The Economist
October 21, 2006
U.S. Edition
Where the past is another country;
Armenians in Turkey
This article contains a table. Please see hard copy.
WHAT has to happen before a nation can look honestly at the darkest
chapters in its own past? Moments of truth can occur when a country
isdefeated, occupied and helpless, like Germany and Japan in 1945. At
the other extreme, such moments are also possible when a nation feels
so secure that it can discuss past misdeeds without fearing for its
future existence: think of the British, French and Belgian historians
now uncovering murky chapters of the colonial era. And there is a
third answer: after a big revolution (like the Bolshevik one), the
new rulers are often keen to show up the moral turpitude of their
predecessors.
None of these conditions has ever prevailed in modern Turkey,
although things came close after 1918; and that is why the fate of
hundreds of thousands of Ottoman Armenians who died horribly in 1915
is still a bitterly disputed question, for diplomats and judges as
well as scholars.
What is contested is whether, in addition to the overt orders given
to deport the Armenians – on grounds that they were a fifth column for
the tsarist enemy – secret orders were also given by the Committee of
Union and Progress (CUP), the shadowy clique which wielded effective
authority over the Ottoman empire, to make sure that very few
Armenians survived theexperience.
This timely and well-researched work by Taner Akçam, a Turkish-born
scholar who now lives in America (and would risk prosecution if he
tried to go home) highlights at least two things. First, how many
foreign observers of the deportations, including Germans and
Austrians who were allied to the Turks, did conclude that the
intention was to kill, not just deport. And secondly, the book helps
to explain why the conditions in which these events might be freely
discussed in Turkey have never quite fallen into place.
The Ottoman empire did, of course, accept defeat by the Entente, and
in the months that followed, Britain had much sway over the Ottoman
institutions. From March 1920, Britain and its allies formally
occupied Istanbul. But the occupation, at a time of British-backed
Greek expansion in Anatolia, backfired: the real moral authority of
the war victors over Turkey ebbed rapidly, as did the Turks’
readiness to receive moral lessons from their foes. So too did
Turkish willingness to accept that crimes had been committed against,
as well as by, the eastern Christians.
Things might have been different. During the first world war, all
decisions on the conduct of the war (and the treatment of the
Armenians) were taken by the committee. When the war ended, its
leaders fled, fearing prosecution for their atrocities against the
Armenians. At that time, the Ottoman government was desperate to
distance itself from the CUP’s actions, and agreed readily to a
series of trials in which the fate of the Armenians was considered;
some grisly evidence came to light. But the mood of self-reproach was
short-lived.
Mustafa Kemal (later Ataturk), the brilliant general who smashed the
Greeks in 1922 and created modern Turkey, might in theory have
renounced all the deeds of the Ottoman era – given that the republic he
proclaimed was supposed to mark a rupture with the past. But as Mr
Akçam shows, Ataturk’s movement was too close to the committee for a
clean break to occur. That laid the ground for today’s odd
situation – a modern republic that passionately defends, on pain of
prosecution, theimperial regime which the republic’sfounders
overthrew.
GRAPHIC: A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of
Turkish Responsibility.

Armenian Armed Forces killed one more Azerbaijani soldier
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 21 2006
[ 21 Oct. 2006 15:29 ]
Armenian Armed Forces’ units in occupied Veyselli and Garakhanli
villages of Fuzuli region fired on opposite positions of Azerbaijani
Armed Forces, APA Garabagh bureau reports.
A soldier of Azerbaijan Armed Forces, Aliyev Arif Gulaga, born in
1980 and drafted by Ujar region Military Registration and Enlistment
Office died in the result of fire exchange. Azerbaijan Defense Ministry
confirmed the fact. /APA/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Next meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers to be hold
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 21 2006
[ 21 Oct. 2006 15:30 ]
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will meet with France
officials in Paris on October 23, Tahir Taghizadeh, the chief of
Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department told the APA.
The minister will have the next round of talks on regulation of Nagorno
Garabagh conflict with Vardan Oskanian, Armenian Foreign Minister with
the participation of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on October 24. /APA/

US Urges France to Promote Discussion
By Selcuk Gultasli, Brussels
Saturday, October 21, 2006
zaman.com
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 21 2006
The United States has expressed it views on the Armenian genocide
legislation criminalizing the denial of the issue, noting that it
did not make sense.
Washington, which has taken a firm stance against the regulation,
called on Paris “not to take sides but to promote the debate in Turkey
and the dialogue between Turkey and Armenia.”
Fried Meets Reporters
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Daniel Fried
spoke on Friday in Brussels to a small group of reporters, including
some from Zaman.
Asked by a Zaman reporter to assess the bill, he said “this is a very
intricate matter, and it deserves a comprehensive answer.”
Noting that French President Jacques Chirac had sounded his concerns
about the bill, Fried said, “We believe those concerns to be right
ones,” and he emphasized that the U.S. governments never described
the events of 1915 as “genocide.”
“This doesn’t mean that we belittle or deny the mass killings that
took place in 1915. President Bush has always accentuated his grief
caused by the events” said Fried.
Fried emphasized that forbidding any discussion about the issue made
no sense and said “Every country has parts in its history that it
is not proud of. For instance, slavery, the maltreatment of American
Indians, and the gathering of Japanese-origin American citizens into
camps during World War II are such examples from my country.”
Fried also said that his country discusses all such subjects
transparently just the way it has to be in modern societies and Turkey
should be encouraged to do so as well.
Warning that “the French bill is not going to promote discussion,”
Fried uttered that the responsibility of other countries involved
were to foster the air of discussion in Turkey and the efforts for
dialogue between Turkey and Armenia.
Also calling on France “to promote dialogue instead of taking sides,”
he pointed out that the subject in Turkey was already being discussed
and Turkish intellectuals had started adopting different angles to
evaluate the events of 1915.
It was very unusual of Fried to call on both the Turkish and Armenian
side to look at the 1915 events “with pain but honestly.”
Also touching on the Cyprus matter, Fried said they hoped that a
train wreck would not occur between Turkey and the European Union
and considered it a positive development that none of the parties
had rejected the Finnish plan yet.
Praising the president of Turkish Cyprus Mehmet Ali Talat’s efforts
toward a solution, Fried never mentioned Tassos Papadopoulos, the
president of Greek Cyprus.

Regnum, Russia
Oct 21 2006
“What position should Baku take in Georgian-Russian confrontation?”
Azeri press digest
Politics
“Iran, just like any other country, has the right to develop its
nuclear power engineering,” Azeri President Ilham Aliyev says in an
interview to Al Jazeera TV. He says that there is nothing illegal in
it. “If some countries or organizations feel anxious about this
problem, they should try to solve it. The sides should come to mutual
understanding. If this anxiety is well-grounded, it must be overcome.
However, the sovereign right of any state must also be implicitly
observed. That’s why we believe that negotiations are the only
possible way-out of this situation,” says Aliyev.
He notes that Iran is Azerbaijan’s closest neighbor, and Baku cannot
but care for the fate of the Azeris living in Iran. “The security of
your neighbor is your own security. This is an axiom. And this is our
approach. That’s why we believe that any problems causing anxiety
should be solved through peaceful negotiations. Intimidation and
pressure will give nothing,” says Aliyev. (Day.Az)
Aliyev also notes that the public in Azerbaijan is concerned about
Iran’s friendly relations with Armenia. “Just imagine, that country
has occupied our territories. Naturally, we attentively follow their
international contacts to see who is their friend and who is not. On
the other hand, there is a system of international relations. Iran is
not our only neighbor who has good relations with Armenia. I mean,
this factor should not influence Azerbaijan’s political decisions. On
the contrary, we should seek even better relations with Armenia’s
friends. And we are doing it.” “In diplomacy Azerbaijan must play on
Armenia’s field,” says Aliyev. (Day.Az)
Concerning the opening of an Azeri Consulate General in Los-Angeles,
Aliyev says that it is very important for Azerbaijan to have a
diplomatic representation there. “It is not a secret that California
is home to many Armenians. We have opened our consulate general there
to be there and to fight with them, with the Armenian lobby,” he
says. Shortly, Azerbaijan will open an embassy in Argentina. “In
Latin America the strongest Armenian lobby is based in Argentina. You
may say – what sense in opening an embassy in a country we have no
serious contacts with, but we are doing it to fight with the Armenian
lobby in their territory. We must always be ahead of them. And we
are. Our diplomatic initiatives, political moves, integration with
the regional countries – all this is strengthening out positions,”
says Aliyev. (Day.Az)
Aliyev says that “today, Armenia has lost its diplomatic game.”
“Their closest allies have become our allies, too, and have begun to
give even greater importance to Azerbaijan than to Armenia. As a
country, Armenia is not interesting, at all. On the one hand, it is a
geographic deadlock, on the other, we have made it an energy deadlock
by laying a bypass pipeline and will make it also a transport
deadlock by building the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railroad. We will do it
despite any protests by organizations and politicians who are far
from the region,” says Aliyev. “We must fight them in all directions.
I have instructed our Government, all our patriots to fight Armenia
at all fronts until they leave our territory. When they leave our
territory, I think we will resume our relations and will continue to
live as neighbors,” says Aliyev. (Day.Az)
“We hope that the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will
be settled peacefully. However, should the talks prove to be
unsuccessful, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan will, on the will of the
Azeri people and with the approval of the Head of State, take action
to liberate the Azerbaijani land from the Armenian invaders, the
Azerbaijani Defense Minister,” Colonel-General Safar Abiyev stated on
October 16 in Baku during the meeting with the delegation of the Ad
Hoc Committee for Future Defense and Security of the Defense and
Security Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The delegation
was led by the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee Vahit Erdem.
The Defense Minister stressed that Azerbaijan co-operated with NATO
in 1994 within the framework of the Program “Partnership for peace”,
and since 2004 the co-operation has been continued on the basis of
the Individual Partnership Action Plan. Abiyev informed the delegates
of the military-political situation in the South Caucasus, as well as
the history of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. He stressed that
“the deployment of large military arsenals in the Azerbaijani
territories occupied by Armenia poses a serious threat for the
large-scale economical projects in the region.”
Azerbaijan-Armenia. Karabakh
“The Co-Chairs of OSCE Minsk Group have began taking their tasks very
seriously,” Aydin Mirzazadeh, Vice Chairman of the Standing
Commission on Security and Defense of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani
Parliament), a member of the Political Council of the ruling party
“Yeni Azerbaijan” (“New Azerbaijan”) Aydin Mirzazadeh told Trend
He pointed out that OSCE Co-Chairmen have intensified their visits to
the region. “The consistent character of the co-chairs’ visits,
periodical discussion of agenda issues as well as the growing number
of objective aspects give us ground to believe that things are
heading toward the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement”, Mirzazadeh
said.
He stressed that the radial policy of the official Armenian
authorities in the matter is quite understandable – they came into
power on the wave of radicalism and nationalism. According to
Mirzazadeh, if the radical position of the present Armenian
authorities fails to satisfy the interests of the Armenian people,
they will show a different attitude during the forthcoming elections.
“The Azeri Government has no obligations to any organization not to
start a war,” the former advisor of the Azeri president, political
expert Vafa Guluzade says to Mediaforum. He says that the May 1994
cease-fire agreement stipulates that “the cease-fire should last
until peace is achieved”: “Azerbaijan has no other obligations, and
the Azeri President has repeatedly said that, if no peace agreement
is reached, Azerbaijan has an inalienable right to liberate its
occupied lands. However, this does not mean that Azerbaijan will war.
Everybody, particularly, Europe perfectly knows that Azerbaijan will
not war as the real occupant of the Azeri territory is Russia.”
“Azerbaijan should undertake commitments only when it is sure that it
can win Armenia and Russia in war,” says Guluzade. “Only then the EU
may ask Azerbaijan to undertake commitments not to win them.”
Guluzade believes that, legally, nothing prevents Azerbaijan from
liberating its territories by war: there are no obligations saying it
can’t. However, Guluzade reiterates that war is a very hard scenario
as “the occupant” is Russia and, if Azerbaijan starts a war, it will
have to fight with Russia. Guluzade approves of Azerbaijan’s
commitments to international organizations: “All these obligations
concern democratization and compliance with the European standards.”
“Azerbaijan may announce a boycott of imports from France, whose
National Assembly has adopted a pro-Armenian law,” says Echo daily.
“The boycott will be one of the steps to prevent the French
Parliament from adopting the law criminalizing the denial of ‘the
Armenian Genocide’ in Ottoman Turkey,” Azeri MP, member of the
Standing Parliamentary Commission on Defense and Security, the vice
chairman of the Ana Veten party Zahid Oruj says in a talk with the
daily.
To remind, last week the French National Assembly approved the first
reading of a bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide
that took place in Turkey during the WWI. The bill was approved by an
absolute majority of deputies. Those who will violate the law will
have to pay a fine worth 45,000 EUR ($56,500) or to go to jail for
one year. The French legislators passed the bill despite strong
protests by the Turkish and Azeri authorities. In order to take
force, the bill is yet to be approved by the Senate and ratified by
the President.
Oruj says that each Azeri citizen can show his protest against the
bill by boycotting French goods. This may be just one of the measures
against the bill. “I think it is quite normal and I believe that
people who feel insulted should act exactly like that,” says Oruj.
True, people should take time with the boycott till the Azeri
authorities have given a political assessment of the situation.
Zerkalo daily says: “Indeed, it is terrifying to think that France is
one of the democracy ‘trendsetters’ in the world and that the
parliament of ‘democratic’ France has adopted an absolutely
non-democratic law and that the French authorities close their eyes
on all the crimes against humanity committed by Armenian terrorists
in the territory of the selfsame France.”
Asked by New Time daily about the expediency of France’s further
participation in the OSCE MG after the French Parliament’s last
decision, political expert Rovshan Mustafayev said: “I personally
consider that the French co-chair should leave the OSCE MG format –
either voluntarily or under the pressure of the international
community. The best scenario is to involve Turkey in the OSCE MG
process. There is no limit for the quantity of the co-chairs, so,
Turkey may well become the fourth.” Mustafayev noted that France has
always favored Armenia in the Karabakh peace process. “And now that
the French Parliament has passed such a decision, it would be naive
to hope that France will be impartial in the matter. So, France must
observe moral-ethical norms and formally quit the OSCE MG,”
Mustafayev said. (New Time)
Azeri Turk Gadynlary association demands removing France from the
OSCE MG. Echo reports that during a roundtable “Fictitious ‘Genocide’
of Armenians as a Way to Pressure Turkey,” the Association said: “The
adoption of a bill punishing people for not recognizing the
‘Genocide’ of Armenians will certainly harm the image of France. That
country makes no distinctions between an aggressor- and a
victim-country and supports Armenia, who committed genocide against
the residents of the Azeri town of Khojaly.”
In his turn, Azeri MP Fazail Ibragimli says that those who do not
wish to see Turkey in the EU immediately “remember” the so-called
Armenian Genocide. “As long ago as in the 1920s an Italian politician
said: “If somebody wants to get anything from Turkey or if Turkey
denies somebody anything, he immediately reminds that country of the
‘Genocide’ of Armenians,” says Ibragimli. The head of the Azeri
community of Nagorno-Karabakh Nizami Bakhmanov also suggests removing
France from the OSCE MG. Day.Az reports Bakhmanov to say that the
adoption of the bill may have negative consequences. “The French
Ambassador to Azerbaijan tried to reassure us that the adoption
procedure consists of several stages. So, we have just to wait and to
take necessary steps if the law is still adopted,” he says.
“The French Government does not support the legislative proposal of
the Socialist Party to criminalize the denial of the Armenian
Genocide. Moreover, the French Government objects to this
initiative,” French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Bernard du Chaffaut said
during a press-conference in Baku. TURAN news agency reports him to
explain that in France there are two bodies that have the right to
advance a legislative initiative: the Government and the Parliament.
The Government’s documents are called bills, the Parliament’s ones –
legislative proposals.
In this particular case, the Socialist Party has made a legislative
proposal. Chaffaut said that in France the adoption of law is a
multi-stage procedure. Even if approved by the National Assembly, a
legislative proposal should be also approved by the Senate. The
Senate has the right to make changes to the text of the document and
to send it back to the National Assembly. If the National Assembly
rejects the changes, it can re-send it to the Senate. And if the
Senate rejects the proposal for the second time, the sides set up a
conciliatory committee who adopts the final decision.
Du Chaffaut said that on the previous day the French Foreign Minister
had told him on the phone that the French Government did not support
the initiative of the French parliamentarians. He even said that
France did not stipulate that Turkey should recognize the Armenian
Genocide for qualifying for the EU membership. In the Turkey-EU
problem, France stays adherent to the Copenhagen principles. They
stipulate the protection of human rights, the freedom of speech, the
respect of the rights of ethnic minorities and the recognition of the
independence of Cyprus. Concerning the address of the Azeri
Parliament to the National Assembly to France, which questions the
impartiality of France as a mediator in the Karabakh peace process,
Chaffaut said that the French co-chair of the OSCE MG represents the
position of the Government rather than the Parliament.
Azerbaijan-Georgia
Asked by Echo daily why the GUAM parliamentary speakers have
refrained from direct support of Georgia’s position in its conflict
with Moscow, political expert, doctor of history Eldar Ismailov said:
“In this situation, Georgia’s partners have shown a diplomatic tact,
and I think that to directly support Georgia in its conflict with
Russia would mean for them to enter into a similar conflict. None of
the GUAM states – except for Georgia – is ready for such a conflict
today. That’s why they expressed their attitude in a diplomatic form.
We don’t know what is happening backstage, but we understand that
Georgia had to address its GUAM partners and they had to express
their attitude in the form they did. This does not mean that they
sympathize with Russia in the conflict. I think that, in any case,
all the three countries should sympathize with Georgia, because they
all have problems with separatism, and Russia is actively benefiting
from them. Still none of them will benefit from antagonism with
Russia.”
Zerkalo daily writes about the aggravation of Russian-Georgian
relations: “In this situation, Georgia very much needs the support of
Europe and its post-Soviet partners. The EU said it was firmly
resolved to stop the embargo and to restore good-neighbor relations
between Russia and Georgia. However, they in Europe also have
problems. The EU informal leaders (France, Germany and Italy) believe
that the Russian-Georgian conflict is a problem of two “third
states.” In other words, the EU “old members” prefer not to quarrel
with Russia, who is their key fuel supplier and is getting
increasingly stronger due to growing oil and gas prices.
So, now, there is nothing else left Georgia to do but to rely on its
post-Soviet partners – GUAM states. However, the Chisinau Summit has
shown that they are not very much reliable either. So, Tbilisi can
only hope that GUAM will persuade the US and Europe to take more
pro-Georgian position.
And, certainly, Georgia will need special support from Azerbaijan.
However, it’s not all that simple. Moscow has really gone at Georgia,
and one of its key levers to pressure that country is economic
blockade, which will gradually aggravate the social-economic
situation there and will ultimately result in the overthrow of
Mikhail Saakashvili. Last autumn-winter Azerbaijan helped Georgia out
of energy crisis by lending the country natural gas. Now, Georgia is
asking for help again – last week Georgian Energy Minister Nika
Gilauri visited Baku with a view to sign a contract with the Azeri
Fuel and Energy Ministry for gas supplies to Georgia from Shah Deniz
field. It is known that Georgia wants to buy 300mln c m but it is not
known for how much. If Azerbaijan offers its gas at a lower price
than Russian Gazprom does, this may cause a controversial reaction in
Moscow.
The same is for the possibility of reselling Russian gas to Georgia.
Gazprom will certainly be against this intermediary mission.
It is not yet known either if the infrastructure for Iranian gas
supplies to Georgia will be ready by the end of this year. This is
not only an economic but also a political matter: Tehran is Moscow’s
strategic partner and hopes that it will help it avoid international
sanctions.
In other words, very shortly we may witness a situation when the
question – “Will Saakashvili hold out?” – will fully depend on
Azerbaijan. If Baku helps Georgia, the Azeris in Russia may face the
same situation as the Russia-based Georgians are facing now. On the
other hand, the US, who is very much interested in pro-western
Georgia, will active lobby others to support that country. So,
Azerbaijan may find itself between two fires. It will start haggling
again and will give preference to the force offering bigger political
dividends. (Zerkalo)
“Azerbaijan is ready to help Georgia by providing its territory for
Iranian gas supplies to that country,” says Azeri Industry and Energy
Minister Natik Aliyev. “Today, a Georgian delegation led by Energy
Minister Nikoloz Gilauri has gone to Iran for negotiations. The sides
have not yet reached any specific agreement but, if they do, we are
ready to help Georgia to carry the Iranian gas via our territory,”
says Aliyev. Azerbaijan may also supply Georgia with gas this winter.
“Last year our country helped Georgia after the breakage of the gas
pipeline from Russia. We can help them this year, too, but only after
satisfying our own demand. If we have any gas left, we will supply it
to Georgia,” says Aliyev. (525th Newspaper)
Echo says: “The main question is what position Azerbaijan should take
in the Georgian-Russian confrontation. On the one hand, if we start
helping Georgia, Moscow will start pressuring us, on the other, we
cooperate with Georgia in the framework of the pro-western GUAM bloc
and energy projects.
Besides, Tbilisi will seek to get the gas we buy from Russia. Last
year Azerbaijan provided Georgia with such assistance, but, today,
the situation is quite different. No coincidence that Azeri Fuel and
Energy Minister Natik Aliyev says that the possibility of Azeri gas
supplies to Georgia this winter will depend on the volume of gas
consumption inside Azerbaijan. This is just a diplomatic proviso – we
perfectly know how much gas on an average we consume a month in
winter. We also know how much we produce inside the country and buy
from Russia. In other words, our authorities have not yet made a
specific decision on the matter and are waiting for further
developments.
Thus, whatever its outcome, the open conflict between Russia and
Georgia will change the situation in the region. The Azeri
authorities should clearly decide – either we keep neutral or we
choose confrontation with Russia and strengthening of ties with GUAM.
And we are running short of time for the choice. (Echo)

Zaman, Turkey
Oct 21 2006
Austrian Turkish Candidate Stigmatized for ‘Genocide’ Denial
By Cihan News Agency
Saturday, October 21, 2006
zaman.com
A Turkish-origin candidate for a seat in the Austrian parliament has
been threatened since he denied the so-called Armenian genocide in
a statement in a paper in Vienna.
Mustafa Iscel, candidate for Austrian People’s Party (OVP) in the
general elections held on Oct. 1, said that he had been threatened
by Armenian lobbies in Austria and Germany after he told Austrian
daily Die Presse that no Armenian genocide existed.
Iscel also printed a flyer that read “Vote for us if you do not want
the Armenian bill passed” during the election campaign.
“People from both sides were killed in this historical event.
Independent historians are needed to clarify the issue and politicians
should not be involved in such issues,” he told the newspaper.
Iscel went on to say that Armenians would threaten him till he resigned
from his party, also pressuring the OVP to remove him from the list
of candidates.
Late in September, three Turkish candidates were expelled from their
parties in the Netherlands due to their refusal to accept the so-called
Armenian genocide, ahead of general elections to be held on Nov. 22.
The Christian Democrat Appeal and Labor Party of the Netherlands
removed three Turkish-origin politicians from their lists of candidates
to run for a seat in the parliament after they refused to admit that
Turks committed genocide against Armenians during the World War I.

ARMENIAN ALPHABET EXHIBIT AT MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY
Monmouth University News & Events, NJ
Oct 21 2006
Program Celebrates the 1,600th Anniversary of the Armenian Alphabet and
Will Feature Multiple Armenian Alphabet Artifacts Monmouth University,
in conjunction with the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern), will host an Armenian Alphabet Exhibit, November 6 to 9, 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, in historic Wilson Hall, located on the Monmouth
University campus. The program celebrates the 1,600th anniversary
of the Armenian Alphabet and will feature multiple Armenian Alphabet
artifacts. In addition, on November 8 at 7 p.m., Mr. Aram Arkun will
give a keynote address about the history of the Armenian Alphabet in
Wilson Hall Auditorium.
Mr. Arkun, a specialist in Armenian history serves as the coordinator
of the Krikor and Clara Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern). He is editor of the periodical
Ararat, chairman of the Armenian Student Association Arthur H. Dadian
Armenian Heritage Award committee, and secretary of the board of
directors of the Armenian Center at Columbia University.
Mr. Arkun is a doctoral candidate in Armenian history (C.Phil.) at
UCLA, for which he is completing his dissertation on the Armenians
of northern Cilicia after World War I.
The exhibit and keynote address are free and open to the public.
Local schools and large groups are asked to please contact the
Office of Public Affairs at 732-571-3526 to schedule a time to view
the exhibit.
Media Contact: Val Manzo 732-571-3526/[email protected]

ARMENIAN AND IRANIAN ARMENIAN ARCHITECTS HAVE GOAL TO EXCHANGE EXPERIENCE
TEHRAN, OCTOBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The “Alik” daily
received on October 18 Chairman of Architects’ Union of Armenia
Mkrtich Minasian and the architect of the Genocide victims memorial
complex in Armenia Sashur Kalashian accompanied by Abraham Ayvazian,
the Chairman of the Union of Armenian Architects and Engineers in
Iran. According to the “Alik” daily, architects arrived in Armenia
visited Iran by the invitation of the Union of Armenian Architects and
Engineers. Mkrtich Minasian mentioned during the meeting that the goal
of the visit is to bring closer the character of the sides’ works,
to pass what happens in Armenia in the sphere of urban development,
what achievements the Armenian architects have in Iran as well as to
direct works in one direction and to closely cooperate.

AMBASSADOR OF KAZAKHSTAN TO TRY TO MAKE ARMENIAN-KAZAKH ECONOMIC CONTACTS MORE ACTIVE
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Robert Kocharian
expects activization of Armenian-Kazakh cooperation in connection with
Kazakhstan’s decision to have a representation in Yerevan. R.Kocharian
said this on October 20, at the talk held after the credentials handing
ceremony of newly appointed Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Armenia Aimdos
Ersaini Bozdjigitov. As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA President’s
Press Office, the sides considered R.Kocharian’s official visit
to Kazakhstan in November as an important stimulus for further
extension of interstate relations. The interlocutors mentioned
reforms being implemented at a full speed in the two countries,
by the rate of which Armenia and Kazakhstan are among leaders among
CIS countries. Emphasizing interest of Kazakh businessmen in Armenia,
the Ambassador said that he will first of all try to activize economic
contacts. In his words, the Armenian community of Kazakhstan can be
an important factor in bilateral cooperation, the representatives of
which are actively involved in country’s various spheres.

V.OSKANIAN TOUCHES UPON ROLE AND PROBLEMS OF ARMENIAN DIASPORA AT
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
TORONTO, OCTOBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On October 19,
RA Vartan Oskanian who is in Canada on a working visit, made a speech
at the international conference “Building of Possibilities Aimed at
Peace and Development: the Role of the Diaspora” organized by UN
jointly with the University for Peace in Toronto. NT was informed
about it from RA FM Press Service. Chairman of UN General Assembly
61st session, Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa made a greeting speech at
the conference. Minister Oskanian presented the Armenian Diaspora’s
experience, spoke about Diasporan structures’ activity in various
countries and problms of its development. Presenting the history of
emergence and formation of the Armenian Diaspora, he touched upon
the problems of Diaspora’s identity. Armenia-Diaspora relations
were also touched upon. In particular, it was mentioned that the
latter’s assistance to Armenia is provided in economic and political
directions: economic assistance through investments, philanthropy and
monetary transfers, political assistance through support in Nagorno
Karabakh settlement, recognition of the Armenian Genocide and in
issues relating to Armenian-Turkish relations. After the conference
Minister Oskanian continued to communicate with the representatives of
Canadian Armenian community. Issues of Armenian villages’ development,
as well as of Armenian community’s and individuals’ participation in
various business projects were discussed at the meetings.