Armenia : Dark Age or New Age ?

After the murder of Agos editor in chief Hrant Dink, the place has opened for renewed exchanges between Turkey and Armenia. His sound approach to the problems in Turkey wether they are related to his armenian descent or not should be highlighted. He was in no doubt that his beloved country was engaged on a much better way for the respect of his thoughts and writings than Armenia would be. This is a trigger on how vigilant we should be to not let any situation deteriorate and that Armenia should be brought closer to Turkey and the EU, not that Turkey should copy the backward mentalities that corrode the political life in Armenia. So let's hope for a Turkey ready to invest on its relation with Armenia and an Armenia investing on democracy (in coming elections - 12th of May). The exchanges between armenian and turks have always been fruitful and have a long background of shared culture and values. The armenian diaspora should not disturb this process and lower their hateful rhetoric to help each country in the steps that are unavoidable. The EU is not welcomed in this process since they failed so many times in solving anything in this area from Georgia to Karabakh and they tend to impose views that are all but helping progress on this issue.

Happy New Year To All 27 EU members

(and of course to the one hundred ninety something other countries)

Two more countries have joined the EU, adding more than 30 millions people and hundreds of new problems to the already clogged EU enlargement process. Politics are betting on keeping a low profile for hiding the risks inherent to this fast integration of a big and poor chunk of the Balkan. More precisely the least developed part of Europe. However the mechanisms in place provide control over the evolutions of Romania and Bulgaria. This may still direct Germany and EU in general to a tougher attitude and the adoption of new institutions.

More interesting, as former Ottoman Empire members, this may seal a more decisive policy about turning the head of Europe towards East. If for many centuries, Europe's center was the Mediterranean Sea, and after that the Atlantic Ocean, we can hope that the time is coming for being more directed to the Black Sea / Caspian Sea.

The path to a multicultural Europe is certainly at the cost of an effort for this century to be a collaboration with countries that we contradicted for so long. But they still have exchanged extensively with Europe and are much open to its lights and values.