with a road map for a solution
in Nagorno-Karabakh. The modalities of the new border regime will be
determined upon the work by the border committee while as part of a
show of good will immediate measures would be taken for a gradual
opening. Diplomatic recognition will be supported by social and
economic projects with coordination of the Turkish Armenian Business
Development Council, or TABDC.

Reconciliation efforts between the two neighbors intensified in
secret talks after moderate Serge Sarkisian was elected president of
Armenia in February 2008 and Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a
landmark visit to Yerevan to attended Turkey-Armenia football match
in September.

Turkey’s difficult choice on the ‘date’

Although U.S President Barack Obama will be in Turkey on April 6 and 7
with a wider agenda, long-awaited normalization of ties between Ankara
and Yerevan will be on the shortlist of important topics. Friends of
Turkey in Washington favor an announcement by Ankara this week prior to
Obama’s arrival. Obama had pledged to recognize the Armenian killings
in 1915 during his election campaign last year. This would both
maintain a vigorous effect on Obama himself and also strengthen his
hand to counter arguments of Armenian lobbies in the United States that
invested hopes in his presidency, according to American policymakers.

It is not clear, however, if Obama’s expected April 24 statement on
Armenian deaths will include qualifying the killings as genocide or if
he will support the latest U.S. House of Representatives resolution
introduced two weeks ago. Thus Ankara is keen to wait until strong
assurances are secured from the U.S administration during Obama’s
visit before publicly announcing the deal with Armenia. "The ball is
actually in the U.S.’s court," an expert said pointing to Obama as
the key player in April’s moves.

If Turkey insists not to proceed with the announcement before Obama’s
meetings in Ankara, then there are two other symbolic dates on the
horizon that would serve as meaningful opportunities for announcing
the historic deal. The UN-sponsored Alliance of Civilizations summit
in Istanbul, which coincides with Obama’s visit, is the first
opportunity because Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
will also attend. The next option is Turkish Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan’s trip to Yerevan on April 16 to attend a meeting of the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation Organization. Although the Turkish Foreign
ministry has not publicized the decision yet, Yerevan was informed
of confirmation of Babacan’s attendance, the Daily News learned.

Meanwhile Armenian lobbies in the United States has put pressure on
the Yerevan administration to stall the announcement of the deal with
Turkey until after the April 24 commemoration in order not to loose
their leverage, according to observers in Washington.

Cabinet or Parliament decision?

According to Turkish law, the decision to recognize a state could
be given by the Cabinet. It’s not clear yet, however, if the ruling
Justice and Development Party, or AKP, would stick to a Cabinet
decision only to start to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia
or bring the issue to Parliament. Another option is to pen an agreement
to restore diplomatic ties with Armenia which would have to be ratified
by Parliament. The reasons behind consideration for parliamentary
approval are to minimize repercussions that may be triggered by
opposition parties and to share the burden of this critical move.

NALBANDYAN RECEIVED GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTRY STATE SECRETARY

LRAGIR.AM
15:51:51 – 30/03/2009

On March 30, the Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandyan met with
the State Secretary of the German foreign ministry Gernot Erler, who
arrived in Armenia accompanied with the head of the German Bundestag’s
German-South Caucasus parliamentary group Shteffen Reikh.

The collocutors dwelt on the question regarding the EU Eastern
partnership. Edward Nalbandyan noted that the declaration of the
European summit on the Eastern partnership is examined in Armenia
with much detail, which can serve the ground for further cooperation;
the ministry of foreign affairs reports.

PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Buiding 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Hasmik Grigoryan
Tel: +(3741) 56 01 06 ext. 105
Fax: +(3741) 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

31 March, 2009

Hayastan All Armenian Fund continues rebuilding water-supply system of
Artsakh’s Berdashen Village

Yerevan, March 31, 2009 – The Hayastan All Armenian Fund announces that
reconstruction of the water-supply system in Berdashen, a village in Nagorno
Karabakh’s Martuni Region, continues on schedule.

The project, worth 210 million drams (U.S. $555,000), is financed jointly by
the Hayastan All Armenian Fund’s Argentinean affiliate and the government of
Nagorno Karabakh. Major support for the initiative, which was launched in
late 2008, was provided by Argentinean-Armenian benefactors Alicia
Vosgerichian de Magarian, Hovsep Magarian, and Varujan Panossian, in honor
of Takvor Magarian and Nvart Terzian Magarian.

Berdashen’s water-supply system, which was built in the 1960s, has long been
in a state of disrepair. Through the Hayastan All Armenian Fund project, the
pump station has been renovated, cancer-causing asbestos pipes have been
replaced with plastic ones, and a 3.6-kilometer pipeline has been built,
already supplying Berdashen with water. Currently the next phase of the
initiative, the building of the internal water-distribution network, is
underway. When this leg of the project is completed by autumn 2009, all
1,500 residents of Berdashen will receive a regular supply of water.

"We are delighted for being able to address many of the urgent issues
affecting the Martuni Region and helping improve the lives of the
population," said Ara Vardanyan, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s acting
executive director. "I think the Berdashen project is a wonderful way to
keep Takvor Magarian’s and Nvart Terzian Magarian’s memory alive."

To date, the Hayastan All Armenian Fund’s Argentinean affiliate has
sponsored some 20 vital projects in Artsakh, mainly in the educational
sphere. The affiliate’s most recent initiatives include the construction, in
2008, of an eight-kilometer water pipeline for Spitakashen, another village
in the Martuni Region.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, March 30, 2009

AGBU High School-Pasadena’s Second Annual Dinner Dance Scores a Major
Success

On February 28, 2009, the AGBU High School-Pasadena held its second
annual dinner dance, which was attended by 225 administrators, parents,
students and guests. The event, which was organized by the school’s
Parent Support Group (PSG) and Father’s Club, took place at the Anoosh
Ojakh Restaurant in North Hollywood, California.

"I am pleased to announce this evening that AGBU High School of Pasadena
received full and independent accreditation from the Western Association
of Schools and Colleges," said Vice Principal Talin Kargodorian in her
remarks at the event. She added that the WASC report stated, "Students
seem to thrive academically in this environment, which features small
class sizes and a caring relationship between adults and students on
campus."

The announcement was received with elation by all those in attendance.
The news set the exceptionally celebratory mood of the evening and
proved what many had already known, that the school had achieved many
great things in its short three years of existence.

In his remarks, School Principal Hagop Hagopian expressed his joy for
the accomplishments of the school, thanking the parents for their trust
and continued support, and the faculty and staff for their dedication
and commitment to the school’s mission. He acknowledged the presence of
scores of students in attendance, calling them our "AGBU High
School-Pasadena Scholars." He added, "Our school was founded through the
foresight of the AGBU leadership, which had the clear vision that this
school would become a unique educational institution within the Armenian
school system of Southern California to meet the needs of high
school-age students by imparting them a college preparatory and quality
education in a safe and caring environment and instilling in them an
enduring sense of their national identity, good citizenship and moral
values in order to be well prepared for the many challenges of the
future."

The evening was emceed by the school’s Director of Operations Levon
Keshishian, who announced that the two support groups have embarked on
establishing a "Tuition Scholarship Program" to assist deserving and
needy students to register and remain at AGBU High School-Pasadena. This
gesture was received with loud applause and many individuals came
forward during the evening to make donations towards the fund.

Mayda Altounian, PSG Chairlady, and Nazaret Moukhtarian, Chairman of the
Fathers’ Club, made brief remarks which reiterated their committees’
continued support towards the improvement of the school in the academic
and extra-curricular fields.

In addition to many members of the school’s administration, several
members of the AGBU leadership were on hand for the event. The Central
Board was represented by Chairman of the School Board Sinan Sinanian;
the Southern California District Committee by Berj Shahbazian, Chairman,
and Tony Keusseyan, an Advisor to the District Committee. Also on hand
were Silva Karayan, Chair of the school’s Education Committee, and
members Berjouhi Koukeyan and Taline Boyajian. AGBU veterans who played
a major role in the founding of the school were also present, namely
Yenovk Balikian, Karnig Karayan, Samuel Ilanjian and Besilios Besos.

The official part of the evening ended with Sinan Sinanian’s
congratulatory remarks directed to the school administration and faculty
for the school’s many achievements to date. Regarding AGBU High
School-Pasadena earning WASC Accreditation, he said, "While other
schools take more than ten years to reach such a milestone, thanks to
the persistence and professionalism of the administration and the high
caliber of the faculty, our school received independent accreditation in
such a short period of time." He reiterated the fact that although AGBU
High School-Pasadena was originally founded as a satellite campus of
AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Canoga Park and enjoyed its umbrella
in curricular and administrative matters, as an independently accredited
campus it now has its unique identity and purposes to meet the needs of
high school-age students in the San Gabriel Valley.

Upon the conclusion of the formal part of the program, parents, guests
and students were invited to socialize and celebrate their achievements
through music and dance.

Founded in 2006, AGBU High School-Pasadena () is a grade
9-12 co-educational facility which serves the Armenian community of the
San Gabriel Valley. The school is AGBU’s second day school in Southern
California, and its mission is to cultivate the potential of every
student in a safe and nurturing environment, maintaining high
expectations and promoting academic excellence for all students.

For more information on AGBU and it schools around the world, please
visit

The Irish Times
IrishTimes.com
Friday, March 27, 2009

Turkey and Armenia poised to normalise ties

In this section elease a road map on a solution on Nagorno-Karabakh, a
region in Azerbaijan that has been under de facto Armenian control
since 1994. The parameters of the deal are very much set, said Hugh
Pope, the Turkey project director for International Crisis Group,
which is currently working on a report about Turkish-Armenian
relations.

The only thing holding things back now is nerves.

Analysts in Yerevan said the two governments have tentatively agreed
to reveal the package on April 16th, when Turkeys foreign minister is
expected to fly to Yerevan for talks.

Senior Turkish foreign policy officials refused to confirm the
date. The Armenian foreign ministry was unavailable for comment.

These are highly sensitive negotiations and both sides have gone to
great lengths to keep them secret, said a Turkish foreign ministry
spokesman.

A radical change of direction from Turkey, which closed its border
with Armenia in support of its Azeri ethnic cousins fighting in
Nagorno-Karabakh in 1993, the normalisation deal has been on the cards
since the AK Party took power in 2002. Talks accelerated considerably
after Turkish president Abdullah Gul attended a Turkey- Armenia
football match in Yerevan in September 2008.

Thomas de Waal, author of a highly regarded book on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, thinks the deal has a lot to do with
changes in Russias south Caucasian policy since it went to war with
Georgia in August 2008.

The war really drove home Armenias reliance on Georgia as a trade
conduit, he said.

Russia saw that blowing up one Georgian bridge was enough to deprive
[its Armenian ally] of imports for a week. Plus the fact is that
Russia now owns Armenias economy. If you own the telecom sector and
railways, opening up the border is in your interest.

Analysts said the strongest objections to the package come from
Azerbaijan, which fears, not unreasonably, that the end to a Turkish
blockade on Armenia would reduce already limited Armenian incentives
to negotiate for a settlement on Nagorno-Karabakh. But there is
another, unforeseen stumbling block on the horizon: US president
Barack Obamas visit to Turkey on April 6th. Mr Obamas visit is
primarily aimed at mending relations with a crucial regional ally.

What makes it sensitive is that it comes barely a fortnight before
Armenians the world over gather to commemorate the Armenian massacres
of 1915. Mr Obama has pledged to recognise 1915 as a genocide.

Turkey staunchly opposes the use of the term.

To be candid, Im not sure this [Armenian issue] was factored in fully
in the initial decision to schedule this trip, said Mark Parris, a
former US ambassador to Turkey.

Like Mr Parris, Turkish officials are confident the visit will pass
without mishap. Washington is well aware of the process and [is]
working to facilitate it, said a senior foreign policy official. With
a motion for the recognition of 1915 due to appear before the US
Congress shortly, however, some think the normalisation package may be
kept waiting in the wings for a while.

If the Turks are smart, they will hold this back for leverage until
after the genocide commemorations on April 24th, said a Yerevan-based
analyst who is following talks closely.

For de Waal, meanwhile, the most important implication of a
Turkish-Armenian deal is that it could spur Armenian-Azeri peace talks
on Nagorno-Karabakh which he describes as being a parody.

Historically the Armenian-Azeri dispute is but a brawl compared to the
Armenian-Turkish dispute, he said.

If the Turks are doing a deal with Armenia, there is no reason
whatsoever for Armenia and Azerbaijan not to be able to . . . talk
constructively.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times

IN VIENNA ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI FORUM SUPPORTED BY INTERNATIONAL ALERT HAS FINISHED

Trend
March 27 2009
Azerbaijan

The Armenian-Azerbaijani Forum titled "Security: challenges and
opportunities, as well as mechanisms to establish trust" , that was
taking place in Vienna between 24-27 March, came to an end. According
to information provided to Trend News by International Alert’s
representative Dessislava Roussanova the Forum defined three main
areas in which confidence building initiatives and measures should
be strengthened and actively implemented. According to her, these
areas are: internal work within each society, work to initiate and
support direct people-to-people contacts and work to implement joint
initiatives between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in areas where this
is possible today.

The Armenian-Azerbaijani Forum is being held under the mediation of
International Alert in Vienna. Participants of the forum are Armenian
and Azerbaijani leaders of civil society, experts and intellectuals
from all sides in the conflict. The forum is also attended by the
OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza (U.S.), Bernard Fassier (France)
and Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia).

As it was noted by Roussanova, the Forum also provided an opportunity
for direct discussions with the international mediators that have been
working on facilitating political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. According to her, this framework for discussion marks a very
important step in engaging directly civil society in the peacebuilding
process. "It is a step that should be welcomed and appreciated. Many
civil society leaders across the region welcome opportunities for such
direct engagement and I hope that this engagement will continue in one
form or another in future. Experience in successful peace processes
in other places in the world, and International Alert works in other
regions in the world that have been affected by conflict, show that
civil society can play very important role in peacebuilding processes,"
– she said.

Roussanova added that International Alert, together with Armenian and
Azerbaijani partners is going to work on some concrete initiatives:
"The aim of these initiatives is to create a platform for dialogue
where civil society leaders could discuss wide range of issues."

According to her, the next Armenian-Azerbaijani Public Peace Forum
will take place in July 2009.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

OBAMA WILL DISCUSS KARABAKH ISSUE IN ANKARA

AZG DAILY
28-03-2009

International

Within the framework of the U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to
Turkey discussion of the ways of Karabakh conflict settlement is
also scheduled, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said,
according to ANS-Press.

He mentioned that solution of the conflict would help to overcome
the available complexities of the relations between Turkey and Armenia.

Erdogan hoped that the USA would contribute to the solution of the
issue and expressed confidence that the Karabakh conflict would be
soon settled peacefully, "Armenpress" reports

INDIVIDUAL SKATER GEGHAM VARDANIAN DOES NOT PASS TO FINAL IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Noyan Tapan
March 26, 2009

LOS ANGELES, MARCH 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Men individual skaters performed
under the World Figure Skating Championship program on March 25 in
Los Angeles.

21-year-old Gegham Vardanian, who was for the first time taking part
in such an authoritative tournament, took the 48th place among 52
participants and did not pass to the final. Besides, he was demobilized
from the army in 2008 May and trained only 5-6 months.

Hungarian Armenian Tigran Vardanian did not pass to the final,
either, who took the 31st place. He trains led by his father, USSR
twice cup-holder, former Yerevan resident Gurgen Vardanian.

TURKISH BUSINESS LEADER ARGUES AGAINST ARMENIAN BILL IN LETTER SENT TO OBAMA

Anadolu Agency
March 25 2009
Turkey

Washington D.C., 25 March: The chairperson of the Turkish
Industrialists’ & Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD) sent a letter to
US President Barack Obama on a resolution at the US congress regarding
the incidents of 1915.

Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag, the chairperson of TUSIAD, said in her
letter that if the US Congress passed the resolution when there was a
rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia, it would be an unfortunate
situation.

She also sent copy of the letter to US Vice President Joe Biden,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defence Robert Gates
and National Security Adviser James Jones.

Instead of initiatives which could make negative impacts on
Turkish-American relations, there was need for the ones which would
boost the relations, Yalcindag said in her letter.

RUSSIAN GAS PRODUCER ITERA TO DROP SOME FOREIGN PROJECTS

RIA Novosti
14:02 | 26/ 03/ 2009

MOSCOW, March 26 (RIA Novosti) – Russian independent natural gas
producer Itera plans to give up some foreign projects to focus on
the development of its business in Russia, a company spokesman said
on Thursday.

Itera earlier sold its 4% stake in ArmRosGazprom, which supplies gas
to Armenia, to energy giant Gazprom. In addition, Suntera Canada,
founded by Itera and SUN Energy (India), has quit the Canadian Maple
LNG project, selling its 40% stake to the Dutch 4Gas BV.

"Our position is to concentrate investment on the expansion and
development of the gas resources base in Russia and the implementation
of energy projects in the Sverdlovsk [Urals] and Nizhny Novgorod
[Volga area] Regions," the spokesman said.

Itera also plans to give up its projects in Africa and Moldova but
will continue its programs in energy-rich Turkmenistan and also in
Belarus, the spokesman said.