Reminder- Fine Wine Experience- 1 August 2009- London Visitors Hotel‏

Dear All,


The Land & Culture Organisation team invites you to join them on unique wine-tasting experience. Wine expert Tom Harrow will be our host for the evening and over the course of two hours will guide us through a fun but highly practical session teaching you how to navigate around restaurant wine menus.

Tom will provide us with a failsafe guide which will help you to make a real impression the next time you’re wining and dining with company!

The wines to be sampled are:

1. PROSECCO Extra Dry
COL VETORAZ Veneto NV

2. RIESLING KABINETT Josephine
WEINGUT JOSEF BIFFAR Pfalz 2007

3. RULLY 1er Cru Pucelles
DOMAINE JACQUESSON Bourgogne 2006

4. COTES DU RHONE
DOMAINE COULANGE Cotes du Rhone 2007

5. POGGIO ALLA GUARDIA (Super-Tuscan)
ROCCA DI FRASINELLO Tuscany 2006

6. CHÂTEAU LAFON ROCHET 4ème Cru Classé
St Estephe 2002

7. CHÂTEAU LAFON ROCHET 4ème Cru Classé
St Estephe 2005

There will also be an opportunity to sample a distinctive, classic Armenian brandy:

Ararat 'Ani' 6 year old (bright, clear amber colour, light taste with floral tones of rose and clove).

Tom specialises in bespoke wine-tasting events and vineyard tours through his company amfwine.com and sourcing fine wines for luxury cellars. Tom is co-founding director of WineChap, a restaurant winelist review and international wine concierge service.

Tickets are £25 per person. Places are limited so please contact us on landandculture@hotmail.com to book your place.

We look forward to swirling our wine glasses with you on the 1 August 2009 between 6 and 8 pm at the London Visitors Hotel- Kesington!

Kind Regards

LCO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karabakh News

IWPR KARABAKH FOCUS
TALKS SNARLED ON "INTERIM STATUS"
Moscow meeting leaves sides no closer and many questions unanswered.
By Tatul Hakobian

Agreement on Nagorny Karabakh's "interim status", a precondition for an

internationally-brokered peace process, is the current obstacle to progress in talks

between Armenia and Azerbaijan, participants said.

Under the six-part Madrid Principles supported by Russia, France and the United

States - co-chairs of the Minsk Group of mediators - the self-declared state would

have some kind of unresolved status until a referendum could be held to decide its

long-term future.

The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Moscow just over a week ago

but no breakthrough occurred, despite intense international pressure.

"We are currently discussing the separation of certain principles from the Madrid

Principles, after which we must discuss the remaining principles. On this basis we

must start the preparation of the final agreement," Armenian president Serzh Sargsian

told a European Union delegation on July 20, following his return from Russia.

"The main element is the question of the status of Nagorny Karabakh, which must

be resolved through a legally binding expression of will. When we can give this

question a precise definition, which cannot allow dual interpretations, I think the

talks will continue more smoothly."

The Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 with clashes between Azeris and Armenians,

who made up the majority of the population of Nagorny Karabakh but who were

included within the boundaries of Azerbaijan. The territory declared independence

unilaterally in 1991, triggering a conflict that ended with a ceasefire in 1994.

Since then the ceasefire has largely held, but there has been almost no progress

on a final resolution of the conflict. Azerbaijan and Armenia lack diplomatic ties,

while around a million Azeris and hundreds of thousands of Armenians remain d

isplaced. Their return to their former homes is another one of the Madrid Principles,

but no progress was made on that either.

"The Armenian troops must be removed from the occupied territories, and after that

the question of the return of refugees to their lands can be raised," said Elmar

Mamedyarov, the Azerbaijani foreign minister, on his return to Baku, sparking an

angry response from his counterpart in Yerevan.

"During the Moscow meeting, these questions (territory and refugees) were not

even discussed," said Edward Nalbandian, the Armenian foreign minister.

The issue is complicated by Turkey, which is engaged in a separate talks process

with Armenia over opening its own border. Ankara has said its negotiations are

linked to the progress of the talks over Karabakh, which may be driving Armenia

towards a solution.

Meanwhile, the self-declared government of Nagorny Karabakh, whose

independence has not been recognised by any country, objects that its authorities

are not included in the peace negotiations and says that its status is not negotiable.

Bako Sahakian, the leader of Nagorny Karabakh, laid out his position on July 10

before the talks even started.

"Our position is clear and remains unchanged. The independence of the Nagorny

Karabakh Republic is an established fact and is not under discussion," he said.

"Without the agreement of the people of the NagornyKarabakh Republic it is

impossible to come to any resolution. Artsakh (Karabakh in Armenian) is the major

side in the talks, and yet today is not taking part in the negotiations process, and

we have to restore this important principle."

His statement was echoed by many other political figures and social groups in

Karabakh, but the Azerbaijani negotiators said they could be included only after

the other participants had resolved all the major principles on which the talks would

be based.

According to political commentators, the two sides were discussing some kind of

exchange involving giving Azerbaijan the five regions outside Nagorny Karabakh

proper that Armenian forces either partially or entirely control, in exchange for

Azerbaijan recognising the territory's interim status, as laid out in the Madrid

Principles.

But this was unlikely to meet approval in Karabakh either.

"The territory of Nagorny Karabakh cannot be an item to trade, and if we depart

from our current situation and attempt to assess the exchange of real territory for

the recognition of a virtual and interim status, then it is clear that such an exchange

is far from adequate," said Masis Mailian, the former foreign minister in the

Karabakh government.

Former participants in the talks said the negotiations sound like they have stalled,

since the issues being discussed were similar to those that have been discussed

for the last decade or more.

"Whether they're closer or not [it's hard to say], but I can say it's more complicated

now that it's ever been," said Vardan Oskanian, former Armenian foreign minister

and a veteran of the talks process.

"There appears to be urgency on the part of the co-chair countries to resolve this

conflict. This can bring added pressure on the parties. That, together with the fact

that in the minds of negotiators and the parties, there is the issue of the

Turkish-Armenian border opening.

"This may make it difficult to reconcile differences and reach an agreement.

Azerbaijan may convince itself that Armenians now need a solution more than

they do, and they may simply raise the stakes and make a deal impossible."

Tatul Hakobian is Yerevan correspondent for US newspaper The Armenian

Reporter.


IWPR KARABAKH FOCUS

PEACE PROCESS: WHERE WE ARE NOW
A summary of progress on the road to a settlement.
By Kenan Guluzade

The Minsk Group, which is chaired by Russia, France and the United States and

aims to find a peaceful settlement of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, has laid out

principles on which it believes the crisis should be resolved.

The principles are occasionally adjusted to reflect changes on the ground, but are

still essentially the same as those agreed in a meeting in Madrid two years ago.

"We are instructing our mediators to present to the Presidents of Armenia and

Azerbaijan an updated version of the Madrid Document of November 2007, the

Co-Chairs' last articulation of the Basic Principles. We urge the Presidents of

Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the few differences remaining between them

and finalise their agreement on these Basic Principles, which will outline a

comprehensive settlement," the French, Russian and United States presidents

said in a joint statement after the G8 summit in Italy on July 10.

So what are the Madrid Principles, and what are the two sides' positions on them?

RETURN OF THE TERRITORIES SURROUNDING NAGORNY KARABAKH TO

AZERBIAJANI CONTROL

Currently, Armenian forces control parts of the Aghdam and Fizuli regions, and all

of the Kelbajar, Zangilan, Jabrail and Gubadly regions, which are all outside the

Soviet-era boundaries of Nagorny Karabakh and which they seized between March

and November 1993. They also control the Lachin area, but this is covered by a

different point of the Madrid Principles.

This principle is supported by Azerbaijan, which wishes to regain control over its

internationally recognised borders.

In Armenia, this point raises concerns, however, since it involves surrendering the

current "security belt" around Nagorny Karabakh proper. Armenian strategists

consider the regions to be a buffer zone ensuring there cannot be a surprise assault

on the self-declared state. However, even in early rounds of talks between the two

sides, Armenian negotiators recognised that sooner or later these territories would

have to be returned to Baku's control in some way.

AN INTERIM STATUS FOR NAGORNY KARABAKH PROVDING GUARANTEES

FOR SECURITY AND SELF-GOVERNANCE.

This point is tolerated by Azerbaijan, which has repeatedly announced it is prepared

to give Nagorny Karabakh "the highest possible autonomy" consistent with its

territorial integrity.

However, both sides have concerns about the definition of this article. How long

would the interim status last? The current speculation in local media is that it could

last for 15 years, by which time a resolution of its status would have to be secured

under point 4 of the principles.

A CORRIDOR LINKING ARMENIA TO NAGORNY KARABAKH

This refers to the Lachin region, which separates the Soviet-era borders of Nagorny

Karabakh and Armenia, and which Armenians consider to be a crucial lifeline, without

which Nagorny Karabakh could be blockaded. It is currently controlled by Armenian

forces.

Azerbaijan's negotiators do not seem to have a firm opinion on the Lachin region,

since conceding a corridor is a logical side-effect of the other points, but could also

raise doubts about their country's territorial integrity. The issue of the Lachin corridor

is a potentially serious sticking point for the two sides.

FUTURE DETERMINATION OF THE FINAL LEGAL STATUS OF NAGORNY

KARABAKH THROUGH A LEGALLY BINDING EXPRESSION OF WILL.

This point also divides opinion among Azerbaijan's negotiators. Conceding a final

referendum also risks conceding independence for Nagorny Karabakh, which is

considered unacceptable. However, some commentators have expressed the

opinion that, in a popular vote, ordinary Armenians in Nagorny Karabakh might

prefer to remain in oil-rich Azerbaijan.

THE RIGHT OF ALL INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS AND REFUGEES

TO RETURN TO THEIR FORMER PLACES OF RESIDENCE.

Although this is theoretically accepted by all sides, it is a point that could prove very

hard to implement. If it addresses all the victims of the war, it cannot only apply to

Nagorny Karabakh itself. There are refugees from Armenia in Azerbaijan, and

refugees from Azerbaijan in Armenia, without beginning to consider Nagorny

Karabakh and the other territories where actual fighting occurred. Would this point

include Armenians returning to Baku or Azeris to Yerevan? How would these people

regain their old houses of flats? Who will guarantee their security?

If this point only addresses Nagorny Karabakh itself, then there is a potential sticking

point concerning the town of Shusha, which Armenians call Shushi), that was

predominantly ethnically Azeri before the war and which controls the heights above

Khankendi, the main town in Nagorny Karabakh and which Armenians call Stepanakert.

Before the war, the population of Nagorny Karabakh was 76.9 per cent Armenian

(about 145,000 people), 21.5 per cent Azeri (about 40,000 people) and 1.6 per cent

other (about 3,000 people). There are around a million refugees and internally

displaced persons in Azerbaijan.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY GUARANTEES THAT WOULD INCLUDE A

PEACEKEEPING OPTION.

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan boast that, even without peacekeepers, the ceasefire

agreed 15 years ago has been observed. However, there are regular exchanges of

fire over the line of control. Soldiers and civilians are still occasionally killed, and

peacekeepers would almost certainly be required to ensure the safety of refugees

allowed to return under point 5.

Different peacekeeping forces have been mooted, although the co-chairs of the

Minsk group are banned from providing troops under the terms of their mandate.

Italian, British, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Romanian and other forces have all been

suggested, but there is no clarity on this issue.

Kenan Guluzade is a regional expert from the South Caucasus think tank and

editor-in-chief of the www.analitika.az website.

Business New Europe
July 26 2009
Slow progress in latest Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations
Clare Nuttall in Almaty
July 27, 2009

The latest summit between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan was
followed by promises to meet again, but yielded no concrete progress
on resolving the territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh
enclave.

Armenia's Serzh Sargsyan and Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev held talks in
Moscow on July 17, and met again the following day together with
Russian President Dimitry Medvedev. Russia, which has considerable
influence in the Caucasus and has been seeking to broker a compromise
on the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, described the discussions as
"constructive."

"During today's, fourth, meeting, between presidents of Russia,
Azerbaijan and Armenia, Dmitry Medvedev confirmed the readiness of
Russia as co-chairman of the Minsk Group to continue exerting efforts
to find mutually acceptable solutions to the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement," presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko told journalists the
following day. "In our view, the meeting was very constructive," he
said, adding, however, that, "It focused on certain problems, which
remained open."

Some 35,000 people were killed in the early 1990s when war broke out
after the ethnically Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, backed by
Armenia, declared its independence from Azerbaijan. A ceasefire
agreement was signed in 1994 bringing an end to the war, but
small-scale clashes on the border between Azerbaijan and
Nagorno-Karabakh are still frequent. Fifteen years on, no peace treaty
has yet been signed and no country has recognised the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic's independence, though it is effectively integrated with
Armenia.

In the last year, Russia has stepped up its efforts as it seeks to
cement its influence in the South Caucasus, as well as presenting
itself in a more positive light - as a peacemaker - after the PR
disaster of the 2008 war against Georgia. The ever-present concern
that a border skirmish could escalate into full-scale conflict also
poses a threat to the region's role as a key energy transit point.

However, while Sargsyan and Aliyev are both participating in
discussions, their rhetoric back on their home territory is less
conciliatory.

Home truths

Speaking at Chatham House in London the week before his meeting with
Sargsyan, Aliyev said that independence for Nagorno-Karabakh was out
of the question and refused to rule out a military solution to restore
Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. "Nagorno-Karabakh will never be
recognised as an independent country. It is absolutely ridiculous to
expect that," Aliyev said. "A million refugees from Azerbaijan who
were the subject of ethnic cleansing policies of Armenia have a right
to return to their land."

On the Armenian side, representatives of the country's large diaspora
have spoken out against the Madrid principles, while the head of the
hardline nationalist opposition party Dashnaktsutyun party warned
Sargsyan against signing any agreement with Aliyev.

The Nagorno-Karabakh government is also dissatisfied with the
procedure. In a statement published two days before the talks, the
NKR's Foreign Ministry described the talks, from which it is excluded
on Azerbaijan's demand - as "distorted."

"Real progress in the negotiations is possible only with the Karabakh
party's equal participation in all the stages of the negotiation
process," it said.

Despite this, the economic situation in Nagorno-Karabakh has improved
somewhat in recent years, with GDP increasing by 116% between 2001 and
2007, according to the republic's statistical office. The economy has
also moved away from its previous reliance on agriculture, with that
sector's share of GDP falling from 33% in 2002 to 16% in 2007, while
manufacturing and services have increased.

In another significant development, the recent IPO of Artsakh Hydro
Power Plant, the proceeds of which will be used to build small hydro
plants in Nagorno-Karabakh, attracted investment from international
investors in countries including France, Russia, Switzerland and the
UAE. If progress towards resolving the conflict continues, it could
unlock the region's potential in several sectors, in particular
mining.

Russia is continuing to keep Armenia and Azerbaijan at the negotiating
table, with the next meeting between the two presidents scheduled for
October. However, unless the political will for a solution from Baku,
Yerevan and Stepanakert increases, progress could to remain elusive.

KARABAKH PEACE PLAN 'UPDATED'
Emil Danielyan
Armenialiberty.org
July 27 2009

International mediators have modified their proposed framework peace
agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh to increase chances of its acceptance
by Armenia and Azerbaijan, a top U.S. official said on Monday.

The three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group representing the United
States, Russia and France met in the Polish city of Krakow at the
weekend to discuss ways of pushing the Karabakh peace further forward
following fresh talks held by the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents
in Moscow on July 17-18.

In a joint statement issued ahead of those talks, the presidents of
the three mediating powers said they have instructed the co-chairs to
present the conflicting parties with an "updated version" of their
basic principles of a Karabakh settlement that were formally put
forward in Madrid in November 2007.

"As directed by our three presidents in their joint declaration of
July 10, 2009, we prepared an updated version of the Madrid Document,"
the U.S. co-chair, Matthew Bryza, told RFE/RL's Armenian service,
commenting on the Krakow meeting. He described the meeting as
"productive and creative."

"We now have a chance to finalize the Basic Principles," said Bryza. He
praised Armenia's and Azerbaijan's leaders for being "constructive"
and making "significant progress" in the long-running peace talks.

"The co-chairs also express their thanks to former President [Robert]
Kocharian and Foreign Minister [Vartan] Oskanian whose thoughts
and efforts helped lay the foundation for the Madrid Document,"
added Bryza. "We have now moved beyond that document under Armenia's
current leaders, President [Serzh] Sarkisian and Foreign Minister
[Eduard] Nalbandian, who have helped elicit progress in tough but
constructive negotiations over the past year."

Sticking to the confidentiality of the long-running peace process, the
U.S. official did not specify whether the basic principles underwent
significant changes. He said only that he and fellow co-chairs Yuri
Merzlyakov and Bernard Fassier "carefully considered the views
expressed by the sides since we presented the Madrid Document in
November 2007."

Contrary to the mediators' expectations, Sarkisian and Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev failed to bridge their remaining differences
over those principles during their July 17 one-on-one discussion in
Moscow. According to Merzlyakov, the two leaders made more progress
when they met in the presence of their Russian counterpart, Dmitry
Medvedev, the next day.

"There are interesting solutions which the presidents found in the
trilateral format," Merzlyakov told the Azerbaijani Trend news agency
on July 22. "I think that this could produce a positive result in
the future." The Russian diplomat did not elaborate.

The Madrid principles call for the liberation of the seven Azerbaijani
districts surrounding Karabakh that were fully or partly occupied
by Karabakh Armenian forces during the 1991-1994 war. They also
envisage a future referendum of self-determination in Karabakh. The
Armenian-controlled disputed territory would retain its de facto
independence and a land corridor with Armenia proper in the interim.

According to some sources familiar with the negotiating process, the
main stumbling block so far has been the liberation of Kelbajar and
Lachin, two of the occupied Azerbaijani districts sandwiched between
Karabakh and Armenia. They say former President Kocharian insisted
on their return under Azerbaijani control only after the Karabakh
vote. This condition was rejected by Aliyev. Sarkisian's position on
the matter is not clear.

Meeting with Sweden's visiting Foreign Minister Carl Bildt last week,
Sarkisian indicated that the conflicting parties also have yet to
fully work out all practical modalities of the proposed referendum that
would presumably enable Karabakh's predominantly Armenian population
to legitimize its secession from Azerbaijan.

managed to lay down the foundations of
the Madrid document. "We are also thankful to President Sargsyan and
Foreign Minister Nalbandian for the considerable progress which was
reached during difficult but constructive discussions. Owing to it, we
managed to leave the Madrid document behind. We now have a possibility
to bring the Fundamental Principles to the final appearance," M. Bryza
mentioned. In his words, Azerbaijan also had a constructive position,
though "President Aliyev and Foreing Minister Mamedyarov protect
their national interest just as their Armenian counterparts do."

The CIS countries heads' regular meeting is envisaged in Chisinau
in early October during which the next meeting of the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan is possible to take place. The OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairpersons' regional visit is expected in September during which
the circle of issues to be discussed during Sargsyan-Aliyev October
negotiations will be defined.

PLEASE TELL US THE TRUTH
By Odette Bazil, Buckinghamshire UK
AZG Armenian Daily
28/07/2009

Everyday, different newspapers present us with different versions of
the talks and negotiations held between the Leaders of our country with
those of Azerbaijan and Turkey, yet most articles are contradicted by
the negotiating parties; every day the Madrid Principles are mentioned
and either refuted or agreed by the reporters , yet no one can tell
us what - exactly - these principles are ; everyday the setting-up
of a joint committee to analyse the documents of the genocide is
reported and criticised, yet the authorities deny that agreement ;
and a map route for the opening of the borders between Armenia and
Turkey is supposed to have been drawn yet no one has seen it and no
one can describe it .

Where is the truth?

Is the Armenian Media reporting rumours and hear-says or is it engaged
in serious journalism , to inform accurately the reader about the
real facts and not using the opportunity to present the political
views of the party who enjoys their support.

Politicians , analysts , scholars , dignitaries , even school teachers
or actors are interviewed and their opinions reported daily and at
great lengths , yet the views of His Holiness , Catholicos Karekin
II , Catholicos of all Armenians , are not made known to the people
of Armenia and its children in the Diaspora.

His Holiness represents the stability and continuity of Armenia ,
the spiritual leadership in decisions of politics and defence and
the ultimate moral sanctuary and comfort whom we need every day in
our lives and more so in cases of war , despair, calamity or crucial
destiny-shaping decisions.

Decisions which have to be taken now when Armenia is at this
cross-roads and which will affect , irrevocably and forever , the lives
of every man , woman and child in our Motherland and its Diaspora.

We want to know.


IWPR KARABAKH FOCUS

A PERSONAL VIEW
For Armenians like me, the loss of a lovely home village hurts
By Sara Khojoyan

In my passport, my place of birth is listed as the Republic of Azerbaijan. Of course,

it was not the Azerbaijan of today, because I am an Armenian, but the Soviet

Socialist Republic, back in 1983, before the conflict between our two peoples

over Nagorny Karabakh.

In 1988, the troubles started and my family fled our home in an area of Azerbaijan

close to Karabakh. We have never been back.

I have many other relatives who are refugees. Although my grandparents fled the

village of Khanlar in the Dashkesan region - which was inhabited by both Azeris

and Armenians - most of my other relatives came from Zaglik, which was for

centuries purely Armenian.

In the 15 years since the ceasefire, they have lost hope that they will ever return

to the land where their ancestors are buried. They cannot get used to the politicians'

talk of a "return of territory". If they cannot go back, why should Azeris be able to?

"Our Zaglik was heaven on earth, but we understand we will never get it back. Both

sides now have what they have and you cannot turn back the clock. I had many Azeri

friends, and I am sure that they think the same. Politicians are a long way from the

common people," said my uncle, Ashot Khojaian.

In Armenia, almost everyone is connected to the Karabakh conflict. Although few men

actually fought, everyone knows someone who did. Take Mher Davoian, the editor of

the magazine where I used to work. He and a friend were the only survivors from their

division, and hid in the forests for a week, having been given up for dead.

And now, when almost every week politicians discuss the return of territory, my former

editor refuses to believe it.

"I organised an opinion poll across all of Armenia and I know that it's not just me, it's 80

per cent of Armenians who are ready to take up arms to defend what belongs to us.

This is even though I know that there won't be a second war," he said.

And he's right. Ordinary Armenians cannot countenance giving up Nagorny Karabakh.

Levon Manvelian, my future father-in-law, took three years to get over the psychological

damage he suffered in the war, when he had to gather up the pieces of his best friend.

When he hears talk of the interim status that the international mediators want to assign

to Karabakh under the Madrid Principles, he just laughs.

"Nagorny Karabakh already has a status. I don't understand why our authorities don't

stand by this. I do understand, however, what a dirty business politics is, and maybe

they don't have the power to do more than they are. But we the people are strong

enough, just like we were 20 years ago," he told me.

Ordinary people are a long way from diplomacy, and maybe do not understand the

niceties of the principles laid out for regulating the conflict. A week ago, all the

commentators in Armenia started talking about resolving the Karabakh conflict along

the lines of the Madrid Principles. People at bus stops and coffee shops across the

whole of Yerevan could be heard saying things like, "Apparently, they are going to

return the territory. This cannot be allowed to happen."

I was born on Azeri territory but I have never thought of it as my homeland. However,

I have also never doubted that the village of Zaglik, in which generations of my

ancestors were born and died, is Armenian land. It is land controlled by Azerbaijan,

but it is where my mother dreams of going, so she can visit the graves of my family.

But this does not trouble me. We are talking here about the territorial integrity of

Azerbaijan. It troubles me that no one in the world seems to understand that Nagorny

Karabakh is not a part of Azerbaijan, and this is not a question of diplomacy. It is a

question of memory, and this is something we all have.

Many people do not know this, just as they do not know about Zaglik, my home, which

I will probably never see again.

Sara Khojoyan is the acting director of IWPR's Armenian office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Armenian News

ARMENIANS PUT ASIDE THE PAST AND CHOOSE TURKEY FOR SUMMER VACATION
Marianna Grigoryan
EurasiaNet
July 27 2009
NY

Some Armenians call it "a disgrace." Others put it down to
price. Turkey's popular Mediterranean resort town of Antalya ranks as
Armenians' number-one summer vacation destination, travel agents say,
and no amount of controversy over Turkish-Armenian ties looks likely
to reverse the trend.

Yerevan travel agency managers report that, amidst a grueling economic
slowdown, Antalya's reputation for low prices and high-quality
customer service outweighs for many customers the fact that it is
located within the borders of longtime foe Turkey.

Tez Tour's Armenia office director, Narine Davtian, estimates that by
summer's end her Russian-owned agency will have twice the number of
Antalya-bound customers as the 8,000 who chose to travel to the Turkish
town in 2008. Armavia's four direct flights to Antalya each week from
Yerevan, a service offered by Tez Tour, are regularly full, she said.

"I am a patriot, but let's not mix tourism and politics," Daytian
commented. "No other country can provide the same range [of travel
options] and quality. People want a good vacation and they get it."

Other travel company managers echo that assessment.

"We offer tours to different destinations -- Bulgaria, Greece, Italy,
Georgia, Jordan -- but the hottest tours are to Antalya in Turkey,"
said Flight agency manager Marine Ayvazian, who estimated that the
town is the choice of 70 percent of Flight's customers.

The government has no data on the number of Armenians who travel to
Turkey each summer. Armenian travel agencies, it says, will not share
the information, and the lack of diplomatic ties with Turkey means
no alternative option for the data exists.

But while the notion of swimming in the Mediterranean Sea may appeal
to many landlocked Armenians, posters promoting Antalya's "delightful"
sun-drenched beaches only bring to mind politics for others.

A youth group associated with the nationalist Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutiun has requested the Yerevan mayor's office
remove all street posters advertising Antalya and "to deal seriously"
with the issue. The mayor's office has not yet acted on the request.

"Advertisements for a vacation in Antalya are springing up like
mushrooms and, instead of spending their vacations in Armenia,
people are leaving for Turkey. Is this normal?" complained Haroutiun
Melikian, who runs an anti-Antalya protest campaign for the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation's Nikol Aghbalian Student Union.

"The money that goes to arm and strengthen Turkey [via tourism] could
remain in our country and contribute to our own strength," he added.

To combat Antalya's popularity, the Nikol Aghbalian Student Union
has hung posters throughout Yerevan that declare that "Armenians who
spend their vacation in Antalya are arming the Turkish army."

Other placards focus on Ottoman Turkey's 1915 slaughter of ethnic
Armenians, on slain Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink or on Mount
Ararat, a symbol of Armenian ethnic identity located within Turkey.

"We decided to remind people of something they seem to have forgotten,
to sober them up," explained Melikian.

Some Yerevan residents heartily second that decision. "Turkey shouldn't
have won us over, since political pressures still persist and the word
'Turk' is still a curse for us," 34-year-old actor Vahe Nersesian
commented.

Employees of several government ministries tell EurasiaNet that
unwritten rules forbid state employees from spending their vacations
in Antalya -- this despite the recent official push towards some form
of rapprochement with Turkey.

But the disapproval tactic does not always work.

"If I have to choose between the high prices of Armenian resorts and
an all-inclusive vacation at the seaside in Antalya, I'll pick the
sea for my family and me, especially when the difference in prices
makes no sense," commented one Yerevan resident booking an Antalya
trip in a travel agency.

On average, travel agencies charge as low as $450 per person for
a week-long package tour in Antalya, while a similar vacation at
Armenia's Lake Sevan, the mountain resort of Tsaghkadzor or the
mineral water spa of Jermuk start at about $700.

Yerevan State University psychologist Nelly Haroian believes that,
lured by the attractive prices, Armenians are able to put aside
misgivings about the past and feel "comfortable" visiting Turkey since
"Turks are serving them."

Given the crisis-friendly prices for tours to Antalya, expecting
any other reaction is not realistic, commented sociologist Aharon
Adibekian. "There are many questions linked to national self-esteem,
but people are free to decide where to have a vacation and what to do,"
Adibekian said.

The Armenian government says it plans to help with that decision - and
beat the competition -- by promoting tours to the disputed territory
of Nagorno Karabkah as an alternative to Antalya.

"We have no sea, and this is a difficulty. We plan serious steps for
developing domestic tourism to Nagorno Karabakh," said Mari Grigoryan,
deputy director of the Ministry of Economy's department of tourism
and territorial economic development.

"The prices will be reasonable and will counteract those of Turkish
resorts," Grigoryan continued. "Travel agencies working in this
direction will get serious benefits." She did not elaborate.

But, while rich in mountain vistas and historical sites, Nagorno
Karabakh, a favorite with Armenian Diaspora groups, has no resort
hotels or seaside sunbathing on offer.

That brings the question of a summer vacation back to the simple
matter of individual choice, Yerevan travel agents argue.

"We all are patriots," said Tez Tour's Daytian. "And spending a
vacation in Turkey does not mean being less Armenian."

Editor's Note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance journalist based
in Yerevan.

Bull World Health Organ. 2009 July; 87(7): 489-490.
doi: 10.2471/BLT.09.010709.
PMCID: PMC2704043
Copyright © World Health Organization (WHO) 2009.

All rights reserved.

Armenians struggle for health care and medicines

Private financing constitutes about half of total health expenditures in
Armenia and most of that comes directly out of the consumer's pocket. In
the current economic downturn, fewer and fewer people can afford it.
Monika Mkhitaryan and Onnik Krikorian report.

In the Communist era, Armenia enjoyed one of the best health-care
systems of all the Soviet republics, delivering comprehensive care on a
centralized basis. Since then the system has fragmented along partially
free-market lines and is today failing the majority of the people it is
supposed to serve. Skewed towards expensive hospital interventions that
swallow up more than 50% of the national health budget, the Armenian
health system falters at the local community level and is often totally
absent from rural areas.

The Armenian government is trying to redress the problem, notably by
introducing primary health care reforms with an emphasis on preventive
care and the management of chronic diseases. But as Dr Ara Babloyan,
Armenia's minister of health between 1991 and 1997, puts it, `Despite
efforts in the area of primary health care, the health system requires
new improvements', he said, adding that the scope and definition of
primary health care should be revised and enlarged.

One of the most pressing concerns is the cost of treatment and medicine
for working Armenians who don't benefit from the minimal social
programmes that are in place.

To address this, the ministry of health has implemented several
programmes since independence in 1991 including a Basic Benefits Package
(BBP) established in 1999. The package provides specific health-care
services, including medicines, at no charge to vulnerable segments of
the population, including children, the elderly and disabled,
impoverished people and injured military personnel. Since 2006, primary
health care services have been free of charge under the BBP.

But, of course, being eligible is not the same as being covered. And
concern about the BBP being stretched a little thin is expressed in the
highest places: `Each year the number of people included on the
`vulnerable' list is increased by the Armenian authorities and as a
consequence, the money attributed to each individual decreases,'
explains Babloyan. In concrete terms this means that people like Naira
Thovmasian, a 34-year-old woman living in Yerevan, who since 1999 has
needed dialysis to compensate for her failing kidneys, cannot always get
the medicines they need. `By law, the hospital has to provide the
medicines for me, but what happens if they don't have them?' Thovmasian
asks.

When the hospital can't provide them, Thovmasian has to pay. And she is
not alone. Elizabeth Danielyan, head of the World Health Organization's
(WHO) Armenia country office, notes private financing constitutes about
50% of total health expenditures in Armenia, with 84% of that coming
directly out of the consumer's pocket, according to the national health
accounts monitoring project.

Just one month's supply of albumin, one of the treatments Thovmasian
takes, costs her the equivalent of US$ 32. Under the BBP, she receives a
disability pension equivalent to US$ 27 per month. In other words this
one drug costs more than her pension. So how does she manage? `Usually I
can't,' she says. `That's why my blood pressure drops constantly. But,
if we can't afford to eat, what hope is there to pay for medicines and
treatment we need?'

The stark choice Thovmasian faces every month - between food or medicine
- is familiar to many Armenians, and becoming more so in the current
global economic downturn. According to the Central Bank of Armenia the
economy will shrink by 5.8% in 2009, after several years of double-digit
GDP growth driven by construction. According to the World Bank, the
current downturn could push an additional 172 000 people below the
poverty line, currently set at 12 600 dram (equivalent US$ 21) per month
in Armenia, bringing the total number to 906 000 by 2010, that is to say
one-third of Armenia's three million population.

As part of a rapid United Nations (UN) assessment of the impact of the
global financial crisis, a study of the country was carried out in March
and April this year. It revealed that people who had lost their job or
who were no longer receiving remittances from abroad were already facing
problems accessing health care before the economy took a nose dive. And
now things are set to get worse. `People are beginning to
self-medicate,' says WHO's Danielyan. People wait to see if a medical
problem passes or resort to home remedies rather than seek treatment
from a doctor. People like Yevgenia Grigorian, a 51-year-old unemployed
woman living in Yerevan's Erebuni district, who says: `I have to use
lemon, tea, vinegar, that sort of thing when any of us are ill.'

Today's crisis also contains the seeds of tomorrow's catastrophe. Again
according to the UN rapid assessment, because they lack the funds, some
people no longer cultivate the land, which means less and poorer food in
the shops in the coming months and years. Others struggle to feed
themselves now, increasingly buying food with borrowed money.

`Household dietary diversity has decreased with a drop in the
consumption of meat and vegetables other than potatoes,' says Danielyan,
referring to the results of the UN rapid assessment. In Yerevan,
Thovmasian is buffered somewhat by the harsh realities of rural life,
but even there, she sees the effects of the shrinking economy. `Now it's
getting worse,' she says. `Things are more expensive. We can't pay for
transport and we can't pay for food.'

And that's when things are going relatively well. Because for all the
hardships suffered by Thovmasian, her health-care needs are at least
partially covered by the government. For those not qualifying for free
services under the BBP, things get a good deal grimmer. There is a
system of partial subsidy for people with less serious disability and
pensioners without family support; and the ministry of health provides
medicines free of charge for certain cancers, diabetes, tuberculosis,
psychiatric diseases, epilepsy, myocardial infarction, familial
Mediterranean fever and malaria; but beyond that, they are pretty much
on their own. `It's simple,' says WHO's Danielyan. `The working
population, people with low income, sufficient to pay only for food,
cannot acquire essential medicines.'

So what is to be done? Part of the problem is the lack of pricing
regulation for medicines. A new draft law covering price regulation and
reimbursement is under consideration. But would that be enough? When the
International Monetary Fund published a gloomy report on the prospects
for the Armenian economy in May, it recommended government spending to
support the poor and vulnerable groups through the current crisis,
particularly in the light of the shortfall in remittances. In other
words: throw money at the problem until the global economy cranks up
again. Indeed, it seems that the Ministry of Finance is now
reconsidering planned cuts in the health budget.

Danielyan isn't convinced that this measure is sufficient to solve the
problem. `There needs to be fundamental change in the way risk is
shared, and service delivery model is organized and funded,' she says.
`There is a need to ensure the correct functioning of social protection
mechanisms that would make it easier for the population as a whole to
afford health care.' But isn't this the wrong time to be implementing
major overhauls? Not necessarily, says Danielyan: `We need to take
advantage of the current crisis in an intelligent way and initiate moves
that would be less likely under normal circumstances, in the sense of
applying insurance principles that have been used in western Europe for
decades' she says.

CHEVRON RESPONDS TO NATIONAL CAMPAIGN EXPOSING

"PROFIT FROM GENOCIDE DENIAL" SCHEME
AZG Armenian Daily
28/07/2009

SAN RAMON, CA -- Chevron Corporation tried to explain away its
opposition to Congressional legislation affirming the Armenian
Genocide, using the standard Turkish and Azerbaijani government
talking points to justify their complicity in denying this crime
against humanity, reported the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF).

"As a major energy producer in the region, we support the integrity
of multiple energy transportation routes and a diplomatic relationship
between Turkey and Armenia," Chevron spokesman Justin Higgs announced,
adding that the genocide resolution, "would have hurt, not helped,
relations between Turkey and Armenia."

"An enduring diplomatic relationship between Turkey and Armenia can
only be based on truth," said AYF San Francisco chapter chairman Matt
Senekeremian, leading the Bay Area protest. "Lobbying against the
Armenian Genocide resolution is a pure and simple case of profiting
from the denial of the murder of 1.5 million men, women and children -
a short-sighted policy which only serves to fuel greater instability
in the region."

Chevron's comments came as the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF)
joined with Armenian Americans and human rights activists in
kicking off a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about Turkish
Government coercion of the energy giant and some five multinational
corporations currently lobbying against Armenian Genocide legislation
(H.Res.252). The resolution, spearheaded by Representatives Adam Schiff
(D-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairs Frank Pallone and Mark Kirk, has over 125 cosponsors.

Rep. Schiff chastised Chevron and the other corporations for opposing
the Genocide resolution, noting "I don't think any major American
corporation should be lobbying against the genocide recognition
and become complicit in another country's genocide denial," Schiff
told the Glendale News-Press. "I don't think that's being a good
corporate citizen. It's certainly putting profits in front of the
public interest."

The protests began on July 22, 2009 at the Chevron headquarters in
San Ramon, California and local stations across the U.S., including
sites in Burbank, La Crescenta, Pasadena, San Fernando Valley,
Orange County, Glendale, Fresno, as well as Bethesda, MD, Orlando,
FL and Philadelphia, PA. An online letter writing campaign to Chevron
CEO Dave O'Reilly was launched in conjunction with the protests,
urging the company to publicly apologize for profiting from Genocide
denial. A copy of the letter was hand delivered to the Chevron
corporate headquarters by protesters in San Ramon.

Concerned about public response to their action, Chevron's corporate
headquarters had alerted their franchisees about the AYF led protest
prior to the campaign launch. Washington, DC area protesters also
reported that Chevron had sent their own photographers to the protest.

Protests were covered in local newspapers, including the Orlando
Sentinel, where AYF Keri chapter member Raffi Mekhdjavakian explained
"It's contradictory of Chevron to have their motto 'The Chevron way'
and say that they are responsible and ethical when they are lobbying
against a human rights situation," said Raffi Mekhdjavakian, an Oviedo
resident with the Armenian youth group.

"If [the genocide] is denied it's as if it never happened."

Mekhdjavakian referred to statements on Chevron's website -
http://www.chevron.com/about/chevronway/ -- where the corporation
prides itself on running the company the "Chevron Way" - responsibly,
ethically and with respect to human rights. However, on June 13th, the
Associated Press revealed that Chevron and 5 other multinational energy
and defense corporations, including BAE Systems, Raytheon, Northrop
Grumman, United Technologies and Goodrich have filed disclosure forms
with the Senate and House "quietly" lobbying against H.Res.252 the
Armenian Genocide Resolution, among a wide array of legislation. In
first quarter of 2009 alone, the six firms have spent some $14
million in Congressional lobby efforts. This is in addition to the
over $3 million spent annually by the Government of Turkey to block
U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, a cornerstone of their
foreign policy priorities.

"Clearly, Turkey will spare to no expense to cover up its dark
past,"said AYF Western Region Chairman Vache Thomassian. "Coercing
corporations like Chevron to do its dirty deeds is just the latest
tactic - exporting genocide denial to our neighborhoods, one gas
station at a time."

Complete information about Chevron's lobbying efforts - including
lobby disclosures forms filed with the Senate and House - are posted
at http://www.anca.org/chevron. A Facebook group calling attention
to the effort has over 1300 activists.

CROSS TO BE INAUGURATED ON THE ARMENIAN CHURCH

ON AKHTAMAR
armradio.am
27.07.2009 16:41

Turkey's Chief EU Negotiator, Egemen Bagis said the reconstruction
of the Armenian Church on Akhtamar Island will be accomplished before
Serzh Sargsyan's arrival in Turkey.

"We will finish the reconstruction before the Armenian President's
arrival and inaugurate a cross on the Church," Bagis said. "All
religions are respected. If Europe puts no bans on opening mosques,
so why should we do so? Besides, this church will attract Armenians
here, what will help develop tourism."

Bagis said closed borders are the vestige of communism.

"We say Greeks are bad, Kurds are bad too. How long will we be at
loggerheads? We should put an end to animosity." he said, Hurriyet
reported.

NEW TERMINAL OF ZVARTNOTS AIRPORT TO ACCOMMODATE

2M-3M PASSENGERS A YEAR
/ARKA/
July 27, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. The new arrivals and departures terminal of
Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport will accommodate between 2
million and 3 million passengers a year, Artem Movsisian, the head
of the Armenian Civil Aviation Department (ACAD), told journalists
on Friday.

Some $160 million will be invested in the construction of the new
terminal.

The construction began in early 2008 and according to the project,
the building will start operating in late 2011. "The airport is the
main and important gateway to Armenia, and the country's president
keeps an eye on the construction process," Movsisian said. He said
that the construction of high quality. "The concessionaire wants to
make the Armenian airport one of the most attractive ones in the world;
I hope he can do that," Movsisian added.

Armenian Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsian said that this ambitious
project will allow meeting the demand for the 10 to 15 years to come,
also when taking into account the projected number of the visitors
as the airport's design allows expanding its functions. "This is a
serious investment program that attracts large international financial
companies that, in turn, could bring investments into other fields
of the Armenian economy," Yeritsian added.

The total area of the new terminal will be 34,0 00 sq. m. to include
passenger check-ins, stores and restaurants as well as a new large
arrivals section. The new building will have a new two-level parking
lot on 20,000 sq. m. for 600 vehicles. A green lawn will be on top
the parking lot.

The previous phase of the construction of the arrivals and departures
hall, built in 2004-07, cost $84 million.

Armenia International Airports, CJSC, runs the Zvartnots International
Airport under the 30-year concessionary management agreement given
by the Armenian government in 2001. American International Airports
of Eduardo Eurnekian, an Argentine of Armenian origins, owns the
company.

AIDA OF GIUSEPPE VERDI TO BE STAGED IN YEREVAN
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
27.07.2009 19:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the framework of a joint Armenian-Italian project
Aida of Giuseppe Verdi will be staged at the National Academic Opera
and Ballet Theater after Spendiaryan in Yerevan.

The agreement on the joint production was reached during the meeting
the RA Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan and the Italian Ambassador
to Armenia, Bruno Scapino.

The officials also agreed to organize the restoration and
transportation of frescoes.

Stressing the importance of establishing a center for restoration and
reconstruction of cultural and historical monuments, the interlocutors
touched upon the need to transfer the invaluable experience of
Italian specialists to Armenian experts. Exhibition in memory of
140th anniversary of Komitas in the museum of musical arts in Rome
was also discussed at the meeting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Armenia's Membership in The International Astronomical Union in Danger

By Chahe Tanachian, Montreal, July 2009

Please read Chahe Tanachian's plea "to make Armenia honorable again in the

International Astronomical Union".

There are times that people need to act beside hearing, listening and reading.

This is one of them. Please act!! Only four days are left to make a difference.

Keghart.com

Armenians sometimes refer to Viktor Hampartsoumian as the greatest Armenian

scientist of the 20th century. I believe we should refer to him as one of the greatest

scientists of the 20th century (in the world).
During the last year of the AGBU Manuel Keusseyan Armenological Studies, I

spoke about Armenia’s situation as a member of the International Astronomical

Union (IAU) whose President has been Viktor Hampartsoumian for many years.

Armenia has been unable to pay the membership fees for the last 6 years including

2009.
The IAU has previously waived fees and granted extensions in order to give Armenia

a chance to remain a member. This gesture of goodwill on part of the IAU is based

on the fact that Armenian scientists have a very good standing in the field of astronomy

and astrophysics and their work and expertise is highly regarded. My efforts have

been directed to raise the amount to pay the fees for one year. The yearly fee is

approximately $3500 CDN.

The Director of the Byurakan Observatory of Armenia, Dr. Hayk Harutyunyan has sent

me the latest letter they have received from the IAU dated June 2009 indicating that

unless the membership fees are paid before July 31st 2009, Armenia’s membership

will be suspended. If a suspension lasts for 5 years, the IAU can terminate the

membership. The situation is quite pitiful for a country and a nation that have given

a genius like Viktor Hampartsoumian to the world.
Dr. Harutyunyan has confirmed to me that they’re working to get the Ministry of Science

to pay for at least 3 years of membership dues.

I know that some people rightfully ask themselves how come the Government of

Armenia or financially capable citizens of Armenia are not taking care of this issue?
I say let’s not forget that Victor Hampartsoumian belongs to all Armenians and we

can’t stay inactive and irresponsible towards his legacy and memory.
This is about what we can do and how we can awaken others with our gestures and

efforts.

Dr. Harutyunyan has promised to publish an article about our contribution and gesture

in major newspapers of the country and to create awareness about this essential issue.
We can also agree to send an official letter to the concerned authorities and let them

know our concerns and preoccupations.
For transparency purposes, we will directly pay the fees to the IAU through the A.G.B.U.

Montreal Chapter.

Dear Friends, I truly believe that a collection of small gestures by small groups of people

can make a difference in the life and history of a nation.
Please tell your friends and family about this initiative and encourage them to participate.

PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF YOU ACCEPT TO MAKE A

DONATION / JULY 31ST IS 4 DAYS AWAY.

Thank you,
Chahe Tanachian
chahet@videotron.ca
514.802.3911
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FATHER FRANK’S RANTS - Insurgents

Rant Number 357 29 July 2009

‘We are insurgents’. Thus spoke last night on BBC2 not Zarathustra but Lord Mandelson. The Darth Vader of New Labour. The spin doctor of all spin doctors. Tony Blair’s Prince of Darkness – and now Gordon Browns’ last hope. Yeah, Lord Mandy. The suave superman who alone could turn the tide and perform the most impossible miracle of all miracles: make Labour win the next elections.

We are insurgents, Mandelson states. Meaning not Taleban warriors but Labour supporters. A laughable but terse proclamation that for me conjoins the twin ideas of reincarnation and revolution. Because to invoke insurgence conjures up the spirit not of champagne socialists like Mandy but of counter-cultural theorists like Georges Sorel. The French apostle of that secular, forgotten apocalypse, the general strike. Of a violent transformation of society. In short, of insurrection. Yes, Sorel, the inspirer of Lenin and Mussolini alike. Mandy is Sorel redivivus, reincarnated, I have no doubt.

Georges Sorel’s incendiary views are set forth in his Reflections on Violence. ‘In the eyes of the contemporary middle class everything is admirable which dispels the idea of violence. Our middle class desire to die in peace – after them the deluge’, he mocks. Against the rule of a comfortable bourgeoisie Sorel advocates ‘syndicalist violence’. By which he means not acts of savagery but the overthrow of the State by unionised workers. A liberating catastrophe, ‘the terrifying development of which baffles description’. Sorel’s insurrection is therefore a heroic notion which he likens to a dynamic myth, necessary to galvanise the masses into action.

We are insurgents. Sorel, no pacifist, would rejoice at the menace that sentence implies. Indeed, he compares his revolutionary violence to war. Not a war aimed at satisfying politicians’ ambitions, no. War as celebrated by umpteen poets. (Later, most notoriously by Beat poet Gregory Corso: ‘I love you, bomb’ he sang, referring to the atom bomb.) War, ‘a noble profession’. The ardent, manly desire to overcome the enemy, to prove one’s strength. War as the quest for glory, the adventure of warriors, the most powerful creation of human genius, the pursuit of conquest.

Groan... echoes of fascism? Perhaps. But why not of a philosophy of liberation? Just replace that nasty word, ‘violence’ with the more neutral ‘force’ and, hey, presto! The trick is accomplished. Don’t liberation theologians teach that violence is justified as a revolt of the oppressed against the oppressors? So does Sorel. Liberation is violence against an unjust social order - hence it is all right. Of course, liberation theologians usually write of far off lands like South America. Sufficiently remote from the affluent West, that is, for our leftish, chattering elites to find unthreatening. When it comes to liberating violence in places nearer to us, like the Middle East, or even the Parisian banlieue...ahem... it is a little different. But no matter. The principle is the same. Insurrection for the sake of liberation is just, they reckon.

We are insurgents. Ayatollah Khomeini’s words in The Islamic Government come to mind here: ‘Our task is to help our oppressed and injured people, to support them against the oppressors.’ He quoted Imam Ali: ‘Be enemies of the oppressor and helpers of the oppressed’. A position famously backed by the Quran: ‘Those who have suffered injustice are permitted to fight.’ (Surah 22, v.38) Similarly, for Sayyed Qutb, the Egyptian martyr of radical Islamism, jihad was the apposite vehicle for the necessary, divinely sanctioned struggle against infidelity. But even less militant Muslim exegetes like Murtada Mutahhari and Farid Esack advance the Quran as the text par excellence of a hermeneutics of liberation. Though violence is a word they generally eschew, I don’t figure these writers meant Gandhian strategies. Rather, they conclude that it is right to use force in the pursuit of a right cause. Sorel may not have subscribed to Islam’s sacred text, of course, but I bet he would have applauded the sentiment.

We are insurgents. Lord Mandy is wily: he does not ‘do God’. He knows there are no votes in it. So he doesn’t bother to call upon any clerical or episcopal nincompoops as fellow insurgents. Sorel, however, appreciates the importance of religion. He compares the harassed situation of French Catholics in his time to that of the workers. The government of the time, a hideous cabal of Freemasons and worse, had legislated against Catholic religious Orders and confiscated their properties. Sorel admires the principled resistance of Pope Pius X and of the French clergy. He speaks of their persecutors as Anti-Christ. He holds up the monastic clergy as example of heroism, the backbone and SAS of the Church. Had the times been ripe, I guess he might have called, like Pasolini did later, for the Pope to join the proletariat in the insurrection. Perhaps, had Sorel not been a socialist, he might have become a fighting monk.

We are insurgents. Alas, Sorel, like Mandy, was not one. Despite his fervour, he stayed an armchair revolutionary throughout. Marxists condemned his syndicalism as heretical. He confined himself to written work and was never jailed. Alas, he was a rather muddled thinker. Violence in pursuit of a just cause is acceptable even in Christianity but he never worked out the moral limits of that just violence. Albert Camus, another Frenchman, knew better: ‘Even in destruction, there is a right way and a wrong way. And there are limits’ he wrote. Till the end of his life Sorel kept at it - he defended Lenin’s shameful repressions of fellow revolutionaries in Russia. But the myth of the cataclysmic virtues of violence still appeals.

I am an insurgent. True. The priest considers himself one. Unlike Lord Mandy, he advocates real insurgency. Apocalyptic all right, yep. As lurid as you can imagine. Because it involves a real transformation. Inner, as well as outer. In-surgere, to rise up. To rise out, to stand up from the morass, the swamp, the deadly quicksand of the Zeitgeist. The mephitic trend of thoughts and feelings and practices and laws of our time. To rise up and out of them. Towards...what Christ came to proclaim and bring about: the Kingdom of God.

And violence? What role will it play?

That has to be discussed. Meanwhile, ponder on St Matthew 11:12: ‘The Kingdom of God suffers violence and men of violence take it by force’.

Revd Frank Julian Gelli

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Armenian Jewellery Designer at Liberty Department Store

Dear Friends,
This is a bit last minute, but I wanted to let you know about  a very well
known Armenian jewellery designer , Arman Sarkisyan from Los Angeles, who is
going to be at Liberty Department Store tomorrow from 11am - 7 pm.  Liberty
is hosting him as part of their Meet the Designers series.

Arman is an award-winning jeweller and his pieces have been worn by
celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Gywneth Paltrow, Sienna Miller, Uma
Thurman and Katherine Heigl.  His unique pieces combine Armenian, Byzantine
and Gothic design elements.

Below is more information about Arman and his work.

ARMAN



MEET THE DESIGNERS at LIBERTY DEPARTMENT STORE http://www.liberty.co.uk/
<http://www.liberty.co.uk/>



FRIDAY 31st  July 11 am - 7 pm



An Old-world Jeweller Steps into the New World.



Arman Sarkisyan is not your typical jeweller, a throwback to a time of old
world jewellery-making, his methods are as ornate and intricate as each of
his pieces. Inspired by his travels, art, as well as mystical and spiritual
elements, many of his designs are a blend of the Gothic and Byzantine eras
combined with modern influences.  Working with rich 22K gold and oxidized
silver, as well as precious and semi-precious stones, Arman's charms,
earrings, rings and bracelets are old-school classics with a unique and
innovative design.



Hailing from Armenia, Arman is from a long line of Armenian jewellers. He
began his jeweller apprenticeship at the age of twelve under the tutelage of
his father, whose career in goldsmithing and jewellery design spanned fifty
years, earning him notoriety in Armenia and Russia.  During this time, Arman
learned traditional craftsmanship and came to develop a complex process in
jewellery-making, combining techniques from yesteryear, like hand-engraving,
as well as new innovations. In 1990, Arman moved the family business to Los
Angeles and furthered his education in art and architecture. In late 2006 he
unveiled his eponymous line, Arman, to outstanding praise and reviews in the
fashion industry.



Arman's artistic inspiration and training gave him the distinction of
creating each piece from the conception of design all the way to its birth,
an exceptional and precious skill he attributes to his mentor, an expertise,
that he says is 'simply in the blood'.



For more information see www.armanjewelry.com <http://www.armanjewelry.com/>
or  info@armanjewelry.com 



Dr Armine Ishkanian
Lecturer
Centre for Civil Society
London School of Economics
Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE
Tel: 020-7955-7354
Fax: 020-7955-6039
A.Ishkanian@lse.ac.uk
<http://www.lse.ac.uk/people/a.Ishkanian@lse.ac.uk/
<https://exchange.lse.ac.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.lse.ac.uk/people/a.Ishkanian@lse.ac.uk/>
>

Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic
communications disclaimer:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/secretariat/legal/disclaimer.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Armeian News

SARKISIAN REAFFIRMS CONDITIONS FOR TURKEY VISIT
Karine Kalantarian
Armenialiberty.org
July 28 2009

Armenia's President Serzh Sarkisian insisted on Tuesday that he will
not travel to Turkey in October to watch the return match of the two
countries' national football teams unless Ankara moves to reopen the
Turkish-Armenian border.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul extended a relevant invitation to
Sarkisian after paying a historic visit to Yerevan in September
last year, during which the two leaders jointly attended the first
Turkey-Armenia game. The so-called "football diplomacy" ushered in
a Turkish-Armenia rapprochement that left the two historical foes on
the verge of normalizing their strained relations earlier this year.

"Given the existing situation, we certainly expect to witness soon
constructive steps with which our [Turkish] partners would try to
create a proper environment for the return visit of the president of
Armenia," said Sarkisian. That means taking "real steps" to honor
Turkish-Armenian agreements reached during the year-long dialogue,
he said.

"That is, I will leave for Turkey if we have an open border or stand
on the brink of the lifting of Armenia's blockade," added the Armenian
leader.

The remarks reflected Sarkisian's frustration with Turkey's failure so
far to unconditionally establish diplomatic relations and reopen its
border with Armenia despite concessions made by him. Yerevan insists
that the Turks dropped their preconditions for normalizing bilateral
ties during months of fence-mending negotiations.

However, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other Turkish leaders
have repeatedly said in recent months that the Turkish-Armenian border
will remain closed as long as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains
unresolved. The statements came both before and after the Turkish and
Armenian governments' April 22 announcement that they have identified a
"roadmap" to the normalization.

The announcement came on the eve of the annual remembrance of more than
one million Armenians massacred by the Ottoman Turks during World War
One. The timing is believed to have made it easier for U.S. President
Barack Obama to backtrack on his pledges to officially recognize the
massacres as genocide.

Critics accuse Sarkisian of willingly sacrificing U.S. recognition
of the Armenian genocide without securing the lifting of the 16-year
Turkish blockade. They have also condemned his apparent acceptance of a
Turkish proposal to form a panel of historians that would look into the
1915 mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

Sarkisian issued his latest warning to Ankara after talks with
Serbia's visiting President Boris Tadic. He said he briefed Tadic on
his Western-backed diplomatic overtures to Turkey.

Sarkisian said the two leaders agreed on the need for a peaceful
resolution of ethnic disputes in the Balkans and the South Caucasus
"in accordance with the principles and norms of international law." "We
believe that there are no universal ways of solving conflicts," he
told reporters. "Every conflict has its own history, causes and its
own unique course."

It was an apparent rejection of parallels between the conflicts over
Nagorno-Karabakh and Kosovo, a breakaway Serbian region that has
been recognized as an independent state by much of the international
community. Kosovo's secession in strong support for the principle of
territorial integrity voiced by Serbian leaders.

Tadic himself has called for the application of that principle to
the Karabakh dispute in the past. With journalists not allowed to
put questions to either president, it was not clear if he stands by
that statement.

Also, Serbia was one of the few European nations that voted in March
2008 for a UN General Assembly resolution that upheld Azerbaijani
sovereignty over Karabakh and demanded an "unconditional" Armenian
withdrawal from occupied Azerbaijani territories.

TURKEY DISPLEASED WITH RA PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
30.07.2009 12:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's statement on
possible cancellation of his visit to Turkey has aroused displeasure
in Ankara.

"I think this statement can damage Turkish-Armenian reconciliation,"
Aybars Gorgulu, Assistant Program Advisor of TESEV FPP, told
PanARMENIAN.Net. "Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Armenia
without preconditions. At that, Mr. Sargsyan's statement will be eyed
by the Turkish government as diplomatic discourtesy. Such ultimatums
do not help resolution of problems."

"If the Armenian President cancels his visit, Ankara will become
more reluctant to normalize relations with the neighboring country,"
he said, adding that Turkish opposition also slammed Serzh Sarsgyan's
statement.

RFE/RL Report

Government Likely To Cut 2009 Spending
Armenia -- Ministers hold a weekly meeting.
29.07.2009
Ruben Meloyan

The Armenian government is unlikely to avoid cutting its expenditures
projected for this year despite securing hundreds of millions of
dollars in external budgetary loans, a senior official said on
Wednesday.

Armenia's state budget for 2009, approved by parliament late last
year, calls for 947 billion drams ($2.6 billion) in expenditures. The
government needed to boost its tax revenues by 20 percent in order to
meet the record-high target. However, those revenues have fallen
substantially this year amid a deepening economic recession resulting
from the global credit crunch.

Faced with the tax shortfall, the government last March delayed 131
billion drams in planned spending until the fourth quarter of the
year. It has since received more than $1 billion in anti-crisis loans
from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian
Development Bank as well as Russia. At least one-third of the money
is to be used for financing the government's widening budget deficit.

According to Deputy Finance Minister Vartan Aramian, the government
will likely have to cut budgetary spending by about 4 percent despite
the large-scale external assistance. `We will not spend 947 billion
drams in full,' Aramian told RFE/RL. `In total, almost 911 billion
worth of expenditures will be made,' he said.

Other Armenian officials have said that the projected government
spending on pensions, poverty benefits, public-sector salaries and
other social programs will not be slashed in any case. Both the IMF
and the World Bank consider that important for reducing the fallout
from the economic crisis.

The tax shortfall also forced the government to push through
parliament in May a legal amendment that raised from 5 percent to 7.5
percent the maximum possible ratio of the budget to Gross Domestic
Product. Aramian confirmed that the legal limit will be raised
further if economic developments follow a worst-case scenario.

`Under our current scenario, the deficit is to make up 6.5 percent
[of GDP],' he said. `If a worse scenario comes about, which is not
likely but can't be ruled out, it is possible that our deficit will
exceed 7.5 percent.'


ARMENIAN REMITTANCES SLUMP IN 2009
Emil Danielyan
Armenialiberty.org
July 28 2009

Cash remittances wired home by scores of Armenians working abroad
fell by 36 percent to just under $600 million in the first half of
this year, adding to the country's worst economic downturn since the
early 1990s.

The sharp drop reported by the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) on
Tuesday is one of the reasons why the Armenian economy contracted
by 16.3 percent during this period. It resulted from the ongoing
recession in Russia and other countries with large numbers of Armenian
migrant workers.

The total amount of cash inflows processed by Armenian commercial
banks and wire transfer systems was equivalent to 18.4 percent of
first-half Gross Domestic Product (GDP), reflecting their significance
the economy.

The remittances had risen rapidly until the outbreak of the global
financial crisis last fall that put an end to a decade of robust
economic growth in Armenia. They were up by as much as 57.5 percent
year on year in the first half of 2008 when GDP was on track to
increase at a double digit rate for a seventh consecutive year.

Worsening economic conditions around the world and Russia in particular
have since slashed migrant workers' financial assistance to their
families. Also, many Armenians, most of them living in rural areas,
could not travel to Russia for seasonal work this year for the
same reason.

The CBA data, made available to RFE/RL, also show that the shortfall in
remittances was mitigated by an even more drastic slump in first-half
outflows of cash from Armenia. They tumbled by 53 percent year on year
to $259 million. The resulting net hard-currency inflow was down by
only 11.8 percent.


AZERBAIJAN BLACKLISTING FOREIGNERS WHO VISIT KARABAKH
Asbarez
Jul 28th, 2009

BAKU (Eurasianet)-In a move to keep foreign nationals out of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, the Azerbaijani government is compiling
lists of foreigners who have visited the country and foreign
organizations that work with Karabakh's government, the Bakililar
news service reported on July 28.

Listed individuals who choose to travel to Karabakh can forget about
visiting Azerbaijan, even if they hold diplomatic status, the Kavkazsky
Uzel news service reported, citing Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry.

Foreign nationals who have a Karabakh visa stamped in their passports
will not be allowed into Azerbaijan, the country's Foreign Ministry
warned.

Bakililar news noted that several Russian pop stars who have held
concerts in Karabakh will never be able to perform in Azerbaijan.

45 ANIMALS WERE BORN IN YEREVAN ZOO THIS YEAR
ARMENPRESS
July 29, 2009

YEREVAN, JULY 29, ARMENPRESS: This year 45 animals were born in the
Yerevan zoo. Director Sahak Abovyan told Armenpress that the babies
of lion, bear, swan, deer and other animals feel very good and do
not arouse any issues.

In fall the zoo will have new inhabitants particularly Persian and
black pumas. "The animals will be brought from Russia and Ukraine,"
S. Abovyan said.

The reconstruction of elephant's cage has been postponed for a certain
period as a result of financial-economic crisis. The Yerevan zoo has
2 300 animals of 210 species.