Author: Chilingarian Babken

SOUTH CAUCASUS EXPERT: ERDOGAN WILL ASK BARACK OBAMA TO KEEP UP THE PRESSURE ON ARMENIA
T. Teymur

Today
064.html
March 3 2010
Azerbaijan

Senior research fellow at the European Policy Center and an expert
on Southern Caucasus Amanda Paul commented on a number of issues,
in particular touched upon the upcoming visit of Turkish PM’s to USA,
and the possible military actions between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"I would imagine that PM Erdogan’s visit to Washington will see
the usual subjects on the agenda. Clearly the timing is significant
and Erdogan will no doubt be using the opportunity to demonstrate
that Turkey is still committed to its rapprochment with Armenia but
express Turkey’s strong concerns over the ruling of the Armenian
Constitutional Court while at the same time ask President Obama to
keep up the pressure on Armenia and Azerbaijan in the negotiations
for the nagorno-karabakh problem" she said.

As far as the occupied Azerbaijani territories are concerned, Paul
believes, that starting second war is not the best possible solution
to the problem.

"It is crystal clear that Armenia will not be leaving the occupied
territories any time soon. Only once the two leaders have agreed a
peace deal. Whether the current talks on the "basic principle" will
reach a fruitful conclusion still remains to be seen. A new war is not
the answer to the problem. The only way forward is via diplomacy and
negotiations. A second war is not the answer. It would have disastrous
consequences for the people involved, who have already witnessed enough
death and horror. There would be more death and further displacement
of innocent people. Besides, there are no quarantees in a war",
she pointed out.

EU DELEGATION VISITS UPPER LARS

News.am
March 3 2010
Armenia

An EU delegation led by Spanish Foreign Miguel Ã~Angel Moratinos
visited the Upper Lars check point on March 3.

The delegation arrived for a 2-day visit to Tbilisi, Georgia. From
the airport the delegation made for the check point.

The Spanish FM pointed out the need for studying the situation on
the border and seeing the benefit of the reopened check point to the
improvement in Georgian-Russian relations. Moratinos said that all
the parties are concerned with this.

He does not rule out that the reopening of the Georgian-Russian land
border will inaugurate the improvement in Georgian-Russian relations.

The EU delegation is to hold a meeting with Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili, Foreign Minister, Parliament Speaker, State Minister
for Integration, as well as with representatives of political parties.

On March 1, 2009, the Upper Lars check point was reopened.

RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian pointed out that it is great
achievement for Georgia, Russia and, of course, Armenia. According to
him, the relevant negotiations were held through official Yerevan’s
mediation.

‘GENOCIDE’ MUST BE LEFT TO HISTORIANS, SAYS HAYRAPETYAN

Today’s Zaman
March 4 2010
Turkey

The so-called Armenian genocide issue should be left to historians;
the most important thing is Turkish-Armenian friendship, Armenian
Football Federation (AFF) President Ruben Hayrapetyan told Today’s
Zaman while watching the training in Antalya of the Armenian national
soccer team, which was preparing for a match with Belarus.

While the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs will vote on the
alleged Armenian genocide resolution today, the head of the AFF
delivered a message of friendship. "We will continue to live in a
friendly environment together just like we did in the past. There’s
no other way," Hayrapetyan stressed.

The 2010 World Cup qualifying matches between Armenia and Turkey on
Sept. 6, 2008 and Oct. 14, 2009 were watched by the presidents of
the two countries, and this soccer diplomacy has started to bear fruit.

Noting that they came to Turkey as Belarus had invited them to
participate in a soccer match, Hayrapetyan said they did not have any
security concerns while in Turkey. Stating that they had not taken
any measures in terms of security, the official said, "Everything is
normal so far."

"This is not the first time we’ve come here. Our teams always prefer
Antalya. That’s why we have no problems regarding security here,"
Hayrapetyan said.

While stressing that he is not a politician, when asked about
relations between Turkey and Armenia, Haryapetyan said he is hopeful
that as neighbors the two countries will be able to accommodate each
other. "God created us as neighbors, and we cannot change this. We
will live together peacefully in the future just as we did in the
past," Haryapetyan noted.

Recommending how to end tensions between the two countries, Haryapetyan
said history should be left to the historians, while adding that
bilateral relations are the job of politicians.

"UPPER LARS": GEORGIA GIVES PROMISES TO AZERBAIJAN

Aysor
March 4 2010
Armenia

Georgia guaranteed to Azerbaijan that will not allow Armenia to pass
bends of military significance through the control point of "Upper
Lars" opened on March 1 with Russia, informs the correspondent of
Vzglyad in Tbilisi.

"We do understand the anxiety of Azerbaijan in that concern", –
the Foreign Minister of Georgia Grigol Vashaze told the "Pirveli"
information agency.

"With full responsibility I announce that not a single bullet will
cross the control point", – he told.

The source reminds that Armenia is getting most of its loads through
that control point. The control point has started its work on March
1 after a 3 year break.

EBRD TO PROVIDE ARMENIA’S PRIVATE SECTOR WITH $10 MILLION

Aysor
March 4 2010
Armenia

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and
Ameriabank have signed a loan agreement on providing the private
sector with $10 million.

Artak Anesian, Executive Director of the Ameriabank, said that these
amounts will be available for corporate customers’ using.

"The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development one more time
proved that is ready to contribute to development of businesses," said
in his turn EBRD Director for Central Asia, Caucasus, and Mongolia
Michael Taylor.

The agreement is signed within the framework of the Multi-Bank
Framework Facility program, which is being implemented in Armenia
for the second time.

It’s worth mentioning that EBRD is involved in negotiations on two
programmes of $10 million cost, aimed at development of small and
middle businesses.

IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE TO ALLOW THE REPUBLIC TO TAKE PART IN NABUCCO

ArmInfo
2010-03-04 17:10:00

Interview of Deputy Director of ‘Noravank’ Scientific and Educational
Fund, Sevak Sarukhanyan, with ArmInfo news agency

Moscow received Ankara’s consent to the South Stream passage via
Turkey’s territorial waters over Erdogan’s recent visit to Russia.

What role did the talks on the Karabakh problem play in this?

When linking the Karabakh problem to the South Stream, Turkey to
some extent, as these two issues are not connected at all. In Moscow
Erdogan spoke of Karabakh, South Stream, Iran, Israel, Azerbaijan, but
it does not mean that all these issues are connected with each other.

I think Ankara’s attempt to link the Protocols to Karabakh somehow
is an attempt to recover from its current disadvantageous state.

Therefore, Ankara is currently trying to enlist the support of at
least one of the three OSCE Minsk Group co-chair states to find at
least one legitimate ground to connect the Armenian-Turkish relations
and Karabakh peace process, but Turkey has failed to so far, and I do
not think it will manage to do this. I think Armenia is also actively
working with Russia, the United States and France to suppress these
attempts. On the other hand, all these countries are coordinating
their actions to suppress Ankara’s attempts to connect itself with
the Karabakh process. They realize perfectly that such connection will
negatively affect both Armenian-Turkish and Karabakh peace process.

May Nabucco and South Stream projects co-exist in case of their
construction?

Yes, Nabucco and South Stream have all chances for co-existence,
since Nabucco is a gas pipeline oriented at circulation of mainly
the Iranian gas, and in prospect, Turkmen and Uzbek gas, as well
as the Azerbaijani one which is already supplied to Turkey via the
Baku-Erzrum gas pipeline. A false opinion exists that if Armenia
solves its problems with Turkey and Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani
gas will immediately run via the territory of Armenia to Nabucco,
however, it is not so, as the pipeline from Azerbaijan to Turkey has
already been built. The Nabucco gas pipeline section, which connects
Azerbaijan and Turkey, is Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum and no new gas pipeline
will be built. As for the South Stream, it is meant for circulation
of the Russian gas, which will not go to Europe via Nabucco, since it
will considerably weaken Russia’s positions, having connected it with
new transit-countries, and deprive it of significant political tools.

However, Nabucco will be built, as Europe strongly needs the Iranian
and Middle-Asian gas, and it is very important for Armenia to
participate in the project somehow.

How?

There is an Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. And Nabucco is a project which
is outlined quite indefinitely. One thing is obvious – gas will be
collected in Erzrum and pumped to Europe, moreover, gas may reach
Erzrum in various ways. Therefore, increasing of the volume of the
existing gas pipeline between Iran and Armenia with further extension
to Turkey may become one of the branches feeding Nabucco with Iranian
gas. Armenia has all the prospects from this point of view, however,
the most important prospects in the Armenian-Turkish process for
Armenia are connected with the opportunity to export electric power
to Turkey. Construction of a new power unit with capacity of 1060 MW
will shortly be launched in Armenia, and ArmRusgasprom will shortly
put into operation the biggest in the region Hrazdan TPP unit with
capacity of about 450 MW. Construction of a new big HPP on the border
with Iran will also start in Armenia, and there are opportunities for
development of the hydraulic power industry. That is, with opening
of the Turkish market, Armenia will get good opportunities to make
the power system one of the locomotives of the Armenian economy with
all the accompanying factors.

Can one say that the volume of Russian investments in energy projects,
alongside with investments in SCR development, allow Moscow to
consider the issue of opening of the Armenian-Turkish border a
foregone conclusion?

I think this issue is a foregone conclusion not only for Russia but
also for others. Another matter is that the border may be opened in
three months or maybe in 5 years, but it will be opened anyway.

Correspondingly, all Russian investments in Armenia are long-term
and strategic. The same concerns the Armenian NPP: construction of
the new power unit in Metsamor will take 6 years. So, even if the
border is opened not tomorrow, but in 5 years, Russian investments
in the Armenian nuclear energy will be justified. Moreover, even if
the Armenian-Turkish border remains closed, which I rule out, Armenia
has enough potential to increase electricity export to Iran where the
demand keeps on rapidly growing. Over the last 20 years electricity
consumption in Iran has been growing by 8.5% per year. This is an
extremely high index. Alongside with this, population is growing and
the country is being electrified. This might sound strange but in
1979 40% of Iran’s territory was not electrified at all. The power
generating capacities of Armenia belong to Russian companies but
they remain Armenian since the energy sector is closely connected
with geography and Russians will never move these capacities. So,
Russian investments in Armenian energy are of strategic importance
for us and meet our national interests.

The USA, which Nabucco project actually belongs to, is interested in
Nabucco without Iran. How may the Iranian gas become its part?

It is really so. However, even the US energy minister said at a summit
in Sofia in 2009 that Washington understands the EU aspiration for
Iranian gas and has no arguments counterbalancing that aspiration. I
think that Nabucco has become a European rather than American project.

Does it mean that today the USA may attack Iran only by infringing
the European interests?

The USA may do this as all these projects feed Europe, not the
United States, and Washington may fully ignore the interests of
Europe. The Near East and the Persian Gulf, which found themselves
under the US influence in 1960s, have been gradually coming out of
this influence over the last 10 years mainly thanks to European and
Chinese investments. Some tendencies of Washington with respect to
Tehran and Beijing are directly interconnected and conditioned by big
Chinese investments in the Iranian energy complex and deliveries of
energy resources to that country.

How will the United States manage to do this in case of Iran if they
fail to rely on the allies’ support?

The matter is that the United States will not conduct a war against
Iran the way it does against Iraq and Afghanistan. I think that
at present completion of the Iranian nuclear project with creation
of nuclear weapon is more realistic that the US intrusion into the
Islamic republic.

Interviewed by David Stepanyan, 2 March 2010, ArmInfo

US CONGRESS TO LISTEN TO ARMENIAN DEPUTIES

/2/congress
05:39 pm | March 02, 2010 | Politics

Three Armenian deputies will leave for Washington.

US Congressmen Frank Pallone and Mark Kirk have invited Armenian
deputies Vahan Hovhannisyan, Artak Zakaryan and Koryun Nahapetyan to
Washington tomorrow to present their views and approaches on issues of
bilateral interest with US Congressmen, as well as other role-players
in international affairs, as reported by the department of public
relations of the National Assembly.

Let us remind that on March 4, the US House of Representatives will
put the resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide up for a vote. A
Turkish delegation has left for the US to prevent the affirmation of
the resolution.

ARMINA DARBINYAN APPOINTED AAA NEW REGIONAL DIRECTOR

ArmInfo
2010-03-02 13:44:00

ArmInfo. Regional Director of the Armenian Assembly of America
for Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh Arpi Vardanyan has sent in her
resignation.

AAA Yerevan Office told ArmInfo Arpi Vardanyan left her position for
personal reasons. Armina Darbinyan, earlier occupying the position
of Adviser to the Director of Hayastan All Armenian Fund, has been
appointed AAA Regional Director.

AAA was founded in 1972. It is one of the largest Armenian non-party
organizations in the USA.

ARMENIAN SOLDIER HAS BEEN KILLED

17016.html
16:58:57 – 02/03/2010

On the border lines of Tavush region of Armenia, a regular breach of
ceasefire by the rival was recorded as a result of which a soldier of
the Armenian Armed Forced, Sergeant Sargis Voskanyan born in 1981was
killed. The Defense Ministry press service reports.

ANKARA MAY MAKE CONCESSIONS IF U.S. DOESN’T RECOGNIZE GENOCIDE

Aysor
March 2 2010
Armenia

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is reported to pay
a visit to the U.S. on April 14, will meet with representatives of
the Jewish lobby.

The parties scheduled meeting when Turkey’s Ambassador Namik Tan and
representatives of the U.S.-located Jewish organisations ADL, AJC,
and AIPAC gathered together, 1NewsAgency reports citing Sabah paper.

The announced meeting is especially important as it comes to be held
before April 24, the mourning day for the Victims of the 1915 Genocide
of Armenian population of Turkey. Erdogan appears to have hoped to
receive support by the Jewish lobby.

In exchange for non-recognition of the 1915 Genocide, Turkey may make
concessions to the White House and provide the U.S. with an access to
the Turkish air bases, which are used to get supplies to U.S. troops
in Iraq.

In addition, Turkey is the U.S. ally in issues of stabilization of
situation in Afghanistan, Iran with its nuclear weapons work, and
establishment of relations with the Islamic world.

All these issues may fall short if the U.S. recognizes the Genocide
of Armenians.