Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

Hurriyet, Turkey
Jan 2 2010

A 2009 look at the Turkish-Armenian reconciliation

Saturday, January 2, 2010
Vercihan ZiflioÄ?lu
ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the location
where the protocols were signed. This version reflects the correction.

The Turkish-Armenian reconciliation process started in September 2008
with `football diplomacy’ and gained new dimensions in 2009. The
foreign ministers of the two countries signed historic protocols
despite the increased public pressure from both of their countries.
Although the borders have not been reopened due to the Azerbaijani
factor, 2010 looks like it will bring many new developments.

September 2008, when the national football teams of Turkey and Armenia
played a match in Yerevan, happened to be a historical milestone not
only for the two countries but also for me personally. I was in the
press box as an Armenian member of the Turkish press with the
industry’s leading names right beside me. Moreover, I was in a stadium
for the first time in my life. I sang the national anthems of both
countries with tears in my eyes. I only wanted to cheer when the game
started but I was afraid to be misunderstood. Suddenly, Fatih Ã?ekirge,
one of the master columnists of daily Hürriyet, held my hands and gave
me strength. My voice was crackling; I supported the team of Armenia
for the first time in my life even if I knew it was going to lose.

The `football diplomacy’ started a historical process of convergence
between Turkey and Armenia, after the tragic events of 1915 that have
scarred both sides. The two countries declared in April that they
agreed on a road map to open the borders and normalize relations.
Naturally, all hell broke lose in Turkey and Armenia.

The Armenian public opinion claimed Turkey has profited from the
protocols and the Serge Sarkisian’s administration compensated.
Demonstrations and hunger strikes were held in the capital Yerevan and
protests have emerged in countries where members the Armenian diaspora
reside.

In Turkey, criticisms were voiced on how Azerbaijan was abandoned in
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem it has with Armenia. Turkey closed its
Armenian border in 1993 to show support for Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has
been putting pressure on Turkey every chance it has to not open the
border before a solution can be reached.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an went to Baku and promised that the
protocols would not be approved by the Turkish Parliament before a
solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. However, no such direct
connection was made in the protocol drafts. Even though no progress
has been made in the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, the two sides decided
to sign the protocols before the return match in October.

The return match played in Bursa was under the shadow of tension
raised by the Azerbaijan issue among the Turkish public. Extreme
security measures were taken around the stadium. No tickets were sold
in order to keep the normal supporters outside and they were handed
out to select people just hours before the game. The accredited press
were granted access at the last minute. I was in Bursa again for duty
and I could not receive my accreditation papers. I found a high
official from the Football Federation of Turkey and told him the
importance of this match for me and that was how I managed to enter
the stadium.

The effort to bring Azerbaijani flags to the stadium by some created a
tense atmosphere before the game but things went smoothly when
Bursaspor supporters released white doves into the sky just before the
kick-off. The match in Bursa was less exciting for me compared to the
one in Yerevan. I experienced the real excitement a few days prior to
the match when the two foreign ministers signed the protocols.

Actually, the process experienced until the signing in October was as
exciting as that day too. I was in Yerevan in September when the
protesters were on hunger strike and I went to the central bureau of
the Tashnak Party to interview them. The place was surrounded with
meters-long banners and people were running around in hurry. The
hunger strike lasted for a month across from the Foreign Ministry
building. Petitions were signed in the streets against the protocols
and the resignation of Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian was
demanded. Despite all this, Nalbandian sat at the table in Switzerland
next to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu. I was following the
events from Istanbul instead of Yerevan this time. I remember seeing
Charles Aznavour, the world famous French artist of Armenian origin
and Armenia’s ambassador to Sweden, live television and looking really
stressed out. Also, an unexpected surprise was experienced on the day
of the signing as the process became stuck due to disagreements on the
protocol texts and only later the foreign ministers of the two
countries appeared and the protocols were signed. I took a deep
breath. I also understood that despite sharing the same lands for
centuries, the re-emergence of the two peoples would not be as easy as
expected.

hp?n=a-2009-look-to-the-turkey-armenia-convergence -2009-12-30

IRAN: YEAR IN REVIEW
Sevak Sarukhanyan

"Noravank" Foundation
28 December 2009

2009 can be regarded as one of the most important years in the
post-revolution history of Iran. The crisis in domestic policy, the
procrastination of the possible settlement of the Iranian-American
relations in the sphere of foreign policy, the maintenance and
consolidation of their stance in regard to nuclear issue which can
latter influence seriously the situation in Iran and its status. In
this article we speak about the developments in 2009 which, in our
opinion, were important for Iran.

Political crisis and the formation of the new opposition The
presidential elections marked the beginning of the gravest political
crisis in Iran since the Islamic revolution. The clashes between
opposition and security forces, casualties, the subsequent arrests,
finally brought to the formation of the new political field around
M.H.Mousavi which will pass the important stage of institutionalism in
the coming years. The continuing clashes between the demonstrators and
police can be of permanent character, because they serve from political
and moral points of view the movement headed by A.A.Hashemi-Rafsanjani,
M.H.Mousavi, M.Khatami and other hundreds of former and present
high-ranked figures which long-term objective is the removal of the
conservatives from the power.

As the main internal impulse the possible election of the new
spiritual leader of Iran can be mentioned and as a foreign one – the
possible strike on Iran by the US and Israel. Let us mention that the
possibility of the second variant is rising gradually today, taking
into consideration the fact that Tehran wrecks the talks with IAEA
and the "six". If one or two years ago it was difficult to say that
the US or Israeli air strike could cause the instability in domestic
political situation or revolution then, after the recent presidential
elections when the strong opposition was formed both in political
and spiritual circles, one can speak about such a possibility.

Iran-USA relations In 2009 it became finally clear that there would
be no significant changes in the relations between Iran and the new
US administration after the resignation of G.W. Bush. Though the
policy of the former US administration was obviously anti-Iranian,
it expressed the natural interests of the US, i.e. the establishment
of the control in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. Today Tehran,
which rights and positions are not less valid than those of Washington,
also aspires to establish the control in the same region. Under such
conditions one cannot speak about rectification of the relations
between Iran and the US despite the fact who is the president of the
United States or Iran.

During the clashes in the streets of Tehran some media in the US
raised a question whether Obama should improve the relations with
that government. Negative answer to this question amid anti-Iranian
propaganda was obvious. But it should be mentioned that before the
presidential elections in Iran, before the clashes and casualties
there were no essential steps made by the Obama administration to
settle the relations with Iran. As a result, in May, during one of
the Sabbaticals the spiritual leader of Iran A. Khamenei said about
the policy of Obama: "One should judge about a person not by his
appearance or words but by his intentions and deeds. The later does
not differ from the ones there were before".

The Iranian-American confrontation will continue within next years and
the field of the restricted collaboration and the mutual clarifying
of the stances between two states will remain the same as it has been
in the recent years, i.e. Iraq and Afghanistan. Most probably the
parties will have to negotiate and partially cooperate in the processes
regarding Pakistan which are important both for Iran and the US.

Iran-Turkey relations 2009 has also been important from the point
of view of the development and setting more profound relations with
Turkey. The declarative relations between Tehran and Ankara which
were two years ago, this year have materialized. In January 2009
Turkish prime-minister R.T.

Erdogan stated in Brussels that it made no sense to speak about Nabucco
gas pipeline without Iran’s participation to the project. Iran is
of great importance for Turkey which aspires to become the biggest
energy transportation junction in the region. That state has huge gas
reserves, in future it will become the main gas supplier to Europe,
and the access to Central Asia through that country is much safer
than through Georgia and Azerbaijan. For Iran Turkey, in its turn,
is important because the most important rout of the Iranian gas to the
EU market goes through its territory, Turkey is an important regional
actor for whom the further destabilization of the situation in the
region and creation of independent Kurdistan are disadvantageous.

Consequently, Turkish-Iranian relations in 2009 entered into the
new stage which can be regarded as strategic partnership, and
the visit of Turkey’s prime-minister to Iran can be regarded as
historical. During the later Iran and Turkey came to an agreement
about the joint development of "South Pars" gas field, building of
the gas pipelines and roads, import of the Turkish engineering goods
to Iran, export of Iranian gas to Turkey. Besides, the parties agreed
to trade only by Iranian rial and Turkish lira, refusing from the US
dollar1, and to make steps to create industrial offshore zone near
the Turkish-Iranian border, probably in the district of Igdir 2.

Besides, Turkey undertook to buy from Iran 35 billion m3 of natural
gas from 2011 which would allow Ankara to provide the functioning of
Nabucco without Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries3.

Nuclear issue In 2009 Iran made the most important step in negotiations
round the nuclear weapon issue, i.e. in November Iran "officially and
finally" refused to cease the works on uranium enrichment, which, of
course, would bring the negotiations with the "six" to a dead-lock and
the ways to escape it must be found rather quickly. This is conditioned
by president M. Ahmadinejad’s statement that Iran is going to build
new uranium enrichment plants which may worsen the situation.

In Israel the adherents of striking the Iranian nuclear infrastructure
stepped up their activity, their voices become louder and more
acceptable for society and various circles of political forces. Of
course, one cannot exclude that M. Ahmadinejad continues the classical
Iranian policy of "hold talks as long as you can", and his aim is to
gain much more from international community instead of dismissing
uranium enrichment, but at the same time Tehran is approaching the
line on the other side of which the creation of the nuclear weapon is
seen. The coming year will be rather important for Iranian nuclear
programme. It is not excluded that the events for Iran may develop
in unfavorable scenario.

Economic policy In 2009 Iran managed to overcome in general the
consequences of the global economic crisis. Though there are still
many problems in the country. Trying to avoid the serious economic
crisis in the country the Iranian authorities initiated the refunding
of the national banks demanding from them to extend terms of credit
repayments to physical bodies and legal entities and to continue to
provide low-rate credits.

As a consequence, according to data for October 2009 the sum of the
outstanding credits has been $38 billion and this may cause serious
problems in the future.

At the same time, in 2009 the important process of banks
nationalization has been initiated in Iran and this process, just
from economic point of view, purposes to increase the capitalization
of the banks, their competitiveness and effectiveness of management.

Particularly, 5% of Mellat, Tejarat and Saderat shares, which are now
in circulation on Tehran stock market, has been put up for sale. By
March 2010 other 8% will have been put up for sale. Let us mention
that main shareholder become the companies and persons, directly
connected Iranian political and spiritual elite.

But from the prospective point of view the important event for Iran
was the opening of the Iranian oil market on the Kirsh Island on
October 19 which preparatory works had been carried out for several
recent years. Though the trading on that market is rather small but
Chinese and Indian companies has already expressed the wish from 2010
to buy Iranian oil on Iranian oil market using euro and Iranian rial.

It is not clear yet how the functioning of the new oil market will
influence global economy but the beginning of its functioning at least
from informational point of view impacts the US positions which NYSE
is the world leader in oil trading and provides to some extent the
dominance of the US dollar.

1The same joint decision was made by Turkey and China.

2According to the Minister of Industry of Turkey N. Ergun Syria and
Armenia can also join that zone.

3At the same time in November Turkish government allowed Swiss EGL
(Elektrizitats-Gesellschaft Laufenburg) Company to export gas from
Iran to Europe using its territory.

2009 WAS RICH IN ACTIVITIES AND SUCCESSES FOR AZERBAIJAN’S FOREIGN POLICY: AZERBAIJANI FM ELMAR MAMMADYAROV

Trend
Dec 28 2009
Azerbaijan

Trend News conducted an exclusive interview with Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov

Trend News: Can we call 2009 a successful year in terms of the
country’s foreign policy? What will be priorities of our foreign
policy in 2010?

Mammadyarov: The year was rich in activities and successes for
Azerbaijani foreign policy. Among these many successes were:
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s frequent visits abroad, the
visits of myriad heads of state and foreign officials to Azerbaijan,
intensive bilateral cooperation, an intensive negation process on
resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the active involvement
of international organizations, as well as events of international
importance that were held in our country and abroad.

Moreover, Baku was the cultural capital of the Islamic world. We have
achieved economic progress and stability amid the global financial
crisis within the country and Azerbaijan straightened its position
on regional and global levels, as well as expanded its diplomatic
representations’ geography. We have enhanced Azerbaijan’s role in
combating traditional and new global threats.

The resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and restoration of our
territorial integrity remain the most basic priorities of our foreign
policy in 2010. In this regard, we will use all our capabilities to
implement the strategic targets set by the President Ilham Aliyev.

Moreover, our other foreign policy priorities are to increase
our country’s leadership role in the South Caucasus, as well as
our prestige as a responsible participant in the international
system of communications. We also aim to develop stable bilateral,
regional and international ties meeting our national interests,
continue mutually respective relations with all countries, actively
partake in international organizations, proceed with our integration
process into Europe and the Euro-Atlantic space, and further expand our
capabilities as an exporting and transit country of great importance
and influence on world energy markets.

Q: Can we call 2009 as a year of progress in resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

A: This year can be seen in terms of intensified negotiations
to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Azerbaijani and
Armenian presidents’ six meetings this year testify to this fact. The
international community also showed immense interest toward settling
this conflict. Thus, the G-8 Summit in the Italian L’Aquila city
adopted a joint statement by the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the foreign ministers
of Russia and France and the U.S Assistant Secretary of State adopted
a joint statement on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement Dec.1 as a result of the Athens meeting of the OSCE Council
of Foreign Ministers.

The international community knows that the status quo is inadmissible
and the conflict must be settled soon. Our position on its resolution
is clear. The conflict must be resolved only within the framework
of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally
recognized borders of Azerbaijan. This position is based on the
norms and principles of international law and U.N. charters, the
Helsinki Final Act and numerous international papers adopted within
the framework of the conflict settlement.

The country’s position is reflected in a joint declaration signed
by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia in November
2008 in Moscow, stating that the conflict should be resolved within
the norms of international law, as well as documents adopted within
this framework.

Today, the whole world sees the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict only through observing the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. Negotiations are in progress and based on these
principles. Progress on resolving the conflict is possible only
after the Armenian troops withdraws from the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan.

Q: Recently, Azerbaijan called the actions of the world "double
standards" in terms of this conflict. A program on Nagorno-Karabakh
broadcast by Euronews, the U.S. decision to allocate aid to the
separatist regime, and the European Parliament’s resolution on freedom
of speech in Azerbaijan are several examples. What are your thoughts
in this regard?

A: Some forces in the world community are jealous of our increasing
authority. In some cases, this manifests itself as double standards.

We assess the incidents that you cited as examples of disrespect
to our territorial integrity, the occupation of our lands, the
ethnic cleansing of about million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs, and
destruction of our historical and cultural monuments and we strictly
protest against these actions.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan is a young country that started along the path
of democratic development in a complex international environment
and continues making steps to promote high standards and values of
nation-building. The process is closely monitored and analyzed by the
international community. However, in some cases, these evaluations of
our progress are more akin to pressure on our country, which disturbs
our momentum.

Azerbaijan is ahead of many regional and non-regional countries in
terms of its democracy.

The policy that Aliyev has pursued has turned Azerbaijan into a strong
and powerful country and a regional leader. Attempts to exert pressure
on Azerbaijan are unacceptable.

We don’t live by Christian principles

"A1+"
December 26, 2009

Armenians are a nation that adopted Christianity 1700 years ago, but
today they don’t have faith. "Churches should have been full of people
on Saturdays and Sundays, but people don’t attend the masses," said
Father Kyuregh Talyan in response to the questions by the students of
"A1+".

The students of "" participated in a meeting with the clergyman who
answered all questions of social concern and other issues.

The young journalists were interested in the Christian principles of
the current political elite and the society. "I would not like to
separate the political elite from society. Today, Armenian society is
not living by Christian values," said Father Kyuregh.

The students tried to find out the reason for, according to the
students, could be the clergyman’s lifestyle, line of conduct which
doesn’t always encourage faith.

"We shouldn’t separate the church from society," said the clergyman.
According to Father Kyuregh, clergymen shouldn’t be blamed for the
lack of faith. "We are all to blame."

The meeting lasted for more than two hours and the young journalists
received the answers to all their questions. Students will have a
chance to participate in such meetings in the future as well.

BurlingtonFreePress.com
Dec 27 2009

Should auld acquaintance be forgot? Yes

By Chris Bohjalian, Free Press Columnist ¢ Sunday, December 27, 2009

When I was a child, my parents’ New Year’s Eve parties were not
precisely chaotic studies in decadence, dissolution and debauchery,
but once when I was in elementary school, I did accidentally walk in
on two of their married friends necking in the bathtub in an upstairs
bathroom. This wouldn’t have been quite so disturbing for the three of
us if the couple in the tub had been married to each other.

Another time, when I was in middle school, my mother was having so
much fun at the New Year’s Eve dinner party that she and my father
were hosting that she forgot to serve dinner. It is an indication of
the amount of liquor being consumed that it was only when the dozen or
so adults were gathered around the television to watch the great ball
descend on Broadway that one of the guests first asked whether the
group was ever going to eat.

Their parties were actually pretty standard fare for that era and that
geography: The hard-drinking, hard-working, hard-playing suburbs of
New York City in the 1970s. Moreover, it didn’t have to be New Year’s
Eve for the parties to cross the line between boisterous and
bacchanalian. They had some doozies in the summer, too.

My father is Armenian and his first name is Aram, and one July they
had a costume soiree they called a "Harem with Aram." This politically
incorrect affair confused me even as a sixth-grader since, as far as I
knew, neither harems nor polygamy figured prominently in Armenian
culture. It was, like most of their parties, a fairly raucous bash.
One couple brought goats.

My parents loved their neighbors and they loved to entertain, but I
always suspected there was something a little desperate in their
friends’ behavior at those parties, especially the ones on Dec. 31. I
had the sense that for many of the grownups, all that alcohol and all
those cigarettes and all that forced bonhomie was a camouflage for
wistfulness and regret.

The reality is that New Year’s Eve has the potential to be
spectacularly depressing. Often we look back on the last year with a
combination of disappointment and self-loathing. We have resolutions
for the purpose of trying to make the coming year better — to see if
we can somehow stop making the same mistakes year after year … after
year.

Consequently, I don’t make resolutions, and it’s not simply because I
know I am a total lost cause. Likewise, I tend to steer clear of most
New Year’s Eve parties because there are too many middle-aged ghosts
from my childhood at the punch bowls.

On the other hand, I am a big fan of the Best Night and First Night
celebrations that so many towns and cities now organize. Even Bristol,
a reasonably small Addison County hamlet, this year boasts among its
Best Night entertainers magician Tom Verner, composer and musician
Pete Sutherland and the delightful women’s a cappella group, Maiden
Vermont.

The performers and performances I’ve savored over the years at
Burlington’s annual First Night — all of whom will be back again this
year — include Anais Mitchell, Circus Smirkus, Kamikaze Comedy and
Spotlight on Dance. I was a Lyric Theatre board member for six years,
which means I have also savored that group’s annual New Year’s Eve
cabaret close to a dozen times.
Now, I have not shared my New Year’s Eve demons with you this morning
because I want to discourage anyone from partying in a reasonable
fashion this coming Thursday night. But I have found that for me, the
best way to keep longing and sorrow at bay on New Year’s Eve may be to
look neither backward nor forward, but instead to live entirely in the
moment with the songs and stories of some of Vermont’s premier
entertainers.
May 2010 bring us all peace and wonder and joy. Happy New Year.

Write to Chris Bohjalian care of the Free Press, P. O. Box 10,
Burlington, Vt. 05402, or visit him at

http://www.burlingtonfree press.com/article/20091227/COLUMNISTS03/912270314/ Chris-Bohjalian-Should-auld-acquaintance-be-forgot -Yes

STATE KILLING IS COMMITTED WITH RESPECT TO DRUG SELLING COMPANIES, DIRECTOR OF VAGAPHARM SAYS

NOYAN TAPAN
DECEMBER 25, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. "State killing is committed with
respect to drug selling companies," Founding Director of Vagapharm
company Vahe Varsanian declared at the December 25 press conference,
when commenting on the recent decision of the RA State Commission
for the Protection of Economic Competition, under which companies
shall be fined in the amount of 2% of their profit in the previous
year for raising drug prices groundlessly.

V. Varsanian said that in 2009, for months on end the importers were
selling 30% of drugs at prices lower than their cost prices and
therefore they incurred losses. During that period the Commission
conducted checks at these companies and saw that the price of the
most expensive drug exceeded its cost price by only 15-20%, whereas in
other countries this index makes nearly 60%. Besides, according to V.

Varsanian, there are 7-8 drug selling companies in Armenia, and under
the current competition conditions a company will suffer in case
of raising drug prices as it will lose its buyers. As regards the
possibility of reaching an agreement with each other, V. Varsanian
excluded such a possibility. He indicated the rise in prices by
foreign drug manufacturers and wholesalers as the objective reason
for the growth in drug prices.

In the words of Vagapharm’s director, the Commission decided to fine
the indicated companies without any reason, "for show". V. Varsanian
and Deputy Director of Argopharm company Gurgen Asrian announced they
will appeal to the Administrative Court against that decision.

ARMENIA PLANS TO RECEIVE $100 MILLION LOAN FROM RUSSIA FOR PURCHASE OF ROUGH DIAMONDS

ARKA
December 25, 2009
Yerevan

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian government is
conducting negotiations with Russian partners for receiving an
additional $100 million loan with the aim of developing the diamond
cutting sector. Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan announced this at a
press conference held on December 25 to summarize the results of the
year 2009.

"If the negotiations are successful and we manage to come to an
agreement with Russia-based AlRosa company, then the attracted loan
will be used to develop the diamond cutting sector and to establish a
modern diamond-exchange in order to provide Armenian companies with
Russian raw material," the prime minister said. In his words, the
private sector, whose representatives are involved in negotiations on
the loan attraction, will bear the main burden of the loan repayment.

At the same time he said that there are no plans to receive other
credit resources from Russia.

T. Sargsyan reminded that in 2009 Russia gave a $500 million
stabilization loan to Armenia for the implementation of projects on
rehabilitation of the earthquake zone, the crediting of small and
medium business and the establishment of a stabilization fund for
taking anti-crisis measures.

ALIYEV URGES EXPATRIATE AZERIS TO STEP UP EFFORTS TO SETTLE NK

Interfax
Dec 23 2009
Russia

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev regards the settlement in Nagorno-
Karabakh as the only major problem facing his country.Azerbaijan is
successfully tackling all of its problems. Today the only problem that
troubles us is the Armenian-Azeri conflict in Nagorno- Karabakh. The
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored. We are taking
every necessary step for the fair solution of this complex and
difficult issue by peaceful means, Aliyev said in an address posted
on the state-owned AzerTAj news agency website.

I believe that the speedy solution to the problem which is the key
obstacle to the development of our young republic is a major task
for all our countrymen. Therefore Azeris throughout the world must
intensify their efforts in this direction, take more purposeful
steps to make the essence of the conflict understood by governments,
international organizations and people in foreign countries, Aliyev
noted.

In his opinion, organizations of Azeri expatriate communities should
become more flexible, find new, more effective forms of cooperation
with other expatriate communities, respond faster and adequately to
the provocations against Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is paying much attention to the question of strengthening
the solidarity and unity of Azeris living in different countries,
finds it important to make them a more powerful force and offers
all-round support to the process, Aliyev said.

He also stressed the important role the expatriate community plays in
promoting Azerbaijan, in popularizing the diverse and rich culture of
the Azeri people and in neutralizing the biased ideological activities
of Armenian nationalists.

Aliyev urged Azeris of the world to conduct more effective work
to protect the national interests of Azerbaijan and its progress
as an independent state, and to promote the international image of
the country.

EBRD TO FINANCE SARANIST GLASS MANUFACTURER IN ARMENIA

ARKA
Dec 23, 2009

YEREVAN, December 23. / ARKA /. The European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development is lending $3 million to Saranist, an Armenian producer
of glass bottles and jars, to help the company increase its production
capacity and diversify its product range.

"The company was founded in 1989 as a small-scale bottle plant.

Saranist has since become one of the leading glass manufacturers in
Armenia. It produces a variety of clear and coloured glass jars and
bottles, which are sold both domestically and exported to Georgia,"
the press-service of the company reported on Wednesday.

The proceeds of the EBRD loan will be used to build an energy-efficient
new furnace and glass production line. In addition to this, raw
materials will be purchased to expand the manufacturing process.

The press-release also stated, that the project will enable Saranist
to launch the production of new products, such as thick-bottomed jars.

"Supporting private businesses is one of the EBRD’s key priorities in
Armenia and we are pleased to help Saranist in its drive to expand
production especially in these difficult market conditions", Gilles
Mettetal, EBRD Director for Agribusiness said.

To date the EBRD has committed over ~@335 million across more than
70 projects in various sectors of the Armenian economy.

THE ROAD TO TOWERS, MINARETS AND WISDOM (I)

Hurriyet
Dec 22 2009
Turkey

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder once quite wisely argued,
"There is an undeniable lack of religious freedom in some Islamic
states, but they cannot serve as an excuse to restrict rights in our
own country."

In the article, "The Road to Towers" (Social Europe Forum, Dec. 12,
2009), the former chancellor wrote: "We perceive ourselves as an
enlightened society. And enlightenment does not mean repeating the
shortcomings of other societies in our own."

Nice words, powerful argumentation that reminded me of Andre Feuz,
the priest of a Protestant church in Basel. Feuz recently put a sign
on the gate of the Elizabeth Church that, in protest of the Swiss
ban on mosque minarets, declared the church’s tower to "also [be]
a mosque minaret."

Reading the story on the front page of daily Hurriyet, most Turks must
have felt affection for this brave priest. Few must have questioned
whether it would be possible for an imam, say, in solidarity with slain
missionaries in Turkey or the deprivation of the religious rights
of non-Muslims, to declare a mosque minaret "also a church tower" –
or whether they would feel the same affection for that imam too.

Precisely for that reason, I was amused to read the columns of most
Islamic "free thinkers" in reaction to the Swiss ban. Words like
Nazism, Swiss racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia were in boring
abundance.

Racist Swiss? A country where "foreign" immigrants constitute a
quarter of the population? Could the Turks really cohabit peacefully
with 18 million foreigners in their country? Could they really cohabit
peacefully with 4 million non-Muslims? How many Swiss journalists have
been murdered by "pure-blood" Swiss because they have non-Swiss DNA?

Fine. Let’s forget the too-visible and disturbing asymmetry and, for
a moment, subscribe to Schroeder’s wisdom and admit that failings in
Muslim lands cannot be an excuse for failings in Christian lands. But
does that mean we should not criticize failings?

Yes, we wholeheartedly praise the government in Ankara for eventually –
albeit slowly – paving the way for the opening of Akdamar, an Armenian
church in Van, for services next fall. But where in Schroeder’s epic
optimism could we locate the almost nationally uniform uproar over
the words of the leader of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians?

It is totally futile to put Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s
"we-are-being-crucified-daily&q uot; plea under the magnifying glass.

Focusing on the wording and its various connotations in different
languages will only cause distraction from the big issue.

The heart of the matter should not be which words the patriarch chose
to express himself; it should be why he, a Turkish citizen, feels
the need to complain that "we are treated as second-class citizens,"
and why he feels "crucified under a government that would like to see
[his] nearly 2,000-year-old Patriarchate die out."

Forget further legitimate questions as to why Turkey would not
recognize the patriarch as ecumenical or re-open the Halki School of
Theology. You might have to listen to a long Islamic sermon telling you
it is the secularists who (have) block(ed) all that, or a conspiracy
theory linking the torment of the tiny Greek Orthodox community to
wicked plans at the General Staff headquarters.

But there is something more alarming than the patriarch’s plea. It is
how Foreign Minister Ahmet "Strabismus Depth" Davutoglu commented on
Patriarch Bartholomew’s remarks: "I hope it was a slip of the tongue."

Very simple. Spot on. A veiled threat? What are you going to do, Mr.

Foreign Minister, if it was not a slip of the tongue? Tell your
friends to fabricate a link between the patriarch and the Ergenekon
gang? Send him determined tax auditors and charge his church a tax
fine of $1 billion?

But is it not bizarre that the "foreign" minister has to comment
on the opinion, either right or wrong, of a Turkish citizen? Since
when is it in the Foreign Ministry’s jurisdiction to deal with
the domestic affairs of Turkish citizens? Would Minister Davutoglu
also like to comment on the salary problems of imams? Is this not
telling us clearly that the Turkish citizens of non-Muslim faiths are
"somewhat foreigners"?

The truth is, Patriarch Bartholomew was absolutely right when he said
Turkey’s Christians are treated as second-class citizens – because
they are. Most recently, the European Court of Human Rights found that
a Turkish court ruling barring a church from starting a foundation
violated the congregation’s right to freedom of association. A ban
on launching a foundation in a country where every other building
on your street may officially or unofficially belong to an Islamic
foundation…

But let’s apply Schroeder’s noble logic to the Turkish example and
see where we might end up. "Enlightened" nations should not seek
reciprocity in safeguarding religious rights and use "others’"
shortcomings as an excuse for "our" shortcomings.

We, therefore, cannot cite some of the problems Turkish minorities
in Christian countries might be facing, or the Swiss ban on minarets
as a reason to treat Christian Turkish citizens as second class.

God forbid! If we do that, we might be tagged as "not an enlightened
nation." But we aren’t that, are we?