Author: Boshkezenian Garik

PROMOTION OF IRAN-ARMENIA CONSULATE TIES DISCUSSED AT JOINT MEETING

IRNA, Islamic Republic News Agency
Nov 25 2009
Iran

25 November, Tehran: Ways of promoting consulate ties between
Iran and Armenia were discussed in a joint meeting here on Tuesday
[24 November].

The sixth joint consulate meeting of Iran and Armenia started its
work here on Tuesday.

According to the Foreign Ministry Media Department, issues like
passport, visa, student affairs, legal and social problems and protocol
issues are among agenda.

Issues like more facilities for visa, less tariff of visa for visitors
of both countries, promotion of economic and academic relations,
increasing cooperation in the fields of law, exchanging convicted
persons, fight against drugs, bilateral police cooperation, and
developing border cooperation were among issues discussed on the
first day of the meeting.

The two sides are to sign a memorandum of understanding at the end
of the meeting.

UN GA POSTPONES DISCUSSION OF DOCUMENT ON AZERBAIJAN’S OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Trend
Nov 24 2009
Azerbaijan

The discussion of the draft resolution "The situation in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan" at the United Nations’ General Assembly has
been postponed, UN Information Center told Trend News correspondent
in Washington DC.

The discussions on the resolution, which numbers 18 on UN GA’s
preliminary agenda, were originally scheduled for Dec 3, 2009.

The UN Information office couldn’t exactly explain the reasons of
delay, only saying that this decision is more likely related to the
negotiation process.

Another draft resolution on "Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and
their implications for international peace, security and development",
which was to be discussed on Dec. 3, was also postponed.

The UN Information office said new date for discussion will be
announced.

They don’t exclude that both resolution projects can be left for 65th
UN General Assembly session.

"It depends on member-countries," the UN Information office said.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS OUSTS AZERBAIJAN-SUBMITTED RESOLUTION

news.am
Nov 24 2009
Armenia

The UN General Assembly has postponed the discussion of the resolution
on situation on Azerbaijan’s occupied territories introduced by
Azerbaijan. Referring to the UN Information Center, Trend News reported
that the reason for the postponement hаs not yet been stated, but
"it is most likely connected with the negotiation process."

The discussion was initially scheduled for December 3, 2009. The
UN General Assembly was to discuss a draft resolution on protracted
conflicts in GUAM territory and their consequences for international
peace, security and development. The new dates for discussions will
soon be announced. The discussions may be postponed until the 65th
session of the UN General Assembly. The member-states will make
a decision.

ARMENIA THREATENS AZERBAIJAN WITH KARABAKH RECOGNITION

Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 24 2009
Turkey

Armenia threatened to recognize the Azerbaijani enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state if Baku takes military action
to reclaim the territory.

"Armenia so far has not recognized the independence of Karabakh
for only one reason – so that it does not become an obstacle in the
process of peace negotiations," Armenian Presidential Spokesman Samvel
Farmanian said in a statement. "If peace talks fail and military
actions begin, nothing will prevent Armenia from recognizing the
independence of Karabakh," he said.

Tensions over the disputed region have risen after Armenia and close
Azerbaijani ally Turkey signed an historic deal to establish diplomatic
ties and re-open their border.

On Saturday, Azerbaijani news agencies quoted President Ilham Aliyev
as saying that Baku has the right to retake Nagorno-Karabakh by force
if ongoing peace talks fail to produce any results.

Aliyev met with his Armenian counterpart Serge Sarkisian in Germany
on Sunday for the sixth round of talks this year on resolving the
conflict.

International mediators said in a statement after the talks that
"progress was made" but that "some issues still remain open."

Backed by Yerevan, ethnic Armenian forces seized control of
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from Azerbaijan in
the early 1990s, in a war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives.

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are spread across a cease-fire line in
and around Nagorno-Karabakh, often facing each other at close range,
and shootings are common.

Azerbaijani media reported Monday that an Azerbaijani civilian
had been shot dead by Armenian forces near the de facto border with
Nagorno-Karabakh over the weekend, but the rebel region’s armed forces
denied the reports.

AZERBAIJANI CIVILIAN KILLED NEAR REBEL KARABAKH: REPORTS

Agence France Presse
Nov 23 2009
France

An Azerbaijani civilian has been killed by Armenian forces near the
disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh, Azerbaijani media reported Monday.

ANS television and the Azeri Press Agency reported that the
41-year-old man was killed on Sunday after Armenian forces opened
fire on Azerbaijani positions in the Goranboy region on the de facto
border with Karabakh.

Officials with Azerbaijan’s defence ministry could not be reached to
confirm the reports.

Backed by Yerevan, ethnic Armenian forces seized control of Nagorny
Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from Azerbaijan in the early
1990s, in a war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives.

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are spread across a ceasefire line in
and around Nagorny Karabakh, often facing each other at close range,
and shootings are common.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with his Armenian counterpart
Serzh Sarkisian in Germany on Sunday for the sixth round of talks
this year on resolving the conflict.

The two former Soviet republics have cut direct economic and transport
links and failed to negotiate a settlement on the region’s status.

IRAN DECIDED TO BECOME MORE OPEN FOR REGION

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 19:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran has decided to relieve visa regime with all its
neighbors including Armenia, Sevak Sarukhanyan, expert at "Noravank"
research centre, told PanARMENIAN.Net. Pointing out advantages
for both countries, expert said that obtaining RA visa could take
tourists no more than 20 minutes. Since both Armenians and Iranians
visit each other’s countries quite frequently, simplified visa regime
will relieve ordinary citizens from additional burden, expert said,
adding that "Iran has probably decided to be more open for the region."

Tehran is hosting the six joint session of Armenian and Iranian
Foreign Ministries’ Consulate Department Chiefs. Discussion focuses
on relaxation of visa regime between two states.

TIGRAN SARGSYAN: GRAND CANDY SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPS ITS BUSINESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 15:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has visited
Grand Candy company to get familiarized with production process, RA
Government’s press service reports. "Grand Candy successfully develops
its business. It has a thousand workplaces, and mainly purchases local
raw materials, boosting the development of several economic spheres,
particularly agriculture," he said.

>From that point of view, Mr. Sargsyan estimated company’s perspectives
as positive considering that lowered cost prices create competitiveness
advantages.

TALKS CONCLUDE AS AZERBAIJAN THREATENS ARMENIA WITH MILITARY ACTION
Lilit Gevorgyan

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
Nov 23 2009

Armenian President Serzh Sargsian and his Azerbaijani counterpart,
Ilham Aliyev, met on 22 November 2009 in Germany for Organisation for
Security Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)-mediated talks over the status
of the breakaway Azeri region of Nagorno Karabakh. One day earlier,
Aliyev stated that if this round of talks fails to bring concrete
results, Azerbaijan would resort to military action to reclaim its
breakaway region. The talks, chaired by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs from
Russia, France and the United States, lasted four hours and ended with
no comments from either president. However, the OSCE French co-chair,
Bernard Fassier, noted that the parties were actively engaged during
the talks. Neither the OSCE nor the Armenian side commented on Aliyev’s
threats of military action.

Significance:It is not the first time that Aliyev has issued threats of
a military resolution in Nagornon Karabakh, an Armenian enclave within
Azerbaijan that declared independence over 15 years ago to become
a de facto part of Armenia. However, unlike his previous statements
mainly aimed at bolstering his militaristic image domestically and
with little chance of happening, Aliyev’s recent threats of war may be
more dangerous. The statement comes in the wake of a shifting balance
of power in the South Caucasus, most notably the Armenian-Turkish
protocols on establishing diplomatic relations and opening the common
border closed by Turkey in solidarity with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict (seeArmenia-Turkey: 12 October 2009:). There are
a number of motivations behind Aliyev’s war threats. First, it is an
attempt to stall the OSCE Minsk process, which has made little progress
since the early 1990s, but at least achieved a detailed peace roadmap
that envisages concessions from both Armenia and Azerbaijan. By issuing
an ultimatum to the OSCE, Aliyev hopes to rearrange the peace talks
format by bringing in Turkey, Azerbaijan’s closest ally and ethnic
kin, and thus increase the pressure on the Armenian side in the hope
of a resolution with no concessions. Secondly, Aliyev is unhappy with
the recent diplomatic thaw in relations between Armenian and Turkey;
as a result he may try to sabotage the Armenia-Turkey process. By
resuming the military conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, Aliyev may try
to block the reopening of the Armenian-Turkish border by bolstering
anti-Armenian sentiment among Turkish secularists and the military
(seeAzerbaijan: Turkey: 5 November 2009:). While an all-out war is
unlikely in the immediate term, at least during the winter months,
the frequency of border incidents and small-scale military clashes
between Armenian and Azeri soldiers is likely to intensify. Aliyev,
who has been pouring millions of dollars into strengthening the Azeri
army over the past decade, has to consider more carefully the economic
impact of a possible war–Azerbaijan’s most profitable Baku-Ceyhan oil
export pipeline runs only 30 kilometres away from the conflict zone.

AZERBAIJANI MP: ARMENIA WANTS PEACE

news.az
Nov 23 2009
Azerbaijan

"I cannot yet give any comments regarding yesterday’s meeting of the
presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Munich as there is still no
official information in this regard. You know the co-chairs often make
optimistic statements but later it turns out that Armenia has been
unconstructive during negotiations, therefore, it is now difficult
to evaluate this meeting", MP Asim Mollazade has said.

"The most important point now is that Armenia should accept norms of
international law and stop occupation of Azerbaijani lands. I hope
Armenian side took the statements of the Azerbaijani president made
before the Munich meeting with responsibility", he said.

Answering the question whether the nationalistic forces of Armenia
may hamper the current process, Mollazade said they do not have
much influence in the Armenian society: "Nationalists and Armenians
living in the safe countries of the world are now speaking against the
normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, while people
in Armenia want peace. Therefore, I think if Sargsyan demonstrates
will for peace, he will face no serious obstacles inside the country".

BELLIGERENCE OF BAKU IS AN EVIDENCE OF NERVOUSNESS

Aysor
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

"Belligerence of Baku, now seems unjustified and is a sign of its
nervousness", – thinks international observer of the "News Time"
edition Arkady Dubnov. As "Echo of Moscow" informs, in his opinion,
"No breakthrough can be expected from the Munich negotiations between
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan."

Yesterday in Munich took place the sixth meeting of the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, after which
the OSCE co-chairs issued a statement according to which the talks
which lasted 4 hours, were constructive. In some areas, progress was
made, while at the same time, some questions still remain open. The
Presidents instructed their foreign ministers to continue working
with the Co-Chairs and the mediators.

The "Echo of Moscow" reminds that two days before the meeting the head
of Azerbaijan stated that the Munich meeting will be decisive. And
if it does not bring any results, then the war will be resumed in the
region. In Yerevan, this statement was viewed as a challenge not only
to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, but also to the entire international
community. Meanwhile, the political scientists are not inclined to
perceive the threats of Ilham Aliyev seriously.

"I do not think that resumption of hostilities between Azerbaijan and
Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh issue is possible, and the speeches
made by the President of Azerbaijan, two days ago, in my opinion,
prove that in Baku are too annoyed with the possible improvements of
the relations between Turkey and Armenia", -Arkady Dubnov stressed.

The observers in Armenia too are calling for not paying attention
to the threats having a military character. On this occasion "Ekho
Moskvy" writes: "They note that this is not the first such attack.

Armenia urged the international community to take Azerbaijan in hand.

Otherwise, all the work to solve the age-old conflict will come
to nothing."