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TER-MATEVOSYAN DISCUSSES REGIONAL SECURITY AT ALMA
By Andy Turpin
www.hairenik.com/weekly/2009/04/16/ter-mat evosyan-discusses-regional-security-at-alma/
April 16, 2009
WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.) - On March 1, Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, head of
the Strategic Research Analysis Center at the Armenian Ministry of
Defense and director of the Institute of National Security Studies,
spoke at the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) about
"Regional Security Issues: The Armenian Perspective." Ter-Matevosyan
was in Boston representing Armenia at the Organization of the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation's annual summit.
Ter-Matevosyan presented PowerPoint slides regarding Armenia's
regional security and economic stability challenges-in particular,
Armenia's role as a member of different international organizations,
such as the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the
World Bank, the IMF, and NATO. He also spoke about Armenia's economic
development in the face of the current global economic crisis, as well
as Armenia's floating currency exchange rate against the US dollar.
Asbed Kotchikian, a lecturer at the Global Studies Department at
Bentley University and editor of the academic peer-reviewed journal
The Armenian Review, moderated the discussion.
ALMA executive director Mariam Stepanyan introduced Ter-Matevosyan and
his topic of discussion, saying, "In these interesting political times,
Armenia's fate, as it always is, is linked to its regional neighbors."
Ter-Matevosyan began, "I'm truly honored to be here. I've studied
abroad in many countries, but I know the power of the Armenian
Diaspora."
He spoke of Armenia and the role the Defense Ministry played recently
in the Harvard Black Sea Security Program (HBSSP), stating, "The
aim is using U.S. military and civilians to welcome any initiative
that brings more security, prosperity, and stability to our
region... Unfortunately, some regional projects bypass Armenia. But
in its recent seventh meeting, more than 60 Armenian and foreign
experts on our regional security met in Yerevan."
He turned to speak of those Armenians in the Javakhk region of Georgia
and the recent five-day war. "As you know, the Armenians in Georgia
have had a hard time since Georgia's independence. Many find it very
hard to integrate into Georgian society."
Regarding Azerbaijan, Ter-Matevosyan spoke of the hard-line most likely
to prevail in the government there. "Aliyev has recently gained the
right to be the lifetime president of Azerbaijan."
He also touched on Armenia's close ties with Russia. "We take Russia
for granted as our strategic partner, but we now see that have to be
more vigilant as to what the Azeri government is doing with propaganda
in Russia."
Of the Institute of National Security Studies, where Ter-Matevosyan is
director, he said, "Our institution was founded in 2005 by then-Defense
Minister Serge Sarkisian. We have the Analytic Center as well that
prepares the appendix of "working notebooks," which presents our
security studies to the country's leadership."
"We also have the Academic Publishing Center and the
Electronic Library. The Armenian army also has 15 years of
publications. Forthcoming with the Noravank Foundation, we have reports
on 'The Contemporary Problems of Armenian Information Security,'"
he said. "We also have my book, Islam in the Socio-Political Life in
Turkey, 1970-2001."
"My findings, surprisingly, were that Armenians in Turkey feel safer
voting for Islamic parties, particularly Erdogan's AKP party. Hrant
Dink was integral to my research and the work is dedicated to his
memory."
Regarding the possibilities for the opening of the Turkish-Armenian
border in the near future, Ter-Matevosyan said, "It is highly possible
in the next few years that we'll see an open border. But there are
many definitions of an 'open border' as well."
He added, "But we'll have a problem if we [Armenia] don't diversify
those food markets of sugar, salt, etc. We'll have problems later."
Ter-Matevosyan ended saying of Armenia's status in recent
internationally circulated reports, that "according to Transparency
International, Armenia is doing quite well in combating corruption."
By Andy Turpin
www.hairenik.com/weekly/2009/04/16/ter-mat evosyan-discusses-regional-security-at-alma/
April 16, 2009
WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.) - On March 1, Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, head of
the Strategic Research Analysis Center at the Armenian Ministry of
Defense and director of the Institute of National Security Studies,
spoke at the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) about
"Regional Security Issues: The Armenian Perspective." Ter-Matevosyan
was in Boston representing Armenia at the Organization of the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation's annual summit.
Ter-Matevosyan presented PowerPoint slides regarding Armenia's
regional security and economic stability challenges-in particular,
Armenia's role as a member of different international organizations,
such as the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the
World Bank, the IMF, and NATO. He also spoke about Armenia's economic
development in the face of the current global economic crisis, as well
as Armenia's floating currency exchange rate against the US dollar.
Asbed Kotchikian, a lecturer at the Global Studies Department at
Bentley University and editor of the academic peer-reviewed journal
The Armenian Review, moderated the discussion.
ALMA executive director Mariam Stepanyan introduced Ter-Matevosyan and
his topic of discussion, saying, "In these interesting political times,
Armenia's fate, as it always is, is linked to its regional neighbors."
Ter-Matevosyan began, "I'm truly honored to be here. I've studied
abroad in many countries, but I know the power of the Armenian
Diaspora."
He spoke of Armenia and the role the Defense Ministry played recently
in the Harvard Black Sea Security Program (HBSSP), stating, "The
aim is using U.S. military and civilians to welcome any initiative
that brings more security, prosperity, and stability to our
region... Unfortunately, some regional projects bypass Armenia. But
in its recent seventh meeting, more than 60 Armenian and foreign
experts on our regional security met in Yerevan."
He turned to speak of those Armenians in the Javakhk region of Georgia
and the recent five-day war. "As you know, the Armenians in Georgia
have had a hard time since Georgia's independence. Many find it very
hard to integrate into Georgian society."
Regarding Azerbaijan, Ter-Matevosyan spoke of the hard-line most likely
to prevail in the government there. "Aliyev has recently gained the
right to be the lifetime president of Azerbaijan."
He also touched on Armenia's close ties with Russia. "We take Russia
for granted as our strategic partner, but we now see that have to be
more vigilant as to what the Azeri government is doing with propaganda
in Russia."
Of the Institute of National Security Studies, where Ter-Matevosyan is
director, he said, "Our institution was founded in 2005 by then-Defense
Minister Serge Sarkisian. We have the Analytic Center as well that
prepares the appendix of "working notebooks," which presents our
security studies to the country's leadership."
"We also have the Academic Publishing Center and the
Electronic Library. The Armenian army also has 15 years of
publications. Forthcoming with the Noravank Foundation, we have reports
on 'The Contemporary Problems of Armenian Information Security,'"
he said. "We also have my book, Islam in the Socio-Political Life in
Turkey, 1970-2001."
"My findings, surprisingly, were that Armenians in Turkey feel safer
voting for Islamic parties, particularly Erdogan's AKP party. Hrant
Dink was integral to my research and the work is dedicated to his
memory."
Regarding the possibilities for the opening of the Turkish-Armenian
border in the near future, Ter-Matevosyan said, "It is highly possible
in the next few years that we'll see an open border. But there are
many definitions of an 'open border' as well."
He added, "But we'll have a problem if we [Armenia] don't diversify
those food markets of sugar, salt, etc. We'll have problems later."
Ter-Matevosyan ended saying of Armenia's status in recent
internationally circulated reports, that "according to Transparency
International, Armenia is doing quite well in combating corruption."