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RUBEN MELKONYAN: CC DECISION HAS NOT RAISED SERIOUS CONCERNS IN TURKEY
Nvard Davtyan

"Radiolur"
15.01.2010 14:48

"The decision of the Constitutional Court on Armenia on the
Armenian-Turkish protocols was a rather competent legal assessment
and response to the various comments and disputes in the political
and legal system of Turkey," Turkologist Ruben Melkonyan told a press
conference today. However, this decision does not seem to have caused
serious concerns in Turkey, he said.

"I explain this with the fact that they have not yet managed to
translate the text into Turkish. The interested organizations and
persons have not familiarized themselves with the decision. However,
it has already raised serious concerns among the nationalists, and has
served as a good reason to criticize the authorities. The decision
of the Constitutional Court reaffirmed that Armenians do not refuse
from raising the issues of the Armenian Genocide, Western Armenia
and others."

DIPLOMATS CANNOT TALK WITH VILLAGERS OF BENANIYAR

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.01.2010 18:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Diplomats from the United States and Norway visited
the Foreign Ministry of Nakhichevan and plan to visit Baku.

Representatives of the U.S. Embassy Joanna Ganson, and the Embassy
of Norway Lars Hansen on Wednesday had an unpleasant incident, radio
"Freedom" reported.

The night before they went to the region to familiarize with the
situation in the village Benaniyar . On the morning of January 13,
entering the village they encountered a group of excited people who
verbally abused them and screamed. The group stopped their vehicle
as it entered the village, verbally threatened them and forced them
to leave before any contacts with village residents were made.

Nevertheless, diplomats drove into the village, but with anyone
of their residents, they could not talk because no one went out of
their homes.

In the Azerbaijani village Benaniyar, located on the territory of the
Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR), in early January mass arrests
were made, some of the residents were beaten by security forces.

SERZH SARGSYAN TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO MOSCOW ON JANUARY 18

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.01.2010 18:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and First Lady
Rita Sargsyan will visit Moscow at the invitation of Russian President
Vladimir Medvedev.

In Moscow, presidential dialogue will focus on strategic partnership
issues between the states and regional problems, RA President’s
spokesman Samvel Farmanyan stated.

Commenting on the forthcoming meeting between Armenian and Azeri
Presidents, Samvel Farmanyan stated that Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan
trilateral presidential meeting will probably take place during
the visit.

"Russia in its capacity of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair for Karabakh
conflict settlement is taking serious efforts towards resolution of
the issue. Two trilateral meetings have already taken place through
the mediation of Russia," presidential spokesman said.

According to Samvel Farmanyan, both bilateral and trilateral meetings
are possible until final settlement of Karabakh conflict.

Sergey Farmanyn denied reports of revised Madrid principleshaving
been presented to official Yerevan.

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) is a de facto independent republic
located in the South Caucasus, bordering by Azerbaijan to the north
and east, Iran to the south, and Armenia to the west.

After the Soviet Union established control over the area, in 1923
it formed the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) within the
Azerbaijan SSR. In the final years of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan
launched an ethnic cleansing which resulted in the Karabakh War that
was fought from 1991 to 1994.

Since the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several
regions of Azerbaijan around it (the security zone) remain under the
control of Nagorno Karabakh defense army.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have since been holding peace talks mediated
by the OSCE Minsk Group.

The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 by the Conference on Security
and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE, now Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)) to encourage a peaceful, negotiated
resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The Helsinki Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council on 24 March 1992,
requested the Chairman-in-Office to convene as soon as possible
a conference on Nagorno Karabakh under the auspices of the CSCE
to provide an ongoing forum for negotiations towards a peaceful
settlement of the crisis on the basis of the principles, commitments
and provisions of the CSCE. The Conference is to take place in Minsk.

Although it has not to this date been possible to hold the conference,
the so-called Minsk Group spearheads the OSCE effort to find a
political solution to this conflict.

On 6 December 1994, the Budapest Summit decided to establish a
co-chairmanship for the process.

Implementing the Budapest decision, the Chairman-in-Office issued on
23 March 1995, the mandate for the Co-Chairmen of the Minsk Process.

The main objectives of the Minsk Process are as follows: Providing
an appropriate framework for conflict resolution in the way of
assuring the negotiation process supported by the Minsk Group;
Obtaining conclusion by the Parties of an agreement on the cessation
of the armed conflict in order to permit the convening of the Minsk
Conference; Promoting the peace process by deploying OSCE multinational
peacekeeping forces.

The Minsk Process can be considered to be successfully concluded if
the objectives referred to above are fully met.

The Minsk Group is headed by a Co-Chairmanship consisting of France,
Russia and the United States. Furthermore, the Minsk Group also
includes the following participating States: Belarus, Germany, Italy,
Portugal, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Turkey as well as Armenia
and Azerbaijan. Current Co-chairmen of the Minsk Group are: Ambassador
Bernard Fassier of France, Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov of the Russian
Federation and Ambassador Robert Bradtke of the United States.

Madrid principles were adopted at November 2007’s OSCE summit
in Madrid. The documents contain OSCE MG suggestions for Karabakh
conflict settlement. Details of the documents remain classified.

TURKISH ALARM: SERGEI LAVROV IS EXPECTED IN YEREVAN, ARMENIA
by Gajane Movsesjan

WPS Agency
What the Papers Say (Russia)
January 13, 2010 Wednesday
Russia

HIGHLIGHT: FOREIGN MINISTER SERGEI LAVROV’S VISIT TO YEREVAN AND
TURKISH PREMIER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN’S TO MOSCOW; An update on Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Armenia.

Invited by his Armenian opposite number Edward Nalbandjan, Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected in Yerevan on a two-day visit
later today. Lavrov’s itinerary in Armenia also includes a meeting
with President Serj Sargsjan. Sources within the Armenian Foreign
Ministry say that the negotiations with Lavrov will be centered
around the situation inÿthe South Caucasus, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
resolution process, and political, military, economic, and humanitarian
cooperation. Partnership between Armenian regions and subjects of
the Russian Federation will be discussed as well.

"Global crisis notwithstanding, the Russian-Armenian economic,
military-political, and humanitarian cooperation demonstrates
positive trends," Andrei Nesterenko of the Russian Foreign Ministry
was quoted as saying on the eve of Lavrov’s visit to Yerevan. The
diplomat mentioned joint Russian-Armenian projects under way and called
Russia "Armenia’s leading foreign economic partner". Nesterenko made
a reference in this respect to the loan ($500 million) Moscow had
given Armenia in June 2009.

Lavrov’s trip to Armenia takes place while Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Moscow, a coincidence that upset the
Armenian general public and political establishment. These misgivings
are probably sensible, considering Ankara’s regular attempts to
connect normalization of the Turkish-Armenian relations with Karabakh
conflict resolution on Azerbaijani terms. Not exactly blind to the
ongoing Russian-Turkish and Russian-Azerbaijani rapprochement, official
Yerevan suspects that Russia as one of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
is of the mind to put Armenia under pressure in the matter of Karabakh.

"As a matter of fact, Lavrov’s visit is planned," Sergei Minasjan,
Assistant Director of the Institute of the Caucasus (Yerevan),
said several days ago. "Armenian and Russian foreign ministers meet
every six months in accordance with the agreement between foreign
ministries. I’d say that the bilateral relations will retain their
dynamism. Sure, Lavrov’s visit to Yerevan will coincide Erdogan’s
to Moscow and one does not have to be a rocket scientist to predict
that apart from everything else, Erdogan is going to Moscow to
discuss Karabakh and the Turkish-Armenian relations. All the same,
I do not think the fears of Armenian general public in this respect
are well-grounded." Minasjan flatly denounced the possibility of
any serious developments in the Karabakh conflict resolution process
"in the foreseeable future".

Political pot in Yerevan in the meantime is boiling over a wholly
different matter. Yesterday, the Constitutional Court authenticated
the protocols on establishment of diplomatic relations and advancement
of bilateral relations Armenia and Turkey had signed in Zurich on
October 10, 2009. Constitutional Court Chairman Gagik Arutjunjan
proclaimed the verdict final and not everyone was happy to hear it.

The Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutjun and ten political parties
regard the Armenian-Turkish protocols as a threat to security of
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh and object to their ratification. They
had hoped to have the Constitutional Court recognize the documents as
at least partially unlawful but their hopes were frustrated. It stands
to reason now to expect the opposition to concentrate on circumvention
of ratification of the protocols now. On the other hand, parliament
Chairman Ovik Abramjan recently announced that ratification of the
documents in the parliament of Armenia was only possible after their
ratification in Ankara.

"Russia welcomes and supports the process of Armenian-Turkish
normalization. In fact, Russia knows that this normalization will
only benefit it… Lavrov’s visit offers the Armenian leaders another
opportunity to remind their Russian counterparts of the necessity
to put Turkey under circumstantial pressure to open the border with
Armenia," Minasjan said.

International intermediaries in Karabakh conflict resolution efforts
(Russia, France, United States) promote unconditional normalization
of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

RPA TO VOTE FOR ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

news.am
Jan 12 2010
Armenia

The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) played a key role in drafting
the Armenian-Turkish protocols, and the RPA parliamentary faction will
certainly vote for the document," Chairman of the RPA parliamentary
faction Galust Sahakyan told NEWS.am.

He pointed out that the RPA has from the very outset been for
ratification within a reasonable timeframe. "As to the other
parliamentary forces, I think each of them will vote in conformity
with their beliefs," Sahakyan said.

Secretary of the faction Eduard Sharmazanov said that he, as well as
the ruling party, has been supportive of President Serzh Sargsyan’s
policy of initiatives over the last year and a half. The RPA remains
committed to its stance.

"RPA is not a party changing its views every week. At the RPA Council’s
sitting held before the protocols were signed, we stated our opinion
and have not changed it," Sharmazanov said.

On January 12, the RA Constitutional Court confirmed the
constitutionality of the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

FINANCIAL AID TO KARABAKH TO DAMAGE AZERBAIJANI-U.S. RELATIONS – BAKU

Interfax
Jan 11 2010
Russia

The U.S. Congress’ decision to provide financial support to the
unrecognized Karabakh republic will have a negative effect on
Azerbaijani-U.S. relations, Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Khafiz
Pashayev said on Monday.

"Obviously, that would have a negative effect on our relations. We
always strongly condemn congressional decisions of the sort," he said.

Baku tries to prevent similar actions every year, Pashayev said.

"We try to explain that such steps are at least harmful for the
bilateral relations and the national interests of the United States,"
he noted.

Congress has approved the allocation of $8 million to Karabakh.

Baku lost control of Karabakh and seven adjoining regions in an
armed conflict with Yerevan in the 1990s. One million Azeris became
refugees and displaced persons. The UN Security Council condemned
the occupation of Azerbaijani lands and demanded the Armenian pullout.

The world is mediating the settlement process. The OSCE Minsk Group
co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France is the mediator.

ARMENIA SHOULD TIGHTEN MONEYLAUNDERING LAWS: RIGHTS REPORT

Agence France Presse
Jan 11 2010
France

Armenia should tighten its laws in the fight against money laundering
and the financing of terrorism, a Council of Europe rights report
said Monday.

Experts for the committee on the evaluation of anti-money laundering
measures and the financing of terrorism — known as Moneyval —
found that "although there are some convictions, it has not yet been
ascertained through a court judgment that money laundering can be
prosecuted as an autonomous offense."

Moneyval also regretted that legal persons were not subject to criminal
liability under Armenian law, though considered the country’s criminal
provisions for money laundering to be "basically sound".

The criminal provisions relating to terrorism financing are "broadly
in line with the international standards but further amendments
are necessary to cover the financing of individual terrorists and
terrorist organisations."

The committee also deplored that for some offences, "it is not always
possible to confiscate assets" and encouraged Armenia to develop its
supervision of businesses and non-financial professions.

The legal framework for mutual legal assistance and extradition "is
sound", the report said, and the provisions of mutual legal assistance
are "not subject to any unreasonable or unduly restrictive conditions"
in Armenia.

COST OF GOODS OF MINIMAL CONSUMER BASKET IN NKR

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
January 12, 2010

By December 30, 2009, an average monthly cost of the minimal consumer
basket of goods calculated in current average prices by the NKR State
Statistic Service in accordance with the composition, structure and
energy of foodstuffs perfected by the RA Ministry of Health Care
formed 34.2 thousand drams, and the monthly cost of the minimal
consumer basket of foodstuff – 22.0 thousand drams.

According to th above mentioned index, calculated in the same manner,
the cost of goods of the minimal consumer basket calculated by December
29, 2007 in current average prices surpasses by 5.6 percent, and by
December 30, 2008 – by 1.3 percent.

20 YEARS AFTER ARMENIAN POGROMS IN BAKU
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
13.01.2010 14:14

Today Armenia marks the recurrent anniversary of the Armenian massacres
in Baku. Those guilty for the events of 1990 have not been punished,
the exact number of victims is not known so far.

It’s only obvious that the number exceeds the official data. Accoridng
to the data of the Armenian Migration Agency and the UN, about 418
00s Armenians fled to Armenia from Azerbaijan.

300 000 refugees continue living in Armenia today and comprise more
than 10% of the population.

IF TURKEY OPENS BORDERS TODAY, IT WILL PUT ITSELF IN A DIFFICULT STATE, MP
Aliyah Fridman

news.az
Jan 13 2010
Azerbaijan

Asim Mollazade News.Az interviews Asim Mollazade, deputy of Azerbaijani
parliament and chairman of the Party of Democratic Reforms.

The Constitutional Court of Armenia recognized the Armenian-Turkish
protocols as valid. How do you assess the situation that established
in this respect?

The implementation of these protocols is very important for Armenia.

Therefore, the Constitutional Court mostly represented by Sargsyan’s
supporters is loyal to his policy. Today Armenia is in a desperate
search of the way out of this economic and social deadlock to which it
has driven itself. Therefore, these protocols are mostly salutary for
it. For this reason, we expected the Constitutional Court to ratify
them and pave way for the protocols to be submitted in the parliament
for ratification

How will Armenia behave in relation to Turkey? Yerevan is always
trying to push Ankara to accelerating the process of normalizing the
bilateral relations.

Yerevan will try to ratify the protocols in the parliament to present
this fact before Ankara saying Armenia has fulfilled everything and
it is now Turkey’s turn. In turn, Ankara should seriously ponder over
this step, because if Ankara opens the border before Armenia withdraws
from the occupied lands, it will put itself in a very difficult state.

It will lose its influence in the region and certainly, in this case
Azerbaijan will think about…

However, we want to believe that the prime minister, the speaker and
the chairman of the external ties committee of the Turkish parliament
will keep their promises to the Azerbaijani parliament and Azerbaijani
people. Therefore, I think Armenia must withdraw from the occupied
Azerbaijani lands. In this case there will appear a chance for
development, for stability and Yerevan will have an opportunity to
advance to turn from a military outpost into a normal country.

Does it mean that you do not believe Turkey will open borders with
Armenia without the settlement of the Karabakh conflict?

We would like to trust to the Turkish leadership and I think Armenia
should act in line with the international law. It should take steps
to withdraw its troops from the occupied lands and to settle the
conflict. Only in this case will Armenia be able to establish normal
relations with all its neighbors and have an opportunity to recover
from the deep economic and social crisis.