The Armenian Weekly Newspaper

The year 2007 has been witness to many happenings, both within the Homeland (Armenia, Artsakh and Javakh) as well as in the United States. Mer Hairenik (our Fatherland) has been able to post some impressive results under the most difficult of circumstances. To assess what has taken place during the past 12 months and not be bullish on the future of mer Hairenik would be a profound disservice to our brothers and sisters. It would imply that Armenia and the Armenian Cause had simply held its own during the year; that no palpable progress had been made. That is far from the truth. Not everyone will share my unbridled optimism. Some may feel it is unrealistic to view conditions from afar and see them in a favorable light. That criticism will be accepted if made, but it will not dampen my enthusiasm.

As we look back on the year 2007, each of us has a choice to make. Should we dwell on the problems, shortcomings and failures? Or should we take note of the beneficial happenings that have occurred? Should we lament the fact that Artsakh’s independence has not been recognized by the community of nations? Or should we take comfort in the fact that our people continue to repair the ravages from the War for Liberation and continue on course to developing a viable political and economic system. Should our diasporan community in the United States view the inability of the House to pass Resolution 106 recognizing the Armenian genocide as a defeat? Or should we accept its strategic postponement to 2008 as a partial victory gained against an unprecedented onslaught by the Turkish government that sought to discredit an accepted fact of history?

Armenia

As we look back over the past 12 months it should be kept in mind that although our history spans centuries, mer Hairenik has only recently emerged from the political womb, so to speak. It is a young nation. Since independence was declared in 1991, Armenia has successfully evolved into the antithesis of the Soviet-style government that had repressed Armenian individualism and creativity for close to seven decades. Should the loss of our people’s economic security that was provided by a repressive system at the cost of vital personal liberties and creative freedom be lamented? Or should the potential for unlimited opportunities—still unrealized for many—promised by an embryonic market economy be a reason for rejoicing?

In March of this year, a mid-term report was released covering the first two years of a four year program (2005-08) between the World Bank and the Armenian government. It was an upbeat analysis of the progress Armenia has made in reaching the goals that had been set in consultation with the World Bank. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) continued to expand at a double digit rate—this, mind you, with her borders closed to legitimate traffic by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan. Macroeconomic stability and important policy reforms were also cited in the report. In addition, significant progress was made in combating poverty. According to the report, within the last few years “[p]overty has declined from around 50 percent to 30 percent…with extreme poverty dropping below 5 percent.” Has every worker and family in Armenia benefited? No! The unemployment rate still remains high, which results in a continuing outflow of young people, especially men, in search of employment. However, the remittances sent home have been an important factor in improving the economic well-being of the families they have left behind. Let us accept this as a beneficial and pragmatic response to the existing high levels of unemployment.

Yerevan, with an estimated population of 1.2 million people, is being slowly transformed into a modern city. The cost has not been inconsequential. People who have been displaced by this needed process of modernization cannot be overlooked by a government that must respond to the affordable housing needs of the displaced families. The gentrification of a city should never be the goal of planners. Yerevan pulsates. It is the mayrakaghak, the capital, of a free and independent Armenia and the hub of the diasporan universe. This is a role that will continue to expand as the diasporan Armenians look to Yerevan as the center of their cultural hearth.

Tourism is still in its infancy, but has registered another year of expansion. Its potential is practically unlimited. Armenia has much to offer, from its storehouse of unique architecture to its many historic sites, villages and culture that is several millennia old. The country is attracting increasing numbers of Europeans as tourists and “students.” Each morning, buses sporting German, Italian, French and English signage can be observed arriving at the hotels to pick up their passengers. For diasporan Armenians, visiting mer Hairenik has risen to the level of a pilgrimage.

Although the tourist industry is not noted for producing high-paying jobs, its multiplier effect is significant. Each job in the tourist industry produces a minimum of several additional jobs in peripheral industries that run the economic gamut from transportation, the performing arts, retail trade, the building trades, food production and distribution, to name a few. It is noteworthy to mention the construction of hotels and even motels that is taking place throughout Armenia.

The tourist industry is an attractive area for foreign investors. Its expansion is economically significant not only in creating jobs but as a primary source of invisible exports—the selling of services and merchandise within Armenia—that can contribute to a favorable balance of payments situation. Government estimates for 2007 indicate a 20 percent increase over the 2006 level to nearly 500,000 tourists visiting Armenia. Currently, the tourist industry is responsible for about 15 percent of Armenia’s exports and accounts for about 8 to 9 percent of the GDP. The potential for growth can be appreciated when the tourist industry worldwide is estimated at $6 trillion annually. A modest annual expansion of the Armenian tourist industry will yield tremendous economic benefits. Armenia is only a several hour flight from the densely populated countries of Western Europe—a ready source of tourists seeking new and interesting venues to visit. Given the price advantage that Armenia enjoys, the winter recreational sector is no less ready for expansion. Tsaghkadzor is being groomed by the government as the center of winter recreational activities. For a small country, the change in scenery from north to south and from east to west is breathtaking. The potential is there. During the year 2007, Armenia participated in eight international travel fairs in Western Europe, Georgia and Japan. However, much has to be done to improve the road network, transport facilities and lodging accommodations. The tourist and winter recreational industry should continue to expand and become as significant an economic activity as it is in Switzerland, France and many of the other “older” economically developed countries of Europe.

In June 2007, the new terminal at Zvartnots International Airport was officially opened. This modern facility is the gateway to Armenia and is a vital part of the infrastructure if the tourist industry and trade are to expand. Expectations are that Zvartnots, currently handling a little more than 1.1 million passengers, will expand to handle nearly 2 million passengers within the decade. Air cargo has not kept pace with the growth of passenger traffic. This has been a disappointment. Given its landlocked status and the closing of the border by Turkey, Zvartnots is Armenia’s “port” on the ocean of air connecting it to the world. Presently, only a fraction of the facility’s potential to handle 100,000 tons of cargo annually is being utilized. The infrastructure is in place; it now awaits the development of products and packaging to utilize this mode of transportation. Countries such as Switzerland and most recently the United States have gone beyond the industrial stage to the tertiary stage where services and technology that can be easily “transported” are replacing the heavy industries that were historically regarded as the mainstay of a country’s economy.

Economic relations with Iran continued to be strengthened during the year. A gas pipeline from Iran to Agarak, Armenia, was officially opened in March. Any electricity generated by this imported gas will be exported to Iran. The extension of this pipeline to the main distribution center at Kajaran should have greater significance in the future if the pipeline is extended to Georgia. Presently, the pipeline will allow the villages in the southern Syunik province access to gas for domestic purposes for the first time. Currently, some 600,000 tons of goods are trucked into Armenia via Meghri annually. The value of trade between the two countries is about $200 million annually with prospects for reaching $1 billion annually in the near future. In a July meeting in Yerevan, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki discussed joint proposals for the construction of a hydropower plant on the Arax River, a refinery to be built in Armenia to process Iranian oil to gasoline for export to Iran, and for the construction of a new railroad line between the two countries.

The aging nuclear facility at Medzamor poses potential problems not only for Armenia but for the world’s environment. The United States has agreed to assist Armenia in planning for a new replacement facility. However, financial assistance was not included in the Memorandum of Cooperation that was signed between the two countries. That could well come at a later time. The use of alternative sources of power has not moved forward, which is another disappointment in a country with no significant sources of energy resources. Development of wind power, solar energy and hydropower can ease Armenia’s energy needs and lessen dependence on imports of energy fuels, which would help the balance of payments situation.

Parliamentary elections were held in May and the consensus of foreign observers was that it met international standards. Democratic processes are being institutionalized, unlike in neighboring Azerbaijan which still clings to an autocratic structure, or the politically chaotic situation in Georgia where President Mikhail Saakashvili felt forced to declare a state of emergency recently to thwart a dissident movement demanding early elections. This has proven to be an embarrassment for the United States, which has been touting Georgia as the beacon of democracy in the Caucasus.

In Armenia, presidential elections are scheduled for Feb. 19, 2008. The structures are in place and have been successfully tested in this year’s parliamentary elections. The Armenian electorate is becoming accustomed to participating in free elections, as are the political parties and their candidates who must now discuss issues and present their vision for the future of Armenia in order to gain voter support. It is important for Armenia to continue on its present path toward the institutionalization of a strong democratic form of government.

Artsakh

In Artsakh, Bako Sahakian was elected president of the republic in elections that compared favorably with those held by the democracies of Europe and the United States. For a nation that is seeking recognition and facing a hostile neighbor, the holding of free elections is a major feat. It is interesting to note that approximately 76 percent of eligible voters participated in the July 19 election. By contrast, Kosovo, which is under the protection of NATO peacekeepers and is also seeking recognition as an independent country, had only an estimated 40 to 45 percent turnout of eligible voters for their Nov. 17 parliamentary election. Why such a low turnout? The reason offered was that overall dissatisfaction with their present economic conditions kept voters at home. This is all the more reason to applaud the participation of our brothers and sisters in Artsakh, who could claim the same excuse.

This past month, President Sahakian visited the Hairenik Building in Watertown, Mass., during one of his many stops in his inaugural visit to Armenian communities in the United States. His nation has pulled itself up by the proverbial “bootstraps” from those dark days following the 1994 ceasefire. In 13 short years, the republic has taken great strides in repairing the extensive damage to the housing stock and infrastructure laid to waste during the War for Liberation from a despotic Azeri government. Since 1921, when these lands were wrenched from Armenia while it was reeling from the aftermath of the Armenian genocide, the government of Azerbaijan did nothing to mitigate the economic malaise that was allowed to engulf its Armenian population. Many viewed the dire situation in Artsakh with trepidation once the full extent of the rebuilding process was determined. Given the spirit and ingenuity of the people, aided by financial and technological assistance from the diaspora, the republic continued to make steady progress during the year.

The economy is still fragile and the unemployment rate is high. However, the potential is there. Artsakh’s fertile farmlands, forests, water resources, historic sites and beautiful scenery provide an adequate base for a viable economy. Slow but steady progress has been made in developing rural infrastructure, a vital component for a stable economy. Anyone who has visited Artsakh can easily envision the possibilities for development of a tourist industry and a highly productive commercial agricultural sector. Of greater significance are the spirit and optimism that epitomizes the Artsakh Armenians. There is an easily recognizable determination within them to succeed.

Several brief experiences should suffice to support this observation. In Stepanakert, this writer asked a young mother who was passing by if he might take a picture of her son, a youngster of five. She agreed. She wanted a few moments to straighten the child’s clothing and his hair. The pride she had in her son and the pleasure in having his picture taken was obvious. As they posed, another gentleman, a complete stranger to her (I later learned), joined in. I am sure neither individual was not without problems, but her cooperative attitude, the way she carried herself, her demeanor, and that of the stranger as well speaks of a spirit that characterizes the Artsakh Armenians. Children were energetic, playing soccer wherever space could be found. People were optimistic. There was a greater emphasis on the future than on the present. At dinner one evening, an azatamartik (freedom fighter) who had lost his leg in the War for Liberation, said he was ready to fight again if the Azeri dared to attack. It is this positive attitude and devotion to a Cause that can and does literally move mountains.

Recently, the government recommitted to a vital resettlement program, which is absolutely necessary to advance the claims of the Artsakh Armenians at some appropriate time in the future. Unfortunately, the initial resettlement program has lagged. A report by Serge Amirkhanian, head of the NKR government agency dealing with migration and refugee settlement, indicated that funds currently available in the budget will only allow the resettlement of 130 to 150 families a year—far too few. Compare this with a statement by Prime Minister Anushaven Danielian that there is a need to add about 150,000 people to the population. Resettlement has continued to be the most serious shortcoming during the year now ending. It is imperative that Armenian families occupy Artsakh not only as a means to lay claim to the land but to develop a viable rural economy.

During the past 12 months, no substantive negotiation sessions were held under the auspices of the Minsk Group. At worst, this has not been detrimental to Artsakh’s interests. The longer the status quo is maintained, the greater the opportunity for Artsakh to advance its claim to its historic land and independence. To balance this excessive optimism is the caveat that in the international political arena very little separates the expected from the unexpected.

With respect to Azerbaijan, its bellicose president, Ilham Aliyev, has not made any discernable decision to solve the Karabakh issue by military means. The rate at which its military establishment is being expanded far exceeds anything that Artsakh can replicate and does not translate to impending military action. Fortunately, the tanks, artillery and planes that Azerbaijan is amassing are only as effective as the military personnel who man them. The ruling elite’s ingrained practice of corruption seriously lessens the effective use of the billions of dollars generated by the oil industry, which in turn further isolates the people from their government. The absence of a deep rooted sense of nationalism and a willingness to sacrifice self for country plays directly to Artsakh’s strength.

Genocide Recognition

In the United States also, 2007 has been a significant year. The major issue of the day has been the fate of House Resolution 106 (H.Res.106) in the United States Congress to recognize the Armenian genocide. Various Armenian advocacy groups provided yeoman service to advance this resolution. Special recognition must be given to the Armenian National Committee of America. Threats against continued cooperation with the United States, veiled warnings against the Armenian minority in Turkey, the recall of the Turkish ambassador from Washington and the canceling of top-level meetings with United States government officials were all part of the diplomatic theatrics employed by the Turkish leadership. In Turkey, the courts invoked Article 301 of the Penal Code to convict Arat Dink for republishing the article that led to his father’s assassination in January of this year. That Arat Dink received a one-year suspended sentence was due more to the potential for adverse reaction by the world press if he were imprisoned than to juridical common sense. The murder of his father, Hrant Dink, places him among the pantheon of martyrs of the Armenian genocide.

Against this unparalleled pressure leveled on the United States Congress by a foreign country, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted favorably to release the resolution to the full House. It was a singular victory much to the chagrin of Turkish leaders. That majority leader Nancy Pelosi wisely postponed discussion and a vote to 2008 must be accepted as a partial victory. That it was not completely abandoned under the withering attack mounted by Turkey and supported without shame by the Bush administration is not what Turkey had envisioned. To have had Catholicos Karekin II give the Invocation before the House of Representatives on the same day the Committee rendered its favorable vote was a symbolic victory that all Armenians should cherish.

Turkey’s frenetic response to Resolution 106 was a major factor in the extensive coverage by the news media. It increased the awareness of the American people to events that most knew little or nothing about. The coverage was far beyond anything that could have been generated by Armenians alone. This certainly wasn’t Turkey’s intent. No doubt Turkey and their apologists will mount a similar, perhaps more vigorous, attack next year. Each time the Turkish government is forced to defend itself against any movement in any forum for recognition of the Armenian genocide, their credibility diminishes.

Only recently, the Human Rights Committee of MERCOSUR (Common Market of the Southern Cone) recommended a resolution recognizing and condemning the Armenian genocide. Member states Argentina, Chile and Uruguay had already recognized the Armenian genocide. This resolution, introduced by Argentina and Uruguay, would add member states Brazil and Paraguay should it be officially adopted. Hopefully, associate members Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru will move to recognize the Armenian genocide as well.

This slow but steady increase in the number of countries supporting recognition of the Armenian genocide bodes well for the Armenian Cause. A growing number of Turkish intellectuals are calling for Turkey to confront its past. Psychologically, the Armenian genocide is akin to a nightmare that will not go away, and that will continually haunt the Turkish leadership and the Turkish people. More Turks than will publicly admit know the truth as to what happened from 1915-23. Article 301 of the Penal Code is a crude attempt by their government to prevent an open discussion that could easily lead to dire internal political consequences. However, the crack in the dam has already occurred. Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s first Nobel laureate, ran afoul of the law simply because he made a statement about the killing of Kurds and Armenians.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has concluded that Article 301 in its present form does more harm than good. Freedom of expression will in time allow the Turkish people the opportunity to gradually confront the truth that has been “hidden” from them for so long by their government. However, traditionalists and those who have a visceral dislike of Armenians are concerned that once controls are weakened, there can be no guarantee what direction the ensuing discourse will take or how it may affect the psyche of the Turkish people.

A second development within Turkey that could aid the Armenian Cause is the continued dissatisfaction of the significant Kurdish minority in Turkey, which intensified during 2007. Their territorial issue is as long running as that of Armenians. Their demand and the need for justice can never be solved by Turkey’s administering of palliatives. An acceptable solution to the problem will continue to confound Turkey as the Kurdish region in Iraq prospers and enjoys practical independence. Obscured in part by the hard-line rhetoric of Turkish political leaders, the year 2007 witnessed significant developments within and beyond Turkey that can only be viewed as beneficial to Armenia.

ADL and Greenway

At the local level, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was confronted head-on by Armenian activists who challenged its refusal to unequivocally recognize the Armenian genocide and publicly support passage of Resolution 106 in the United States Congress. The Watertown, Mass., Town Council was the first municipality to support the Armenian community’s position when it voted to withdraw from the ADL-sponsored No Place for Hate (NPFH) program. Following this victory, Armenian citizens and Armenian advocacy groups continued their campaign against the anti-Armenian policy of the ADL. Presentations before various municipal Human Rights Commissions led to the withdrawal of additional communities from the NPFH program. Few in the odar—and Armenian—community were aware of the pro-Turkish policy of the ADL. Of greater significance was the public opportunity Armenians had to retell the facts of the Armenian genocide.

At its national convention in November, the ADL voted to maintain its position of not recognizing the Armenian genocide and to not publicly support passage of Resolution 106. The backlash was immediate. Cities and towns that had not completely withdrawn from the No Place for Hate program took action to permanently sever their relationship with the ADL. This was a bittersweet victory for the Armenian community, but a victory no less. The decision by the ADL to continue its long-held, pro-Turkish position displeased many in the Jewish community who understood the pain that their Armenian neighbors had suffered from the genocide.

Another matter that attests to the strength of the diaspora in the United States is the Armenian Heritage Park proposal. The completion of the “big dig” project to depress the central artery beneath the street surface through downtown Boston opened up a swath of land that was later dedicated as the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. The committee, with the full support of all segments of the Armenian community, spearheaded a proposal to construct an Armenian Heritage Park. The committee was allotted Parcel 13 by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority as recommended by the Massachusetts Legislature. Parcel 13 is a small but strategically located plot of land on the Greenway. However, groups such as the Greenway Conservancy, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations and the mayor of Boston have tried to scuttle the project by suggesting that an Armenian genocide memorial does not belong on the Greenway; that instead, it should be constructed at some other location in Boston. Many of the arguments raised are specious. At an open hearing, the North End Neighborhood Association, in whose neighborhood the park would be constructed, registered its approval of the park. As the year draws to a close, indications are that the park is on track to be constructed. This would be a major victory for the Armenian community.

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The diaspora’s dedication to the Homeland continued through 2007. The increasing financial and technological assistance that flows from the United States and Canada has become a significant factor responsible for the improvement of conditions in the Homeland. The recent Armenia Fund USA Telethon 2007, in which President Bako Sahakian participated, raised a record of over $15 million for the development of needed economic infrastructure in Armenia and Artsakh. Other organizations of note continued their assistance programs during the year. The Armenian Relief Society added several schools to the “Soseh” Kindergarten System in Artsakh, expanding the total number of schools to 14. The state-of-the-art Akhurian Mother and Child Clinic and Birthing Center in Shirak Marz, Armenia, received a grant of $1.4 million from the government of Australia. The Fund for Armenia Relief continued its stated long-term programs for economic growth and social development.

The Armenia Tree Project (ATP) planted close to 500,000 seedlings during the year. This on-going program not only contributes to the “greening” of the environment, but provides employment to families who grow the tree seedlings as part of ATP’s program. The AGBU continued its work with an emphasis on cultural and educational programs and the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) addressed the needs of children through its program, which seeks to revitalize Armenia’s villages. These are but a few of the many organizations whose tireless efforts have improved the quality of life in mer Hairenik.

Although aid is being funneled to the Armenians of Javakhk, that region bordering Armenia in Georgia has registered the least progress during the year. It is important that our brothers and sisters receive the financial and technological assistance necessary to improve their quality of life. If conditions become intolerable, our people will be forced to leave. When that happens, the historic lands of Javakhk will no longer be Armenian.

In retrospect, 2007 has been a good year in that the Homeland and the diaspora have made solid gains in their respective agendas. We are a gifted people who have had the ability to confront and overcome all manner of adversity. That has been proven time and time again throughout our history. Looking back over the past 12 months, there is much to celebrate.

Our progress may not be as extensive as it might have been, nor as intensive as it could have been, but progress continued to be made. Let no one dissuade you of that. For all Armenians and for me especially, 2007 was a vintage year for mer Hairenik.