Armenian News

asbarez.com
Azerbaijan Stalls Peace Talks Again
Posted By Contributor On July 19, 2010

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (Combined Sources)—Armenian Foreign Minister
Eduard Nalbandian blamed Azerbaijan’s “non-constructive” posturing
Monday for the stalemate that followed two days of talks on the Nagorno
-Karabakh conflict with his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov.

Nalbandian and Mammadyarov began talks Friday night on the sidelines
of an informal OSCE Foreign Ministerial meeting. They continued the talks
Saturday morning, this time attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and U.S. Deputy
Secretary of State James Steinberg, who was representing the US at the
meeting in Almaty.

Following the talks, which ended without real progress toward a peace deal,
Lavrov, Kouchner and Steignberg issued a statement saying, “the efforts
made so far by the parties to the conflict have not been sufficient to overcome
their differences,” and urged more action by the two sides.
The Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries “
deplored recent developments which have increased tension in the region,
including the serious armed incident of June 18-19, 2010 and inflammatory
public statements. They warned that the use of force created the current
situation, and its use again would only lead to suffering, devastation, and a
legacy of conflict and hostility that would last for generations.”

The Heads also “urged a greater spirit of compromise to reach agreement
on a common basis for continuing the negotiations. Additional actions by the
sides are needed to reinforce the ceasefire of 1994 and to create a more
favorable atmosphere for further political dialogue and reaching agreements.”

“In the course of many years Azerbaijan has been refusing to reinforce the
ceasefire. The co-chair countries once again stressed the necessity of it to
create a more favorable atmosphere for further political dialogue and
reaching agreements,” said Nalbandian, in response to the OSCE co-chair
countries’ statement, which he praised.

“The statement refers to the provocation of the Azerbaijani side on June 18-19.
I think it’s obvious to everyone who the statement is addressed to, because it
refers to inflammatory public statements, which aggravate the situation and do
not contribute to the settlement of the conflict,” added Nalbandian.

The representatives of the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries “recalled the joint
statement on Nagorno-Karabakh of December 1, 2009 at the OSCE Ministerial
meeting in Athens and reminded the sides of their commitment to seek a
peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the principles
contained in the Helsinki Final Act, particularly those related to refraining from
the threat or use of force, the territorial integrity of states, and the equal rights
and self determination of peoples. They reiterated that the elements articulated
by Presidents Medvedev, Sarkozy, and Obama on July 10, 2009 at L’Aquila
and repeated at Muskoka on June 26, 2010 must be the foundation of any fair
and lasting settlement to the conflict. These proposed elements have been
conceived as an integrated whole, and any attempt to select some elements
over others would make it impossible to achieve a balanced solution. Foreign
Minister Kouchner and Deputy Secretary Steinberg expressed appreciation
for the efforts of President Medvedev and Foreign Minister Lavrov to bridge
the differences between the parties, taking into consideration the positions
discussed during the meetings in Sochi on January 25, 2010 and in
St. Petersburg on June 17, 2010.”

Prior to this weekend’s meeting, Mammadyarov angered Armenians when he
announced that a he and Nalbandian would discuss the withdrawal from the
liberated territories surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic during the
Almaty talks, specifying the regions of Lachin and Kelbajar, the two regions
that border Armenia.

Nalbandian swiftly responded last week by calling Mammadyarov’s remarks
“absolute lies,” and explained that at no time has there been discussion of
withdrawing from those regions.
“They [the Azerbaijanis] pick out one of six [peace] provisions and exploit it,”
Nalbandian said. “The co-chairing countries stated in a very simple and open
manner that this is a non-constructive approach, that it is wrong to discriminate
between these principles


reporter.am
Tatev aerial tramway, breakthrough in area tourism, set for October opening
by Paul Caderjian
Published: Friday July 16, 2010

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Tatev, Armenia - Hundreds of visionaries, philanthropists, government and church officials, and community leaders will gather at the ancient Tatev Monastery in southern Armenia on Saturday, October 16, 2010, for the launch of the innovative and forward-thinking Tatev Revival Project.

"Tatev is one of our historic landmarks. It's a crown jewel in our cultural heritage and was for centuries a major focal point and religious center for our people. It was also where we studied theology, humanities, the sciences, and created art and literature," said Zarmine Zeitountsian, Fundraising Coordinator of the Tatev Revival Project. "Tatev is a 9th century landmark that, due to natural causes and centuries of neglect, is now in serious need of conservation and restoration."

The Tatev monastic complex underwent a flawed and unfinished renovation attempt in the 1980s under Soviet rule. Rain and snow continue to threaten the stability of the ancient structures and seep through to interiors causing more damage.

"There's still a massive construction crane from the renovation attempt, and it's been standing in the middle of the courtyard for the last 30 years," said Zeitountsian. "The work that was attempted in the 80s is historically inaccurate and unbefitting. It is important not only to conserve the structures of the Monastery, protecting them from deterioration, but also to undo some of the inappropriate interventions such as the hotel lobby-like marble floors in the holy St. Paul and Peter Church, and to restore some collapsed components such as the ancient monk cells."

Spearheading the massive $50-million Tatev Revival Project on behalf of a group of stakeholders, including the Armenian Government and Church, benefactors and the Armenian people is the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia.

This public-private partnership tackles breakthrough, strategic projects that act as catalysts for long-term development. Competitiveness Foundation projects trigger both government and private investments in sectors like tourism, education, and healthcare. Economists have identified these sectors as ones that will make Armenia globally competitive.

"Our challenge was not just to renovate the monastery, but to ensure that it will live, become active and self-sustaining," said Competitiveness Foundation CEO, Pegor Papazian. "Tatev is part of our Southern Armenia Tourism Corridor, where we have designed and are developing projects that are designed to create excitement and inspire confidence, so that our intervention will trigger further development. We are zoning and creating a master plan for the region, so that we can direct development and mobilize investments while protecting nature and the rural environment."

The far-sighted Tatev Revival Project will launch in October with the grand opening of the $13 million aerial tramway. Already under construction since last fall, this 5.7-kilometer (3.5-mile) aerial tramway - the world's longest teleferic - will allow visitors to bypass a 90-minute drive in and out of the rocky Vorotan River Gorge to reach the monastery. It will link Armenia's main regional highway to the village of Tatev.

"We have a very diverse group of donors, including quite a few non-Armenians and people of different faiths - Christian, Jewish and Muslim. As a result of their contributions, the 9th century Tatev complex may be reached by taking a 10-minute ride," said Zeitountsian. "This tramway will take visitors over picturesque green hills, steep cliffs, and the rushing white waters of the Vorotan River. In itself, it will be an impressive tourist attraction."

The Ruben and Veronica Vardanian and Friends Foundation is the main benefactor of the Halidzor-Tatev tramway construction. Several sponsors have also committed to covering the maintenance and operating costs of the Swiss-built ropeway. It will operate year-round, to allow tourists from around the globe to experience Tatev during all seasons, even during snow-covered winters.

"With our investors committed to the project, we also have Armenia's taxpayers and government stepping up to reconstruct and repave the roads leading to Halidzor and Tatev and to strengthen the area's infrastructure," said Zara Amatuni, Competitiveness Foundation Outreach Manager. "There are other investors looking into developing community-based tourism activities, hotels, bed and breakfasts, and eateries."

Among the many innovative breakthrough development programs in the Tatev Revival Project are the renewal of Tatev's monastic traditions, an arts and crafts revival, and culinary tourism. These sophisticated, multi-faceted projects are ambitious and reflect a long-term perspective.

"People value food, especially authentic ethnic food, and we want to make the region's cuisine more accessible. We want to revive old and forgotten recipes, use local ingredients to create new dishes, and offer tourists and global markets a new take on Armenian cuisine," said Papazian. "The same ideology will be applied to arts and craft revival, which will help make Armenia more competitive as a tourism destination. Projects such as these will result in economic growth that will naturally lead to more jobs, reduced migration, and a sustainable economy."

The monastic revival component of the Tatev Revival Project will bring back to life a time when Tatev was home to more than 500 monks and a thriving university that excelled in scientific, literary, and religious studies. In its heyday, Tatev was at the leading edge of education. Today, plans are in the works to make the monastery attractive for students, artists, academics and even pilgrims. The monastery has the potential to become a center for academic conferences, research projects, workshops, summer camps, science fairs, musical concerts, lectures, retreats, and sabbaticals.

"We are attracting financing and plugging Armenia into global networks and markets," said Papazian. "We want people to choose Armenia over another country they might be considering next time they plan their vacation. We want to be competitive across sectors, and especially in tourism, healthcare, and education which have great unrealized potential."

Information about the Competitiveness Foundation's mandate and other projects is available online at http://www.cf.am/. The Tatev Revival Project is described fully on its own site at http://www.tatev.am/.



U.S. State Department: “Armenia is a source country for women trafficking”
[ 2010/06/15 | 13:09 ]

In its Tenth Annual Trafficking in Persons Report, the U.S. State Department list
Armenia as a source country for women subjected to trafficking in persons,
specificalyy forced prostitution, and a source and destination country for women
in forced labor.

In part the Armenia country profile reads:
Armenia is a source country for women subjected to trafficking in persons,
specifically forced prostitution, a source and destination country for women in
forced labor, and a source country for men in forced labor.

Women from Armenia are subjected to sex trafficking in the UAE and Turkey.
Armenian men and women are subjected to forced labor in Russia while
Armenian women are subjected to forced labor in Turkey. Armenian boys are
subjected to conditions of forced labor and Armenian women and girls are
subjected to forced prostitution within the country.

Women from Russia are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Armenia.
The Government of Armenia does not fully comply with the minimum standards
for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do
so. In January 2010, the government enacted legislation that increased the
minimum penalty for convicted trafficking offenders to five years’ imprisonment,
allowed for the confiscation of assets from convicted trafficking offenders, and
exempted trafficking victims from criminal prosecution for crimes committed
as a direct result ofbeing trafficked.

While the government did not provide funding for victim assistance in 2009,
in March 2010 it allocated approximately $15,000 to an NGO-run shelter for
facility rent. The government continued to implement its national trafficking victim
referral mechanism and nearly doubled the number of victims it identified
compared with the previous year. The government demonstrated modest
progress in combating government officials’ complicity in trafficking; however,
more should be done to prosecute suspected officials.