Seta's Armenian Blog: Loussapatz - The Dawn - 33-ՐԴ ՏԱՐԻ, ԹԻՒ 1025 ՇԱԲԱԹ, 22 ՄԱՐՏ 2014

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Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

29 July 1817 – 2 May 1900

Was a romanic painter. He is considered one of the greatest marine artists in history. Baptized as Hovhannes Aivazian, Aivazovsky was born into an Armenian family in the Black Sea port of Feodosia and was mostly based in his native Crimea.

133-ՐԴ ՏԱՐԻ, ԹԻՒ 1025 ՇԱԲԱԹ, 22 ՄԱՐՏ 2014

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Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

29 July 1817 – 2 May 1900

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KARABAKH: CRIMEAN REFERENDUM MANIFESTATION OF PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION

STEPANAKERT -- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno- Karabakh Republic (the Artsakh Republic) considers the referendum held on March 16 in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea as yet another mani- festation of realization of the right of people to self-determination.

“The right of every people to choose its path of development and de- termine its destiny on its own through democratic expression of will, as it is enshrined in the UN Charter and a number of fundamental international documents, is a key principle of international law.

The experience of recent years, in particular the referendums envis- aged in Catalonia and Scotland prove that the recognition and realization of the inalienable right of people to self-determination is the most optimal and democratic way for the peaceful settlement of this kind of issues.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic hopes that the situation following the ref- erendum in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea will be addressed and resolved in the legal context exclusively by peaceful means,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Armenia’s government on Monday reacted evasively to the weekend referendum in Crimea that was welcomed by Russia. “We are for the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis through dialogue, in peaceful and ne- gotiated manner based on the UN Charter and international law,” Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in writ- ten remarks to Armenian state television. He would not say whether Yerevan recognizes the outcome of the refer- endum in which mostly ethnic Russian voters supported becoming part of Russia.

Nalbandian also seemed to suggest that the despite their deepening rift over Ukraine, the U.S., Russia and France will continue to jointly mediate in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. “Together with the three Co-Chairs we will continue our joint efforts at an exclusively peaceful settlement of the Karabakh issue,” he said.

SARKISIAN PHONES PUTIN, BACKS CRIMEA SECESSION

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) -- Putting Armenia’s relations with the West to the test, President Serzh Sarkisian appeared to have recognized Rus- sia’s internationally condemned annexation of Crimea during a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

Sarkisian’s press office said he phoned Putin to discuss “the crisis in Ukraine and ways out of it.” “In that context, the interlocutors addressed the situation that emerged after the referendum in Crimea and concluded that it is yet another example of realization of peoples’ right to self- determination through a free expression of will,” it said in a statement.

“At the same time they emphasized the importance of commitment to the norms and principles of international law and the UN charter in the first instance,” added the statement. It also noted that the phone call took place “at the initiative of the Armenian

side.” In a shorter statement, the Kremlin confirmed the conversation but made no mention of Sarkisian’s endorse-

ment of the weekend referendum in which residents of Crimea voted to become part of Russia. It said only that the two presidents “exchanged opinions in connection with the reunification of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol with the Russian Federation.”

The Armenian government has until now avoided taking sides in the crisis degenerating into Russia’s most se- rious standoff with the West since the end of the Cold War. It was clearly anxious not to irk the United States and the European Union that have denounced the Crimea vote and the resulting annexation as illegal. Western reaction to Sarkisian’s move is therefore bound to be negative.

Analysts will likely link the move to Sarkisian’s unexpected decision last year to make Armenia part of the Russian-led Customs Union, which was widely attributed to strong Russian pressure exerted on Yerevan. The Sarkisian administration has since been keen to complete the accession process as quickly as possible.

Incidentally, that process was also on the agenda of Sarkisian’s phone call with Putin. The official Armenian and Russian sources gave no other details of that discussion.

Meanwhile Armenian's fear weakening of economic growth in Russia due to Western sanctions that could have negative consequences for Armenia.

TURKEY REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE CRIMEA REFERENDUM

Panorama.am -- Turkey said on Monday that it does not recognize the result of the referendum in Crimea in which voters chose to join Russia, amid fears for the future of Turkish-speaking Tatars in the region, Hürriyet Daily News reported.

"This referendum is not recognized, and has no legitimacy," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told a news conference in Ankara, standing alongside Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Kırımoğlu.

"We did not and will not accept the referendum," Kırımoğlu said. "The future of Crimean Tatars rests with the state of Ukraine."

Davutoğlu said the referendum "violates Ukraine's territorial integrity."

"I hope this referendum, which is unacceptable, will not lead to new tensions," he said, calling on all con- cerned parties to act with "common sense" and avoid "military manoeuvres.”

CANADIAN PM TO VISIT UKRAINE

NEWS.am -- Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper on Saturday will pay a visit to Ukrainian capital city Kyiv, where he will meet with Arseniy Yatsenyuk, inter- im Prime Minister of Ukraine.

The official website of the Canadian PM informed the aforesaid.

The parties will discuss the secessionist crisis in Crimea and, under the created a situation, what Canada can do in the future to help Ukraine, LIGA reported.

Canada has imposed sanctions on seven Russian and three Crimean officials.

Ten officials are banned from traveling to Canada, and their assets will be frozen. The sanctions are imposed in particular on Vice Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and Vladimir

Putin’s assistants as well as on Crimea PM Sergey Aksenov, CBC reported. Earlier U.S. and EU imposed sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials.

UKRAINE PARTY LEADER DEMANDS RECALLING COUNTRY’S AMBASSADORS TO ARMENIA AND KAZAKHSTAN

NEWS.am -- Oleh Tyahnybok, who is leader of the nationalist All- Ukrainian Union “Svoboda [Freedom]” party, made a call from the rostrum of the Verkhovna Rada (Supreme Council; parliament) of Ukraine.

Tyahnybok demanded that Ukraine recall its ambassadors to those coun- tries that have recognized Crimea as a Russian territory.

“Some countries, specifically Kazakhstan and Armenia, have begun to recognize the fake referendum in Crimea.

“We demand to immediately either recall our ambassadors from those countries, or to summon their ambassadors to the [Ukraine] MFA, for clarifi- cations,” the party leader stated.

US AMBASSADOR REGRETS ARMENIA STATEMENT ON CRIMEA

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern ex- pressed a regret over official Yerevan’s statement in connection with the recent referendum in Crimea.

“I regret that Armenia made its statement on the referendum in Crimea,” Heffern stated at an international conference being held in capital city Yere- van.

He noted that both NATO and the United States tried to find peaceful ways to settle the crisis, but Russia did not heed their proposals.

As reported earlier, the Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin had a telephonic conversation on Wednesday. They touched upon the situation created after the referendum in Crimea, and noted this as another example of the exercis- ing of the people’s right to self-determination through free expression of will. They also underscored the im-

portance of following international norms and principles, and first and foremost, the UN Charter.

UKRAINE NOT PLANNING VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR ARMENIA

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- Ukraine does not plan on introducing visa re- quirements for Armenia, Ukrainian Ambassador Ivan Kukhta stated at a press conference on Thursday.

But such a matter came up on Wednesday, and following the instruction that was given to the Ukrainian MFA at the session of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

In line with the instruction, Ukraine will demand visa requirements for Russia.

Based on the track-record, however, Kukhta noted that this procedure will not be implemented very quickly.

The ambassador also recalled that Ukraine has a visa-free travel procedure with Armenia, and stated that he sees no reason for changing this procedure in the future.

FRENCH PRESIDENT TO VISIT ARMENIA IN MAY

PARIS -- The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Edward Nalbandian paid a working visit to Paris on March 13 and met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Laurent Fabius.

The Ministers discussed the preparations for the forthcoming visit of the President of France, Francois Hollande, to Armenia this May.

The interlocutors expressed satisfaction that the bilateral relations between the countries are on a high level and touched upon the development and expansion of the economic cooperation. In this context Minister Nalbandian emphasized that about 160 companies with French capital are function in Armenia and our country welcomes the growth of the French investments and the new initiatives in that direction.

Armenian-EU relations and the Karabakh settlement process were also on the agenda. Appreciating France’s constructive involvement in the process together with the United States and Russia, Minister Nalbandian attached importance to their joint efforts targeted at the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

Minister Nalbandian reiterated Armenia’s willingness to continue to work jointly with the Minsk Group co- chairing countries to reach a final resolution.

The parties discussed the urgent international and regional issues, particularly the Ukrainian crisis and the pos- sible ways of its settlement, as well as Iran’s nuke programs.

UK AMBASSADOR IMPRESSED BY ARMENIA-NATO PARTNERSHIP

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- UK Ambassador to Armenia Catherine Leach said she is impressed how Armenia, being a CSTO member, is building partnership with NATO.

Strategic partnership with Russia and CSTO is understandable and there are no doubts what Armenia wants to achieve in relations with NATO: creation of professional peacekeeping brigade, more than 100 people in Afghanistan, the pro- cess of reviewing defense strategy and education of professional sergeants.

Secretary of Armenia's National Security Council said Armenia considers important effective cooperation with NATO and stands for complementarity in the issue of cooperation with NATO and CSTO membership.

“Armenia is a key CSTO member, but we are working closely with the or- ganization, continue our part-nership with NATO with a clearly defined program and agenda. And we find that there is a resource of complementarity, in which we must move forward, as resource

of confrontation will unambiguously lead to negative developments,” he said. According Baghdasaryan, Armenia and NATO cooperate in the fields of democracy, rule of law and protec-

tion of human rights, institutional reforms in the defense sector, cooperation in cyber security and emergency situa- tions, counter-terrorism and corruption under IPAP.

He also noted that since 2004 the Armenian peacekeepers have been participating in NATO peacekeeping missions.

“Armenia is a country assisting regional and international stability and security. We attach importance to the participation of our military in missions ensureing security in regional or international dimension,” he said.

ARMENIA READY TO OPEN BORDER WITH TURKEY WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- Normalization of relations with Turkey will provide serious possibility for peace, security and stability in the region, Secretary of Armenia's National Security Council said.

“Armenia deems important the issue of long-term normalization of relations with Turkey,” Arthur Baghda- saryan said, noting that Armenia does not see from Turkish side real steps to normalize relations.

“Armenia is ready to open the border and establish diplomatic relations without preconditions. This is the path to future. Of course, the past is important but we need to look to the future,” he added.

Baghdasaryan noted that for Armenia it is very important international partners' understanding of the problem and consistent assistance that will enable Turkey to objectively evaluate their history and move forward with regard to its aspirations to play a dominant role in the region.

In October 2009 Armenia and Turkey signed protocols in Zurich to normalize diplomatic relations between the states. The documents had to be ratified in both countries’ parliaments. However, in 2010 the Armenian president suspended the process due to Turkey’s non-constructive stance. Ankara set preconditions and linked the reconcilia- tion process to resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE IN ARMENIA CONDUCTS EXERCISES

NEWS.am -- Tactical exercises are conducted at the Alagyaz and Kamhud alpine polygons of the Southern Military District (SMD) Russian military base in Armenia.

The drills are held under the direction of Colonel Andrey Ruzinski, Commander of the 102nd Russian Military Base in Gyumri, Armenia.

Approximately three-hundred military servicemen and more than fifty armored equipment plus the air force are taking part in the exercises, the SMD press service informed.

ARMENIA PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY WARNS THEY WILL VOTE AGAINST NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- Armenia's ruling party said decision of four non- coalition parties on initiating no-confidence vote is of no significance, as resignation of Cabinet exclusively depends on the vote of majority.

Galust Sahakyan, head of RPA parliamentary group, noted the decision had been discussed for a long time.

“This is their decision. These political forces are trying to do something within their capabilities,” he told reporters on Wednesday. RPA will not only vote against, but will do everything to block the initiative, he added.

The four non-ruling-coalition forces will table a motion of no confidence in the government during par- liament's four-day session to be held from April 28 to 30.

WORLD BANK SUPPORTS IMPROVEMENTS IN EDUCATION IN ARMENIA

WASHINGTON/NEWS.am -- The World Bank Board of Executive Directors on Thursday approved a US$30 million financing for the Education Improvement Project in Armenia.

The project will support the improvement of school readiness for children en- tering primary education and the physical conditions in upper-secondary schools. It will also promote greater links between higher education institutions and labor market in Armenia.

For over a decade the Government of Armenia has been pursuing reforms in the education sector targeted at strengthening the quality of education services de- livered. These reforms include but are not limited to the development of the new national curriculum framework, standards, and syllabi for general education, extension of the general education system from grade 11 to 12, establishment of the Assessment and Testing Center (ATC) for enhanced capacity to assess student performance, and provision of universal access to internet to all schools in Armenia. The latter has considerably improved access and the quality of general education.

The new project will support improving the school readiness among those entering first grade by expanding preschool coverage in impoverished rural areas benefiting approximately 2,400 children per year. 17 high schools will be rehabilitated with enhanced construction and safety standards to benefit approximately 10,200 high school students in all regions. The rehabilitated high schools, would provide more appropriate teaching and learning envi- ronments to the students, including safer infrastructure, adequate ICT equipment and digital teaching and learning materials. The project activities will specifically cover vulnerable population including ethnic groups and disabled children.

“Establishing equitable and high-quality education system has been a corner stone of Armenia’s education re- forms in the past decade,” says Jean-Michel Happi, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia. “This project will continue improving the relevance of educational services through accessible quality education at all levels, includ- ing for higher education, thus contributing to building country’s human capital necessary to enhance the competi- tiveness of the economy.”

The project will also support strengthening of the National Center of Education Technology for monitoring the school network and providing adequate ICT coverage and publicly available relevant and timely data to all educa- tional institutions and to the society. The quality of general education would be also increased through the revisions and improvements in curriculum. This would indirectly benefit almost 370,000 students per year. The support for Tertiary Education through the envisioned mainstreaming of the Competitive Innovation Fund (CIF) would impact about 3,000 students annually, whose academic programs would be modernized and made more responsive to the needs of employers.

“The project will address the readiness to school of over 12,000 five year old children living in rural impover-

ished areas that lack preschool services,” says Cristian Aedo, World Bank Task Team Leader of the project. “This will positively impact the poor population as it will improve the opportunities for children to be comparably suc- cessful at later stages of their education. The project will actively engage in activities that will boost the learning environment from full rehabilitation of 15 percent of high schools across the country to development of electronic content.”

Over these years the Government has successfully increased the enrollment at preschool level along with pur- suing reforms of higher education after joining the Bologna Process in 2005. To successfully complete the process, this project would be specifically focused on community-based pre-schools and enhancing enrollment rates in par- ticipating kindergartens and schools; the improvement in teaching and learning conditions in high schools; and cur- riculum revisions. The project will support the development of an integrated information system that will provide necessary data and analysis for policy making and recurrent improvement of general secondary and tertiary educa- tion. The proposed activities will also enhance partnerships between universities and the private sector for modern- izing the higher education sector in Armenia.

Total financing of the project is US$37.5 million, of which US$7.5 million will be the Government’s contribu- tion. The World Bank will provide a US$15 million credit on standard blend IDA terms at a fixed interest rate of 1.25% per annum with a maturity of 25 years and a 5 year grace period, as well as a US$15 million IBRD loan of variable spread, with a 10 year grace period and the total repayment term of 25 years.

Since joining the World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, the commitments to Armenia total approximately US$ 1,818.04 million.

ARMENIA TO BOOST GAS SUPPLIES FROM IRAN

Armenia will start negotiations with Iran soon on the possibility of dramatically increasing imports of Iranian natural gas that are currently dwarfed by supplies from Russia, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen Movsisian revealed on Wednesday.

Movsisian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that the Armenian government is ready to pur- chase up to 2 billion cubic meters of Iranian gas each year.

The figure matches annual demand in gas of Armenian households, thermal power plants and other corporate consumers. It is being fully met by Russia’s Gazprom monopoly.

Armenia has also imported around 500 million cubic meters of Iranian gas per annum until now. It has been used for generating electricity exported to the Islamic Republic.

Movsisian gave no details of the planned gas talks with the Iranians as he briefly spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian service. His announcement came just days after Iran’s ambassador in Yerevan, Mohammad Reisi, said Tehran is ready to boost gas supplies to Armenia and offer more beneficial terms for that purpose. He said the issue may be on the agenda of the next session of an Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation due in May.

The Iranian ambassador also claimed that Yerevan has never sought to officially negotiate with Tehran over more large-scale gas supplies.

IRAN TO ALLOCATE ARMENIA $2 MILLION TO DEVELOP GAS INFRASTRUCTURE OF BORDERING CITIES

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- Iran will provide Armenia with $2 million for development of gas infrastructure in Meghri and Agarak, the cities near Iranian border.

The program was approved during government's meeting on Wednesday. Armenian side will provide $500,000 to cut taxes and duties on imported equipment and pipes. The agreement between Iran and Armenia was signed in December 2011.

Talking to Armenian News-NEWS.am, mayor of Agarak Mkhitar Zakaryan said the locals have no problems with paying bills during heating season thanks to relatively high salaries of the Agarak copper-molibdenium com- bine. As to Meghri, the lack of gas infrastructure is a real problem. The citizens informed President Serzh Sargsyan aboout this during his campaign visit to the city in 2013.

YEREVAN SUFFERS FROM CHAOTIC CONSTRUCTION OF SUPERMARKETS – NGO

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- Armenian capital city Yerevan suffers from a chaotic construction of supermarkets.

Armen Poghosyan, Head of the “Consumers Association of Arme- nia” NGO, noted the aforesaid at Saturday’s press conference, which was devoted to World Consumer Rights Day which is celebrated on March 15.

“Supermarkets and hypermarkets develop in Yerevan, but the devel- opment is uncontrollable. It is not planned as to which supermarket will serve which region.

“As a result, the small stores are going bankrupt, [and] the large ones are beginning to dictate their terms to the consumers,” Poghosyan stated.

To note, the supermarkets’ impact on traffic likewise needs consid- eration.

ARMENIA SHOULD PRODUCE BETTER QUALITY GOODS AFTER JOINING CUSTOM UNION

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- After joining the Customs Union, Arme- nia should produce better quality goods, economist Vardan Bostanjyan told reporters.

Bostanjyan, former MP and member of Prosperous Armenia, be- lieves to be guided by former industrial culture is impossible in any market, including the Customs Union.

He noted that in 2013 as compared with the 2012 direct foreign in- vestment in Armenia decreased by 62 percent, but Customs Union may be a good opportunity to attract investments from other member states.

However, he added, the government must think about offering competitive jobs.

“For example, there is a program to create a new copper-molybdenum combine based on Zangezur mine, the recovery of Nprogram airit. We must prevent people from leaving instead of blaming Russians or someone else. People will stay if there is job,” he emphasized.

ARMENIAN JEWELERS WILL NOT PAY EXPORT DUTY WHEN PURCHASING NATURAL DIAMONDS FROM RUSSIA

YEREVAN/NEWS.am -- The Armenian jewelers will not have to pay the export duty when purchasing natural diamonds from Russia.

Pursuant to the cooperation agreement which the Armenian and the Russian governments signed on December 2, 2013—and according to which the natural, rough diamonds, which Armenian companies purchase from Russia and without the export duty, shall not be re-exported—the Government of Armenia specified, at Wednesday’s cabi- net meeting, the procedure for its registration, the Government press service informed.

In addition, the government recognized the Ministry of Economy as the authorized agency to carry out the aforesaid.

In actual fact, Armenian companies will be exempt from Russia’s export duties provided that the diamonds they purchase in Russia are not re-exported from Armenia.

The decision is expected to significantly contribute to the development of Armenian jewelry.

“SEVAN IS AGAIN EXPOSED TO IRREVERSIBLE RISKS”

A1Plus -- On 17 March the public ad- dressed a letter to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in regard with the projects to be implemented in Lake Sevan, Ecolur reports.

The letter particularly says, “Dear Mr. President We are appealing to you as a guarantor

of the national safety and rule of law in Armenia.

In 2009, you demonstrated political will and banned the implementation of the project to transfer gold extraction facility from Ararat to Sotq, which posed huge risks for Lake Sevan. Nowadays Sevan is again exposed to irreversible risks, risks that two governmental resolutions bear. First, to make amendments to RA Law “On state complex program on the recovery, preservation, reproduction and natural development and usage of Lake Sevan ecosystem”, which say to make annual water outlets from Lake Sevan from 170 million cubic meters to 240 million cubic meters. Secondly, the complex program on recovery of trout reserves and developing fish breeding in Lake Sevan.

These two projects contradict to RA Law ‘On Lake Sevan’, which aims to conserve Lake Sevan as a national and strategic priority of Armenia...

Mr. President, we think these two project should be stopped demonstrating political will and deeply grounded scientific approach, as only in this case we will preserve our national treasure and the strategic reserves of freshwa- ter unique for all the humanity.”

ARMENIAN SCULPTOR ARA SHIRAZ PASSED AWAY AGED 73

YEREVAN --Well-known Armenian sculptor Ara Shiraz died last night at the age of 73. The in- formation was confirmed to media by the Nairi medical center.

Shiraz was hospitalized with a stroke on Feb- ruary 24 and was reportedly in critical condition at the medical center’s intensive care unit since then.

The son of prominent Armenian poet Hovhannes Shiraz and poetess Silva Kaputikyan, was born in Yerevan in 1941. He graduated from the Yerevan Theatre and Fine Arts Institute in 1966 and since 1968 was a member of the Artists’ Union of Armenia.

Ara Shiraz’ most renowned works include the busts of Pablo Picasso, Yervand Kochar, Hovhannes Shiraz, and Vruir Galstian. Many of his sculptural compositions are on a permanent display in the Mod- ern Art Museum of Armenia and the State Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan, the Tretyakov Gallery and the Eastern Nations Museum of Art in Moscow.

Ara Shiraz’ paintings and sculptures can be found in many private collections throughout the world: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Beirut, Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, etc.

KARABAKH PRESIDENT PARTICIPATES IN OPENING OF MEMORIAL TO FREEDOM FIGHTERS

STEPANAKERT/NEWS.am -- President of the Nagorno-Kara- bakh Republic on Friday visited the village of Varanda in the Martuni Region to attend a solemn ceremony of opening of a memorial to per- ished freedom fighters.

President Sahakyan awarded a group of freedom fighters of “Ara- bo” detachment in connection with the 22nd anniversary of Varanda settlement’s liberation and for personal bravery shown in battles.

In his speech, President Sahakyan stressed strategic importance of the settlement's liberation, noting that without this it would be impossi- ble to secure the Martuni region.

According to the President, the fact that numerous monuments in Artsakh and Armenia are being built in memory of our perished broth- ers and sisters testifies that the devotees of the nation and their heroism are not forgotten; the martyrs are always with us and continue to serve as an example of patriotism and selflessness for generations to come, NKR president's press service reported.

Defense minister Movses Hakobyan, other officials, guests from Armenia participated in the event.

AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL ACCUSES JAMES WARLICK OF “CONSPIRACY WITH ARMENIANS”

NEWS.am -- Deputy head of Azerbaijani administration Novruz Mamedov once again voiced criticism against mediators dealing with the settlement of Karabakh conflict.

Now it was the turn of U.S. and its position on Nagorno-Karabakh. Accord- ing to Azerbaijani media, he attached particular attention to tweets of James Warlick, U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Mamedov accused James Warlick of conspiracy with the Armenian side.

“Warlick's tweets suggest that he has reached certain agreement with Arme- nians. Most likely, their positions coincide”, Mamedov said.

Azerbaijani official's response once again proves the statement of the Armenian side that Armenia's position on Nagorno-Karabakh coincides with that of the international community. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan remains com- mitted to unconstructive senseless attacks and accusations.

REP. SHERMAN CALLS ON SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY TO ADVOCATE US AFFIRMATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- During a hearing on Thursday before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) praised Secretary of State John Kerry for his Senate record on the Armenian Genocide and encouraged him to continue to advocate for U.S. affirmation,

"I commend you as Senator Kerry for your incredible record fighting for the recogni- tion of the Armenian Genocide and hope that as Secretary Kerry you will do likewise," stated Sherman.

Inviting the Secretary to submit his answers for the record, Rep. Sherman also raised concerns about Azerbaijan's hostile acts against Armenians and recounted the brutal mur- der in Hungary at a 2004 NATO Partnership for Peace training program of Armenian Army Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan by Azeri Army Lieutenant Ramil Safarov, as well as continued threats by Azerbaijan's president to shoot down any planes flying in and out of the Stepanakert airport in the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

"The Azeri soldier that murdered a sleeping Armenian soldier at a NATO exercise has been promoted and praised and in light of that and other aggressive actions, I hope that you will review and perhaps withdraw any mili- tary assistance to Azerbaijan," stated Sherman. He added, "I hope that you will also warn the Azeris that it is simply outrageous for them to threaten to shoot down civilian aircraft that try to fly into the Nagorno Karabakh airport."

TURKEY REACTS TO SWISS APPEAL OF ECHR RULING

Panorama.am -- The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement in response to Switzerland’s decision earlier this week to appeal a European Court of Human Rights ruling that concluded that the denial of the Armenian Geno- cide is not a crime and is protected under freedom of speech principles.

“In a judgment published on December 17, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) had ruled that Swit- zerland breached Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights on ‘freedom of expression’ in the case of Doğu Perinçek v. Switzerland,” reads the Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

“We have learned through the written statement by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice on March 11 that Swit- zerland has decided to object to this judgment and refer it to the Grand Chamber of the ECHR,” added the foreign ministry.

“Having full confidence in the rule of law, we expect that the Grand Chamber will confirm once more and forcefully that “freedom of expression”, which is the building bloc of democratic societies, is safeguarded,” said the statement.

“In this way, we believe that the efforts to politicize the law will be aborted once again,” concluded the state- ment.

EUROPEAN COURT FINDS TURKEY GUILTY BASED ON PKK LEADER’S LAWSUIT

NEWS.am -- The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) reached a ver- dict on the lawsuit filed by the attorneys of Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the mili- tant organization the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), who is serving a life sen- tence in Turkey.

Based on the lawsuit, the ECtHR ruled that, in connection with Ocalan, Tur- key has violated several human rights articles, reported Milliyet daily of Turkey.

The ECtHR judgments noted that Turkey has not ensured the prisoner’s rights and the prison conditions for Ocalan, and that the decision on Ocalan’s life sentence has not specified a provision on his release in a special case.

Abdullah Ocalan is sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of organizing numerous killings and bombings, and he serves his sentence on the Imrali island.

ARMENIAN GRAVES FOUND IN HISTORIC FORTRESS IN TURKEY

NEWS.am -- The employees of Turkish museum found Armeni- an graves in a cave in the historic fortress of Sanliurfa, a city in south-eastern Turkey.

Archaeologists began excavations at the foot of the historic for- tress opposite legendary “fish lakes”, Hurriyet reported. The graves of Armenians were discovered in the cave. Besides, in the Armenian graves the archeologists reportedly found a royal throne, as well as images of Jesus, Mary and other saints.

According to Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi, Urfa (Ar- menian name of Sanliurfa) was founded by king Abgar who was the first king to adopt Christianity.

ARMENIANS OF DERSIM EXPERIENCED GENOCIDE TWICE – HEAD OF DERSIM ARMENIANS' UNION

YEREVAN/NEWS.am – The massacre in Dersim in 1938 was also a genocide, said chairman of the union of mutual assistance to Dersim Armenians Mihran Prkich Gultekin.

“Through massacre Turkish leaders tried to resolve the problem of Armenians and Alevis, who were united at that time. The then government underlined difference between Alevis living in the country and the rest Mus- lims. Alevis of Dersim were named unbelievers,” he said during a discussion in Yerevan.

Dersim Armenians, he noted, experienced the fear of annihilation and genocide twice, this is the reason they are still afraid of calling themselves Armenians.

“We can say that the population of Armenians in Van and Mush is larger than in Dersim, but in Turkey, except for Istanbul, the most calm region where Armenians live is Dersim,” he emphasized.

He also angrily added that the so-called historians in Turkey know everything except the events in Dersim.

Turkish authorities destroyed thousands of villages in Dersim. According to various sources, up to 100,000 people were killed during Dersim massacres. Armenians who survived the 1915 Genocide and lived in various vil- lages of Dersim were massacred in 1938.

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR SEVAN NISHANYAN

Sevan Nishanyan—Armenian intellectual, citizen of Turkey, civic activist, and prominent linguist — has been imprisoned in Turkey since January 2, 2014.

The cruel and unreasonable nature of the punishment handed down for this intellectual, the steady deteriora- tion in the conditions of incarceration, and the looming threat of new and escalating charges and trials have prompt- ed a group of civil society organizations’ representatives and intellectuals to come together and form the Interna- tional Committee for Freedom and Justice for Sevan Nishanyan.

The newly-opened Committee regards Nishanyan’s prison sentence as a mockery of justice and an unaccepta- ble punitive measure that threatens the people’s right to freedom of thought

The committee regards Nishanyan’s imprisonment as a clear manifestation of prejudice and malice. This bla- tant mistreatment is motivated by his being a dissident intellectual who fights against the dubious theories and offi- cial historiography generated by the mindset (to apply that term generously) of the Turkish state.

The International Committee for Freedom and Justice for Sevan Nishanyan calls on Turkish authorities to free Nishanyan immediately and end the campaign of intimidation, harassment, and cruelty directed against him.

The committee calls on international entities and human rights organizations, and appeals to the wider court of public opinion, to condemn and fight for the removal of the coercion and restrictions faced by Sevan Nishanyan, and to campaign for Sevan’s freedom.

The committee calls on all citizens of Turkey to stand by one of their own, an intellectual who has been vic- timized by the state’s relentless punitive machine, who has defended multiculturalism and fought so that it could prevail and flourish, and who has been an exemplar in this regard for his fellow countrymen and women.

This committee hereby declares that, in solidarity with others of free and strong will, it shall organize numer- ous events focusing on the Sevan Nishanyan case in Turkey and abroad.

Members of the International Committee for Freedom and Justice for Sevan Nisanyan:

Ali Ertem, Ara Baliozian, Atilla Dirim, Attila Tuygan, Baskin Oran, Can Baskent, Dalita Roger-Hacyan, Da- vid Gaunt, Dogan Özgüden, Erkan Metin, Erol Ozkoray, Esther Schulz-Goldstein, Fikret Baskaya, Gerayer Koutcharian, Gurgen Khandjyan, Hrant Kasparyan, Hrach Kalsahakian, Hranush Kharatyan, Ibrahim Seven, Ischkhan Chiftjian, Ismail Besikci, Karine Khutikyan, Khatchig Mouradian, Mahmut Konuk, Mesut Tufan, Nadya

Uygun, Nurhan Becidyan, Perj Zeytuntsyan, Raffi Hermonn Arax, Ramazan Gezgin, Sait Cetinoglu, Sako Aryan, Seta Papazian, Sevak Artsruni, Sibel Ozbudun, Sirri Sireyya Onder, Taner Akcam, Tessa Hofmann, Tigran Paskevitchyan, Temel Demirer, Tzourou Ira, Vahagn Chakhalyan, Vartan Tashjian, Yalcin Ergundogan, Zeynep Tanbay.

TURKEY’S HYPOCRITICAL THREAT AGAINST SYRIA

OVER ANCIENT GRAVE

By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s threat to retaliate against anyone in Syria who dares to damage the tomb of Suleyman Shah, grandfather of Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire, is the latest manifestation of Turkish government’s utter hypocrisy.

Here is a country that has committed genocide against millions of its Christian subjects (Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks), confiscated their possessions, occupied their lands, destroyed thousands of churches, cemeteries and cultural monuments, and yet has the audacity to warn Syrians before any damage done to an ancient Ottoman grave!

While the tomb of every human being must be protected and treated with respect, Davutoglu’s threat is a flim- sy excuse to interfere in internal Syrian affairs. Ironically, Suleyman Shah’s grave is located in an area not con- trolled by the Syrian government, but by al-Qaida Jihadists and other rebel groups who have been aided and armed by Turkey to topple Pres. Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The al-Qaida fighters, who have been clashing with other anti- Assad faction in the region where the Ottoman tomb is located, are the ones destroying graves, since radical Islam- ists believe that the veneration of tombs is idolatrous.

Turkey considers the plot of land in Syria where Suleyman Shah’s grave is situated to be sovereign Turkish territory based on the 1921 Treaty of Ankara signed between Turkey and France, which was occupying Syria at that time. According to that agreement, Turkey had the right to station guards and hoist its flag at that site. Ever since 1921, two dozen Turkish soldiers have been guarding the tomb around the clock.

Article 9 of the Ankara Treaty allocated to Turkey around 80,000 square feet of Syrian territory, 60 miles south of the Syrian-Turkish border. When the area around the tomb was flooded in 1974 by the newly-built Lake Assad, the grave was moved to a new location, 20 miles from the Turkish frontier. Despite the ongoing hostilities in Syria, Turkey has continued to maintain a contingent of its soldiers at the tomb.

In return for giving Turkey territorial rights over this ancient site, France obtained several economic conces- sions, including the right to have French companies manage the railroad traffic in parts of Turkey and exploit iron, chrome and silver mines for the next 99 years. This questionable trade-off may not be legal under international law, since a colonial power is bartering with someone else’s territory!

The 1921 Treaty also established “a special administrative regime” for Turks living in the district of Alexan- dretta, which was Syrian territory under the French mandate. In 1939, Alexandretta was completely severed from Syria and officially ceded to Turkey as the Hatay Province. After its independence from France in 1946, the Syrian government acknowledged Turkish sovereignty over the land where Suleyman Shah’s grave is located, but never accepted the give-away of Alexandretta to Turkey.

In a press conference held in Van last Friday, Foreign Minister Davutoglu warned that any attack on the Otto- man-era tomb in Syria “from the [Syrian] regime, radical groups or anyone else would be subject to retaliation from Turkey. In defending its sovereign territory, Turkey will take all necessary measures without any hesitation.... At the present time, there is no question of any intrusion targeting our territory [the tomb in Syria] and our soldiers, but we stand ready to take whatever steps needed in the event of a threat. The Turkish public need have no doubt in this regard.” Meanwhile, officials from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, General Staff, and National Intelligence Organi- zation (MIT) met on March 13 to discuss the security of the Shah’s grave. Although Davutoglu did not specify what measures Turkey would take, the Turkish media speculated that it might send additional troops to guard their revered site.

In my view, Davutoglu’s threat is simply an exercise in saber-rattling against Syria in order to draw the Turk- ish public’s attention away from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent scandalous and possibly criminal behavior, on the eve of the March 30 municipal elections in Turkey.

GENOCIDE STUDIES INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL AVAILABLE ONLINE

TORONTO -- The editors of Genocide Studies International (GSI) have announced the relaunching of the journal, continuing the publish- ing efforts of the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) (“IIGHRS”) and the University of Toronto Press since 2006. GSI is the official journal of the IIGHRS.

In keeping with the objectives of the IIGHRS to raise awareness by being a bridge between academia and civil society, as well as poli- cy-makers, GSI is a journal devoted to innovative research, analysis and information. GSI is a forum for the academic study and under- standing of the phenomena of genocide and the gross violation of hu- man rights and various approaches to preventing them. It strives to raise awareness of the necessity of genocide prevention and the promo- tion of universal human rights. It serves as a critical voice for analyzing governmental and supra-governmental efforts in the prevention of gen- ocide.

This peer-reviewed journal is interdisciplinary and comparative in nature. It welcomes submissions on individual case studies, thematic approaches, and policy analyses that relate to the history, causes, im- pact, aftermath, and all other aspects of genocide.

Maureen Hiebert, Herbert Hirsch, Roger W. Smith, and Henry Theriault, are the Editors of GSI.

GSI is now available online and will be available in print in April 2014.

The first issue will deal with "The Failure of Prevention," focusing on Sudan—Darfur, the Nuba Mountains crisis —and on the politics of prevention or the lack thereof.

The second issue will be a general issue open to articles on all aspects of the phenomenon of genocide, and is scheduled to appear in September 2014.

The third issue, due out in March 2015, will be a special issue on the Ottoman Genocide of Armenians, Assyr- ians, and Greeks. April 2015 will mark the 100th anniversary of what is generally considered the start of this geno- cidal process.

The fourth issue, to appear in September 2015, will be a special issue on “The Political Economy of Geno- cide.”

MY ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY OF THE HADJIN ORPHAN DRESS AND MY HUNT FOR THE LOST HADJIN ORPHANAGE RUG By Rosemary Russell

This is the true story behind the unveiling of the Hadjin Orphan Dress and the Lost Hadjin Orphanage Rug at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum. Hello, I'm Rosemary Russell.

In March 2010, I visited the Missionary Church Archives at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana. I was searching for information on Rose Lambert and her establishing of the United Orphanage and Mission together with Maria Gerber in 1898.

Lambert and Gerber set sail for Turkey to help the thousands of children made orphans after the massive mas- sacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire between 1894 and 1896 when Sultan Abdul Hamid II lashed out sav- agely against his Christian subjects. Upwards of 200,000 people died: some were massacred, others succumbed to disease and starvation, all a result of the sinister policy instituted by the Sultan.

Lambert and Gerber had worked as nurses at the Deaconess Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. One day, the hospital staff received a visit from a survivor of the recent massacres. Garabed Der Hagopian, whose wife had been killed in their village of Zeitun, appealed to the ladies to take their work to Turkey where there were at least 50,000 orphans.

Lambert and Gerber embraced the cause, and immediately prepared to sail to Turkey. The women had no idea what lay before them, but they struck out cou- rageously on a ministry that would span forty years and that would record op- pressive poverty, widespread sickness, additional massacres, and eventually the violent destruction of Lambert's adopted Armenian town of Hadjin.

It was the search for this story that led me to the Missionary Church Archives. I crossed the small, quaint cam- pus of Bethel College to the Bowen Library. I stepped inside and descended the stairs to a small room in the base- ment.

Along with some religious books published at the Bible House in Constantinople, I saw a Bible owned by Mr. and Mrs. D.J. Storms, a missionary couple who worked at the boys’ school in Everek (near Hadjin). These publica- tions were written in Armeno-Turkish, which is the Turkish language in the Armenian alphabet.

I found what looked to me like silk bookmarks with Bible verses, many photographs and several mementos donated by a missionary named Dorinda Bowman.

I was thrilled to find the complete run of the orphanage's Bi-Monthly Newsletter which began in late 1914. I culled large bound volumes of The Gospel Banner, a Mennonite paper, which contained articles, letters and photo- graphs that spanned the life of the United Orphanage and Mission.

I saw a box that had also been donated by Dorinda Bowman. It was large but actually quite light, not at all heavy. I removed the lid and pushed away some tissue paper. To my great surprise I saw an article of clothing. I pulled it out and immediately recognized it as an orphan's dress. I stared at it, surprised and deeply moved. I could- n't believe it was stored in a box. I was holding in my hands the garment of an orphan that had been virtually un- touched since being stored in the carton.

Of course, it was in an archive, a controlled environment that had kept it in good condition. But I could not imagine something like this being stored out of public view. I knew that if Armenians, and other researchers like myself, knew about this dress, they would want it displayed.

I continued to dig around and found a small book written by Richard Bowman, nephew of Dorinda Bowman, who had donated the dress. The book told of a rug taken out of Hadjin in late 1914 when the missionaries were re- called as a result of the start of WW I. Upon inquiry, I learned that the rug was not part of the collection.

Based upon the information in Mr. Bowman's book about his aunt Dorinda, I was able to track him down. To my delight he still owned the rug. I impressed upon him the value of the artifact and the importance of joining it to the dress at the archive. Mr. Bowman was about ninety years old. I worried that the rug would fall into the hands of someone who did not understand its intrinsic value if he did not designate it for donation.

Last year after he passed away, Mr. Bowman's widow sent the rug to its now permanent home at the Mission- ary Church Archives.

In November 1914, the mission board instructed the missionaries at the orphanage to return home immediate- ly. According to Dorinda Bowman, they had but one day to pack and say goodbye.

The rug bears witness to their precipitous departure. Bowman wanted to take the rug with her out of Turkey. She urged the orphan girls who were working on it to finish as quickly and as best as they could. When time ran out, the orphan girls pulled the rug abruptly from the loom, resulting in the irregular, unfinished corner. The next day, under a rain of bullets, the missionaries, the orphan dress and the unfinished rug made a hasty departure from the orphanage toward the safety of the New World.

Thank you to the Missionary Church Archives at Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN.

USC STUDENT SYUZANNA PETROSYAN SHARES TOP PRIZE IN SHOAH FOUNDATION FILM COMPETITION

LOS ANGELES -- A student from the University of South- ern California who describes herself as a descendant of survi- vor’s of the Armenian Genocide shared the top prize at this year’s Student Voices Short Film Contest sponsored by USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual Learning and Edu- cation.

Syuzanna Petrosyan and fellow student Greg Irwin won the award March 6 for their short film “Play for your Life,” which looks at the orchestras organized by the Nazis in German con- centration camps during World War II.

Petrosyan said the film was inspired by Alice Herz-Somner, a pianist who, until her death at 110 in February, was the oldest living Holocaust survivor. Music factors heavily in Herz- Somner’s testimony in the Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive, which contains nearly 52,000 recorded tes- timonies of survivors and other witnesses of the Holocaust and other genocides.

In April 2010, The Institute signed a historic agreement with the Armenian Film Foundation and the late filmmaker Dr. J. Michael Hagopian to incorporate 400 testimonies of survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The interviews, which are set to come out in April 2015, will be used for educational purposes through the Visual Histo- ry Archive, where they will be stored in perpetuity.

Petrosyan said her interest in entering Student Voices comes from her own Armenian background and interest in exploring the various dimensions of genocides. As a public diplomacy master’s candidate, she said, “it is im- portant to understand not only the big picture and history of genocides, but also to observe the smaller and personal stories of survivor’s of the biggest crimes in history.”

The film was the second movie featuring Herz-Somner to win an award in one week. She is also the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved my Life.

Student Voices is a chance for all USC graduate and undergraduate students, regardless of major, to create short films that incorporate survivor’s testimony from the Visual History Archive.

COMMUNITY FORUM WITH THE THREE TRADITIONAL ARMENIAN POLITICAL PARTIES

WINNETKA, CA -- On March 16, the Organization of Istanbul Armenian of Los An- geles hosted a panel discussion featuring prom- inent leaders of the three major traditional Ar- menian Political Parties; the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, Mr. Krikor Khodanian, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Chairman Western USA, Dr. Viken Hovsepian, and the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party, Dr. Minas Kojayan.

The primary purpose of the forum was to raise awareness and encourage civic engage- ment by providing information about the his- torical background and accomplishments of the three traditional parties, as well as their plans and policies regarding critical contemporary challenges facing the Armenian Nation.

Welcoming remarks were given by Dr. Ohannes K. Avedikyan, Chairman of OIA Cultural Committee and Trustee. After opening statements were given by the three prominent leaders of the traditional Armenian Political Parties, questions ranging from the day to day activities of the parties, to issues concerning the Republic of Arme- nia, Artsakh, the Diaspora, the Armenian Church, the Armenian Genocide and Armenian Turkish relations were posed to the participants by the three panelists: Edvin Minassian, Esq., Chairman of OIA Board of Trustees, Mr. Simon Acilacoglu, Chairman of OIA General Assembly, Mrs. Jibit Cepkinian-Cinar, Esq., Chairlady of OIA Scholarship Committee.

After a panel discussion of over three hours, the packed audience also had an opportunity to ask questions to the participants. At the end of the night, all three participants representing their respective Armenian Political Par- ties thanked the Organization of Istanbul Armenian of Los Angeles for the rare opportunity to express the view points of the Parties on important current events facing the Armenian Nation.

COVRE PAGE

Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (29 July 1817 – 2 May 1900) was a Russian Romantic painter. He is con- sidered one of the greatest marine artists in history. Baptized as Hovhannes Aivazian, Aivazovsky was born into an Armenian family in the Black Sea port of Feodosia and was mostly based in his native Crimea.

Following his education at the Imperial Academy of Arts, Aivazovsky traveled to Europe and lived briefly in Italy in the early 1840s. He then returned to Russia and was appointed the main painter of the Russian Navy. Aivazovsky had close ties with the military and political elite of the Russian Empire and often attended military maneuvers. He was sponsored by the imperial family and was well-regarded during his lifetime. The winged word "worthy of Aivazovsky's brush", popularized by Anton Chekhov, was used in Russia for "describing something ineffably lovely."

One of the most prominent Russian artists of his time, Aivazovsky was also popular outside Russia. He held numerous solo exhibitions in Europe and the United States. During his almost sixty-year career, he created around 6,000 paintings, making him one of the most prolific artists of his time. The vast majority of his works are sea- scapes, but he often depicted battle scenes, Armenian themes, and portraiture. Most of Aivazovsky's works are kept in Russian, Ukrainian and Armenian museums as well as private collections.

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