National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion
National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion
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The <strong>Armenia</strong>n Reporter | November 1, 2008 21<br />
<strong>Armenia</strong><br />
Tufenkian vineyards are already bearing fruit<br />
Resettlement is the<br />
key for liberated<br />
territories<br />
by Tatul Hakobyan<br />
KASHATAGH, Nagorno-Karabakh<br />
– Talk of returning the liberated<br />
territories to Azerbaijan has been<br />
the major obstacle hindering the<br />
revitalization <strong>and</strong> resettlement<br />
of those territories. The territory<br />
that falls between the Soviet-era<br />
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous<br />
Region <strong>and</strong> the Republic of <strong>Armenia</strong><br />
is historically <strong>Armenia</strong>n territory.<br />
The fertile valleys that fall<br />
between the historic provinces of<br />
Siunik <strong>and</strong> Artsakh, between the<br />
Aghavn, Hakar, <strong>and</strong> Vorotan Rivers,<br />
were cleared of <strong>Armenia</strong>n residents<br />
in the last 200 years; other<br />
villages, such as Hak <strong>and</strong> Alghuli,<br />
had been populated by <strong>Armenia</strong>ns<br />
until 1918.<br />
Aygehovit is one of the Hakar<br />
valley’s partly restored <strong>and</strong> resettled<br />
villages. According to Zorik<br />
Hovhannisian, the head of the<br />
village, this valley <strong>and</strong> Aygehovit<br />
are among the most beautiful<br />
places in the world. Even though he<br />
was born in Stepanavan, in <strong>Armenia</strong>’s<br />
Lori province, he has lived <strong>and</strong><br />
worked in Artik for many years. The<br />
head of the village says that talk of<br />
returning the territories affects the<br />
residents psychologically.<br />
“After living with no electricity<br />
for six years, we finally have it,” he<br />
said. “The Tufenkian Foundation<br />
has started implementing some<br />
humanitarian projects <strong>and</strong> the government<br />
of Nagorno-Karabakh is<br />
lending small sums of money to the<br />
villagers at zero interest; however,<br />
this is too little for the restoration<br />
<strong>and</strong> resettlement of these territories,”<br />
Mr. Hovhannisian added.<br />
The head of the village is convinced<br />
that something must be<br />
done to make people feel respected<br />
on this l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> not feel like creatures<br />
begging for help. “In other<br />
words, they must give people the<br />
opportunity to work <strong>and</strong> live with<br />
dignity. They must know that this<br />
l<strong>and</strong> belongs to them. Nothing else<br />
is needed; a man will create the rest<br />
with his own h<strong>and</strong>s,” he said.<br />
Antranig Kasbarian, director<br />
of the Tufenkian Foundation’s<br />
Nagorno-Karabakh Office, agrees<br />
that first of all the employment issue<br />
must be resolved in the liberated<br />
territories. It is impossible to<br />
keep people on those l<strong>and</strong>s even<br />
if you construct good housing for<br />
them. “The main reason behind the<br />
emigration from the Kashatagh<br />
region from 2000 to 2007 was unemployment,”<br />
Mr. Kasbarian told<br />
the <strong>Armenia</strong>n Reporter. “Our foundation<br />
has started restoring about<br />
40 hectares of vineyards in the villages<br />
of Aygehovit <strong>and</strong> Urekan.”<br />
Aygehovit was established in 1997<br />
<strong>and</strong> currently has 160 residents. Mr.<br />
Hovhannissian confirmed that since<br />
2002, some of the residents had left<br />
the village. People do not feel as<br />
though the l<strong>and</strong> needs them or that<br />
the l<strong>and</strong> is important in general.<br />
“However, I do not think about<br />
those who leave,” he said. “Maybe<br />
they left because they were unable<br />
to live <strong>and</strong> adapt here or maybe the<br />
situation in their former settlements<br />
has improved. The most important<br />
thing is that new families<br />
are being formed in the village <strong>and</strong><br />
the local youth are getting married<br />
<strong>and</strong> having children. At the same<br />
time, they continually ask, “What<br />
future will my child have living like<br />
this?” The principal issue must be<br />
the resettlement of these l<strong>and</strong>s. It<br />
is not right to only partly resettle.<br />
The enemy thinks, ‘Why aren’t the<br />
<strong>Armenia</strong>ns resettling the territories?<br />
Because it does not belong to<br />
them,’” Mr. Hovhannisian said.<br />
He said that if they had permanently<br />
settled residents, it would<br />
Fact Finding Group of Experts to<br />
assist March 1 investigation<br />
Medical center in Ishkhanadzor. Photo: Tatul Hakobyan for the <strong>Armenia</strong>n Reporter.<br />
<strong>Armenia</strong>n Reporter map of Kashatagh by Grigor Beglaryan © 2008.<br />
be difficult, if not impossible, to return<br />
liberated l<strong>and</strong>s to Azerbaijan.<br />
People in these liberated areas no<br />
longer beg for help. They dem<strong>and</strong><br />
an opportunity to live <strong>and</strong> work in<br />
dignity.<br />
American-<strong>Armenia</strong>n benefactor<br />
James Tufenkian, working<br />
with the Karabakh government,<br />
organized a conference in Berdzor<br />
(Lachin) six months ago (See<br />
<strong>Armenia</strong>n Reporter, April 5). The<br />
objective of the conference was to<br />
draw attention to the liberated territories<br />
<strong>and</strong> at the same time attract<br />
diaspora investment for the<br />
revitalization <strong>and</strong> resettlement of<br />
those territories.<br />
According to Mr. Kasbarian,<br />
some promises of investments<br />
have already been given. The establishment<br />
of a winery, which will use<br />
local crops, is one of their priorities.<br />
This year, even though the climate<br />
was not favorable, about 80<br />
tons of grapes were gathered from<br />
the Tufenkian vineyards. The residents<br />
of Aygehovit also grow grapes.<br />
They complain that the wineries of<br />
Hadrut or Karmir Shuka bought<br />
their grapes for only 110 drams per<br />
kilogram. Besides that, transporting<br />
the grapes from Aygehovit is<br />
expensive, as a result of which viniculture<br />
is not profitable.<br />
Besides alleviating the worries of<br />
the villagers, the establishment of<br />
a winery in Aygehovit or its surrounding<br />
villages would also help<br />
encourage the planting of new<br />
vineyards. When the Tufenkian<br />
Foundation constructed a flour<br />
mill in Aygehovit in 2005, the residents<br />
of all the surrounding villages<br />
found it easier to sell their wheat or<br />
simply turn their wheat into bread<br />
at the mill. When the foundation<br />
built a health center in neighboring<br />
Ishkhanadzor village, it was a blessing<br />
for the residents of all the surrounding<br />
villages; the closest heath<br />
centers were in Berdzor, Goris, <strong>and</strong><br />
Kapan, each of which is about 40<br />
miles away from Ishkhanadzor.<br />
The Hakar River valley can produce<br />
a bountiful harvest, but l<strong>and</strong>s<br />
need to be cared for <strong>and</strong> should<br />
not be treated merely as a security<br />
zone or liberated territories, but as<br />
a homel<strong>and</strong>, which belongs to <strong>Armenia</strong>ns.<br />
I toured the fertile Hakar River<br />
valley for a day with the Tufenkian<br />
Foundation’s driver Michael, in his<br />
Niva. During our drive back, he suggested<br />
that I should try the Hakari<br />
fish. Romik, he said, is the best<br />
fisher around. He moved to Aygehovit<br />
from Ashtarak four years ago.<br />
Besides being a good fisher,<br />
Romik is also a hardworking <strong>Armenia</strong>n<br />
<strong>and</strong> a caring parent. He has<br />
managed to plant fruit trees on<br />
more then 2 hectares of l<strong>and</strong>. Truly,<br />
Hakar’s fish had an incomparable<br />
flavor. Fish from rivers is tasty, especially<br />
when the waters flow from<br />
the ice-cold springs of the mountains<br />
of <strong>Armenia</strong>.<br />
f<br />
Human Rights<br />
defender names his<br />
representative<br />
by Armen Hakobyan<br />
YEREVAN – Armen Harutyunyan,<br />
<strong>Armenia</strong>’s Human Rights Defender,<br />
has named his representative<br />
to take part in the work of a Fact<br />
Finding Group of Experts being<br />
set up to assist the special parliamentary<br />
commission investigating<br />
the bloody events of March 1. Mr.<br />
Harutyunyan named his Chief of<br />
Staff Vahe Stepanyan as his representative.<br />
From 1990 to 1996 Mr.<br />
Stepanyan served as Minister of<br />
Justice in Levon Ter-Petrossian’s<br />
administration.<br />
On October 23, President Serge<br />
Sargsian signed an executive order<br />
under which a fact-finding<br />
group of experts would be created<br />
to investigate the events leading<br />
up to March 1, collect the corresponding<br />
documents <strong>and</strong> facts,<br />
<strong>and</strong> present them to the commission.<br />
The group will have five members,<br />
two of whom will represent the<br />
governing coalition; one will represent<br />
the Heritage Party; one will<br />
be from Mr. Ter-Petrossian’s side;<br />
<strong>and</strong> one will represent the Human<br />
Rights Defender.<br />
The president has made it clear<br />
that all those participating in the<br />
group must be experts in their respective<br />
fields <strong>and</strong> must not be an<br />
elected or appointed official or belong<br />
to a political party, with the<br />
exception of the Human Rights<br />
Defender’s representative.<br />
The Fact Finding Group of Experts<br />
will have wide-ranging powers;<br />
it can include international experts<br />
in its investigations, including<br />
legal experts, with the stipulation<br />
that they will work behind closed<br />
doors <strong>and</strong> in secret. Those who do<br />
not adhere will be asked to leave<br />
the group.<br />
Although the group must begin<br />
its work in the coming days, the coalition,<br />
the Heritage Party, <strong>and</strong> Mr.<br />
Ter-Petrossian have yet to name<br />
their representatives. f