Author: Chilingarian Babken

OSTINVESTOR VS. YEREVAN BRANDY TRIAL POSTPONED
Kristine Aghalaryan

2010/02/23 | 15:17

Court

Today’s trial session, scheduled for the Kentron and Nork-Marash
District Court, in the on-going Ostinvestor legal suit against Gagik
Tsarukyan’s "Yerevan Ararat Brandy" company was postponed.

The cause for the postponement was that Davit Mantashyan, the legal
representative for Yerevan Brandy had never gotten around to providing
company documents to Ostinvestor, the plaintiff, prior to today,
as obligated. Mr. Mantashyan stated in court that Yerevan Brandy had
only supplied him with the documents on February 19 and that he had
been busy relocating his office.

"Ostinvestor", a German portfolio investment firm, claims that
Tsarukyan, who heads the Prosperous Armenia Party, illegally obtained
the shares through a questionable stock consolidation deal. It wants
to get the shares back.

On February 16, the court had partially sustained the motion of
Ostinvestor that Yerevan Brandy make available certain internal company
documents including its official state registration certificate and
corporate charter, along with all amendments and addendum.

Judge Melkumyan has scheduled the next trial date for March 2, in
order to allow Ostinvestor’s legal team to familiarize themselves
with the documents.

"SABAH": THE USA URGES TO RATIFY THE PROTOCOLS

Aysor
feb 22 2010
Armenia

The newly appointed ambassador to the USA Namik Tan will pass the
credentials to the USA president Barak Obama on February 24.

News.az refereeing to the "Sabah" newspaper informs that during the
talks with Barak Obama the Turkish ambassador to the USA will speak
about the concerns of his country on the discussion process of the
resolution of Armenian Genocide in the USA Congress on March 4.

Besides that Namik Tan is starting his meetings with the
representatives of the influential Jewish lobby to halt the mentioned
discussion in the congress.

As the source mentions the American side urges to ratify the Armenian –
Turkish protocols signed in 2009 in Zurich in order to stop the above
mentioned discussions in Congress.

news.az, Azerbaijan
Feb 20 2010

EU tries to help in resolving the NK conflict
Sat 20 February 2010 | 08:26 GMT Text size:

Volkhart Vincentz News.Az interviews Volkhart Vincentz, researcher on
convergence processes in Central and Eastern Europe, the Institute for
Eastern European Studies in Regensburg.

Azerbaijani authorities say that Karabakh conflict is a threat not
only for region of Caucasus but for all Europe. Do you agree with
that? And if it is so why EU is not active in stabilization situation
in the region?

Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) conflict belongs to the set of frozen conflicts
that are of much concern also in Europe. The Georgian war shows that
these conflicts can rapidly turn into a military conflict, which
affects not only the region but also Europe. Therefore the EU tries to
help in resolving the NK conflict.

However, there are many players who take interest in the adversaries
of the conflict. Russia or e.g. Turkey with its special relations to
Armenia are interested parties. The EU has still severe problems in
formulating a united foreign and security policy because of
conflicting views of its 27 members. With the conclusion of the Lisbon
Treaty the situation might improve and more initiative in the NK
conflict might arise from it in future.

Azerbaijan began to export its gas to Russia in 2010. Is this
cooperation threat for Nabucco project?

Russia tries to secure its influence on potential energy deliveries
from the CIS to EU by purchasing on long-term basis energy from the
CIS partners. The EU tries with the Nabucco pipeline to diversify its
energy supply. In economic terms the Nabucco pipeline is about more
competition that will be introduced among the suppliers of European
energy. As long as Russia has a dominant position as a supplier it can
charge monopoly prices from the purchaser (EU) and offer low prices to
CIS suppliers because they have not other way (pipeline outside
Russia) to transport their energy. Thus, the new pipeline can help
both parties by limiting the Russian market power.

The EU can get a more diversified, i.e. more secure supply and the
other CIS countries have an additional distribution channel without
Russia as middlemen. In their own interest all parties involved will
use the higher competition to benefit by reducing the profit margin of
the middleman. I am sure that the countries will take these
considerations into account by formulating contracts about their
energy sales to Russia.

Don’t you think that there is not much understanding yet from Russia’s
side in its approaches to contacts of its neighbors with the West?

There are many legitimate or less legitimate reasons for Russia’s
concern about its near abroad intensifying their relations to the
West. It is plausible that the extension of NATO raises security
concerns in Russia. Preserving its role of a major European energy
supplier is another area in which Russia seeks support from countries
of the GUS. Further, it cannot be in the interest of Russia that trade
flows are diverted to the West on the expense of its own trading
opportunities.

On the other hand, many politicians seem to view Russia as a
superpower and consider it a historical law that Russia is dominating
its surroundings. The `Putin Doctrine’ became evident in Georgia and
is latent in the relations to Ukraine. However, the moral and public
support for Russia from its neighbours and Eastern Europe is low or at
least ambiguous. The Russian soft power is weak. In addition, the
rather declining military strength in the last decades and limited
economic capabilities beyond energy lead to a gap between political
ambitions and reality.

W.W.
News.Az

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT FAILS TO DISCUSS ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

news.am
Feb 19 2010
Armenia

The Foreign Relations Committee, RA Parliament, was to discuss the
Armenian-Turkish protocols today. As a result of heated debate, the
Committee, at Chairman Armen Rustamyan’s suggestion, decided to set up
a work group, with one representative of each parliamentary faction
included it in, to advance proposals for a thorough discussion of
the protocols.

At the suggestion of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) (ARF(D) and Heritage faction members, the Committee
decided to request Parliament Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan that the
protocols should be discussed not during the four-day session that
begins on February 22, but only after the Committee gives its expert
opinion.

The Regulations of the RA National Assembly contain a relevant
provision. However, Stepan Safaryan, Chairman of the Heritage
parliamentary faction, told NEWS.am that "our Parliament has very
bad traditions and may start discussing the protocols during the
next four-day session at the instance of the Armenian President or
RA Minister of Defense."

The Armenian-Turkish protocols were put on the RA Parliament’s
agenda and will be submitted to discussions without regardless of the
Committee’s opinion. The ruling coalition members are for ratifying
the protocols, whereas the Heritage faction members are strongly
against. The ARF is against, but it will change its mind provided
reservation clauses are introduced.

The Committee is to hold its next sitting on March 12, but it may
also hold a special sitting to discuss the protocols.

Stepan Safaryan told NEWS.am that the coalition members are
for multi-stage discussions of the protocols. "May be they want
the protocols to be ratified later. They seem to be delaying the
ratification, hoping that Turkey will not do it as well. Or they want
to get dividends, for an American official to praise our authorities,"
Safaryan said.

The Foreign Relations Committee discussed draft amendments to the
Law "On international agreements", which was put on the agenda of
the four-day session ahead of schedule. The law allows a signatory
to withdraw its signature before the agreement takes effect. RA
Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan, who introduced the bill,
under Stepan Safaryan’s pressure, had to admit that the bill was
introduced on President Serzh Sargsyan’s order and has to do with
the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

ERGENEKON: GENERALS FACE PROSECUTOR; ERZINCAN PROSECUTOR ARRESTED

BIA Net
Feb 17 2010
Turkey

General Attorney Cihaner was arrested in the scope of the Ergenekon
case. General Berk was allowed more time to give his statement as a
"suspect". Rear Admiral Ilgar had his statement taken in Izmir.

Erol ONDEROGLU [email protected] Istanbul – BIA News Center17 February
2010, Wednesday General Attorney Ilhan Cihaner was taken into custody
on Tuesday (16 February) in Erzincan in north-eastern Anatolia in
the scope of the Ergenekon Investigation. 3rd Army Commander General
Saldiray Berk was given ten days to give his statement. One military
officer was detained. The Foca Landing Ships Commander Rear Admiral
Mehmet Fatih Ä°lgar gave his statement in Izmir.

"Ergenekon" is a clandestine, Kemalist ultra-nationalist terror
organization with connections to the Turkish military and security
forces. The group is accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

Erzurum Special Authority Procecutor Osman Å~^anal runs the Ergenekon
Investigation in Erzincan. He requested the statement of "suspect"
General Berk to be given until 26 February.

Prosecutor Å~^anal is summoning Berk to the court for the second time.

He informed the General Staff Presidency to apply for "police
compulsion" in case Berk does not give his statement within ten days.

General Attorney Cihaner in custody in Erzincan The General Staff
had informed the prosecutor that Berk would not appear to give his
statement by forwarding a letter of apology of Berk’s lawyer covering
the dates from 9-14 February. Eventually, the prosecution applied to
the General Staff to get to know the reason of the apology.

General Attorney Cihaner initiated an investigation into the
communities in Erzincan. He was taken into custody after his courthouse
office and his home had been searched.

General Attorney Å~^anal carried out the search of Cihaner’s office
and home in collaboration with Erzincan Anti-Terror branch manager
Murat Gunbeyi and a police team. The Erzincan police team joined the
search upon the Å~^anal’s request.

Cihaner’s lawyer Hamit Sekman claimed on the Turkish news channel
NTV that the search did not comply with the line of proceeding. He
said that "the truth about his client will emerge".

At the same time, a convoy of two SUVs and 20 trucks of the
Communication Regiment Command in Erzincan affiliated to the 3rd Army
Command set off around 9.00 am for a winter exercise in the district
of SarıkamıÅ~_ (province of Kars) on the Armenian border. The convoy
was accompanied by police.

Rear Admiral Ä°lgar gives his statement in Izmir In the course of the
same investigation a statement is being taken from Special Authority
Public Deputy Attorney General Mehmet Dogar.

Moreover,Special Authority Public Prosecutor Fatih Genc takes the
statement of Foca Landing Ships Commander Rear General Ä°lgar.

Rear General Ä°lgar arrived at the Izmir Courthouse in a Mercedes
Vito with tinted windows. Due to strict security measures, nobody
despite courthouse officials was allowed to the floor where Ä°lgar
gave his statement.

Commander Gencoglu arrested Previously, EskiÅ~_ehir (west of Ankara)
Gendarmerie Regiment Commander Colonel Recep Gencoglu was arrested
within the scope of the Ergenekon investigation. Gencoglu allegedly
directed operations related to the Ä°smailaga Community which paved
the way to Cihaner’s prosecution.

Three construction workers taken into custody in Erzincan in regard to
Ergenekon were released. Their homes and workplace, the YaylabaÅ~_ı
municipality public housing construction site, were searched while
the workers were being interrogated.

Finally, the Erzurum 2nd High Criminal Court arrested military officer
N.O. upon the statement of Ortatepe (Erzincan) village headman T.K.

ISRAEL, AZERBAIJAN ENJOY EXCELLENT RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.02.2010 10:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Israel and Azerbaijan enjoy excellent relations,
according to Alexander Goldenshtein, deputy editor of IzRus.co.il
news portal.

"Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman doesn’t reduce the
country’s foreign policy to relations the United States, dialogue
with Palestine and contacts with some leading EU countries," Mr.

Goldenshtein told PanARMENIAN.Net. "Azerbaijan is Israel’s major oil
supplier. Besides, there are near 100 thousand Azerbaijani migrants
in Israel."

"Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also abides by a multi-vector
policy. Maintaining good relations with Iran, where several dozens of
millions of Azerbaijanis live, Azerbaijan develops economic, political
and cultural ties with Israel. Aliyev is a pragmatic politician. He
will not make abrupt moves likes establishment of an embassy in Israel
but he would welcome Israeli President and Foreign Minister, like he
did last June. So, Tehran can just voice some irritation at a regular
visit of an Israeli high-ranking official to Baku, but not more.

Azerbaijan will continue being a friend for both countries," he said.

OSCE CHAIRMAN DISCUSSES REGIONAL SECURITY IN YEREVAN

Trend
Feb 16 2010
Azerbaijan

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State and
Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev discussed regional security issues
with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan.

Saudabayev stressed the importance of withdrawing snipers from
the contact line between the armed forces in the area of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"Any measures aimed at defusing the situation should be supported
and implemented, including those regarding the presence of snipers
on the frontline," he said at a news conference today.

"During today’s meeting, we continued to discuss issues and prospects
of further deepening Armenian-Kazakh relations, as well as several
regional and international issues, and issues of cooperation within
international organizations," Nalbandian said at a news conference
today.

According to the official, given the OSCE’s role in resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the the negotiation process and Armenia’s
efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict were discussed
at the meeting. The parties also talked about healing Armenian-Turkish
relations.

Kazakh Foreign Ministry International Information Committee Chairman
Roman Vasilenko, who also participated in the meeting, said Astana
is an honest broker and impartial mediator, supporting OSCE’s peace
efforts in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the Minsk Group.

"We attach great importance to the protracted conflict and analyze
from a realistic point of view. If we can move processes forward,
then that will be great progress," he said.

The OSCE chairman is on visit to the South Caucasus Feb. 14-17.

Saudabayev, who arrived in Yerevan on a two-day visit, will meet with
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

PEOPLE OF ARTSAKH PROVED THEIR IMPRACTICABILITY OF BEING COMPELLED TO ANYTHING

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.02.2010 15:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ NKR Defense Army Commander, Lieutenant General
Movses Hakobyan attended the congress of Yerkrapah, the Union of
Volunteers of the Karabakh war in Armenia.

"The people of Artsakh have proved their impracticability of being
compelled to anything," Lieutenant General Hakobyan, said when
answering journalists’ questions about the reaction to the order to
withdraw the troops from the liberated territories.

"The OSCE MG statements, as well as Azerbaijan’s threats to start the
war are treated quite seriously in Stepanakert and we are not scared by
them," he said. "The possibility of renewed hostilities is quite high."

AZERBAIJAN SETS OBSTACLES ON THE WAY TO KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.02.2010 21:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Statements, as well as those who issue them, are of
no importance; what matters is the decision- making party. NKR people
are the decision-making party in Karabakh issue, Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian said, commenting on the statement of his
Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, according to whom "the important
condition of conflict settlement is the issue of "occupied territories"
and Azeri refugees’ return to their homes". As RA Foreign Minister
noted, some details of that condition were stipulated in Madrid
Principles, published after presidents of Russia, US and France made
their statements in Acqueville.

"Azerbaijan’s being opposed to this position means it actually sets
obstacles on the way to Karabakh conflict settlement," Nalbandian said,
adding that Baku hinders the settlement process by speaking against
Karabakh’s involvement in negotiations. "No progress is possible
without NKR’s participation in talks," he emphasized.

"As for elimination of the consequences of conflict, issues with
Martakert, Martuni and Shahumyan, occupied by Azerbaijan, have to
be resolved and refugees’ return taken care of," Nalbandian noted,
adding that consequences of Karabakh conflict have to be eliminated
along with conflict causes.

In conclusion, Edward Nalbandian stressed that conflict should be
resolved peacefully, by means of negotiations.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in
1988, as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the
final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from
1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994
(when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most
of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions is
now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are
holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The Madrid principles contain the proposals put forward by the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairs on the basic principles of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement. The document was submitted to the Armenian and
Azerbaijani representatives at the OSCE summit in the Spanish capital
in November 2007.

SARIBEK SUKIASYAN RELEASED ON HIS RECOGNIZANCE

Arminfo
2010-02-16 10:57:00

ArmInfo. Chairman of the Board of Armeconombank Saribek Sukiasyan
and Director of Airarat fair Artashes Stepanyan have been released on
their recognizance. A corresponding decision was made on February 15.

To recall, Sukiasyan and Stepanyan were detained on February 12.

According to the information of Armenia’s Police, the indicated
persons made Director of Audit Company Gor Davtyan, on pain of death,
to sign some documents regarding purchase and sale of Byuregh Company.

S. Sukiasyan and A. Stepanyan are still suspected persons.