Author: Jalatian Sonya

BRITISH DIPLOMAT: "OPENING OF TURKEY-ARMENIA BORDERS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME IS IMPOSSIBLE"

APA
May 15 2009
Azerbaijan

Yerevan – APA. "Serious improvement was recorded in the talks on
establishing bilateral dialogue between Armenia and Turkey.

I hope the results of the agreement, the details of which are not
known yet, will be positive for Armenia, Turkey and the entire
region," UK Special Representative for the South Caucasus Brian
Fall told journalists in Armenia, APA reports quoting Novosti-Armenia
agency. The diplomat expressed his hope that the US, which participates
in the process, will support the solution of problems and there will
be no divergence.

"Because the document (means roadmap – APA) is important for both
Armenia and Turkey. We have always stated that conflicts should be
solved peacefully, not by force," he said.

As regards the opening of Armenia-Turkey borders, Brian Fall said it
is impossible in a short period of time.

"I will be surprised, if the borders are not opened before Turkey’s
admission to the European Union. But it is difficult to say the exact
date," he said.

KARABAKH SETTLEMENT MEDIATORS HOPE FOR FINAL AGREEMENT ON PRINCIPLES TO END CONFLICT

Interfax
May 12 2009
Russia

The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group hope to secure a final
agreement on the fundamental principles to settle the conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh with the help of the Armenian and Azeri leaders.

The Minsk Group co-chairmen are hopeful that the present-day leaders
of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be able to overcome the complex reasons
for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its difficult consequences and
to create an atmosphere of security, trust, cooperation and fruitful
dialogue between the region’s peoples, the co-chairmen said in a
joint statement.

They also hope that the leaders will be able to finally determine the
fundamental principles for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in
cooperation with the OSCE Minsk Group, the document said.

According to the joint statement, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed an
indefinite ceasefire agreement in Nagorno-Karabakh 15 years ago.

The co-chairmen regret that the ceasefire has not been observed
completed, and that every year sees more Armenian and Azeri casualties
on the frontline, the statement said.

The OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairmen – Yury Merzlyakov from Russia,
Matthew Bryza representing the United States and Bernard Fassier
from France – call on the sides to ensure conditions for a viable
ceasefire that will remain in force until the conflict is resolved,
to implement proposals to reinforce the 1995 ceasefire regime and to
withdraw snipers from advanced positions, an initiative put forth by
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen in Helsinki in 2008.

THOUGHTLESS PHRASE AT ODNOKLASSNIKI.RU COST 17-YEAR-OLD TIGRAN TADEVOSYAN HIS LIFE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.05.2009 16:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to RA Police Press Service, on Apr .16,
a notice was submitted to Gyumri Police Department. Tigran Tadevosyan,
17 was taken to a hospital with a brain injury, the notice said.

Tigran Tadevosyan told the policemen the injury was a result of a
fall. Young man’s words were confirmed by his mother.

Forensic medical examination was assigned.

On Apr 27, police investigators discovered that Tadevosyan got injuries
on Apr. 15 around 5 p.m during a fight with Samvel S., 18.

On Apr. 26, at 6 p.m Tigran Tadevoyan died in a hospital.

On May 9, 1,30 pm Samvel S. confessed his guilt at police department,
attesting to his being one of fight participants. Samvel. S was taken
under arrest.

According to relatives of the deceased, Tigran Tadevosyan communicated
with a girl named Lida at odnoklassniki.ru social website and insulted
her with abusive words. Lida asked Samvel and his friends, who later
beat Tigran Tadevosyan, to stand up for her.

DAVITOGLU URGING EU NOT TO MAKE "TURKISH EU INTEGRATION PROCESS A DOMESTIC ISSUE"

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
15.05.2009 00:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called
on all European Union member states Thursday not to make Ankara’s
application to join the 27-member bloc a "domestic issue".

"Please do not make the Turkish EU integration process a domestic
issue of discussion," Davutoglu told a press conference in Stockholm,
Hurriyet Daily News reports.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel
have both voiced their opposition to Turkey joining the EU in the
run-up to the European elections on June 7.

Davutoglu said joining the European Union was "a strategic priority"
for Turkey and that the only objective of its negotiations was nothing
less than "full membership".

He was in Stockholm for talks with Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt and
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, ahead of the July 1 start of
the Swedish EU presidency.

Bildt has previously said Germany and France’s position on Turkish EU
membership differs from "the vast majority of countries" who support
Ankara joining.

When Turkey began EU membership talks in October 2005, it opened
discussions on 10 of the 35 policy areas that candidates must
successfully negotiate.

Rehn said negotiations were "steadily moving forward", and that he
had encouraged Davutoglu to pursue reforms "with concrete results in
order to advance fundamental freedoms" in Turkey.

Rehn told reporters he had also discussed Cyprus with Davutoglu.

"We have a serious process of negotiations going on," he said. "It
is still very challenging but we have now a real chance of achieving
a comprehensive settlement."

ARMENIAN YOUTH JUDO TEAM WAN A MEDAL AT THE TOURNAMENT IN GERMANY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
12.05.2009 15:57 GMT+04:00

Armenian Youth Judo Team completed its performance at Berlin tournament
due on May 8.

David Ghazaryan (weigh category under 60 kg), showed the best results
at the tournament, having wan a bronze medal. Gevorg Torosyan (weigh
category under 60 kg) and Arman Soghomonyan (weigh category under 81
kg) won 5th prize winning places.

Currently the judoists are undergoing training. On May 14 Armenian
wrestlers will leave Berlin for Belgium to participate in a tournament
due on May 16-17 in Herentals.

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Azerbaijan
May 5 2009

Azeri aide says "cool" ties with Turkey "can never last long"

[Presenter] The head of the foreign relations department of the
Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Novruz Mammadov, has told our
correspondent that there are some forces that are interested in
worsening of relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, but Armenia
itself can fall into the trap after the normalization of these
problems [as heard].

[Correspondent] The friendship, brotherhood and strategic partnership
relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey have irritated specific
forces, and a plot to cast a shadow on the relations between the two
countries has been conceived. However, neither Azerbaijan nor Turkey
will fall into this trap set by a number of circles, especially by
Armenia. The head of the foreign relations department of the
Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Novruz Mammadov, believes
that a flow of events in an opposite direction can be of no benefit to
either of the one nation – two states [Azerbaijan and Turkey].

[Mammadov] I think that probably a plan has been drawn up aiming to
hinder [the resolution of] this problem. At the same time, I would
like to say that Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as the Turkish and
Azerbaijani people have the same roots and history, and cool relations
between them can never last long, and it is impossible to spoil and
cool the relations between them.

[Correspondent] In the meantime, Armenia’s involvement in the
[May-June 2009] NATO exercise in Georgia and Russia’s cool attitude
towards this fact have created an incomprehensible situation in the
region. The head of the department said that this fact once again
proves that official Moscow is pursuing a policy of double standards
in the region.

[Passage omitted: Mammadov blames Russia for pursuing a policy of
double standards in the region]

[Correspondent] Touching on statements that Azerbaijan’s consent to
export of gas to Russia will affect the Nabucco [gas] project, the
head of the department said that this project is on the agenda. He
added that some time is required for the Nabucco [gas project] to
justify itself.

Agence France Presse
May 7 2009

Armenian, Azeri heads make progress on Karabakh: mediator

PRAGUE, May 7 2009

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan made "important and significant
progress" in talks on the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region on
Thursday, international mediators said.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian and his Azeri counterpart Ilham
Aliyev met for talks ahead of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership
summit in Prague, under supervision from the Minsk Group of
international mediators.

"There is an important and significant progress, some parts of the
negotiations were basically agreed on," Matthew Bryza, US deputy
assistant secretary of state and co-chairman of the group, told
reporters.

"They had a constructive discussion, they were able in finding basic
principles to reduce their differences (…) they generally agreed on
the basic ideas that they came here to discuss today," he added.

Bernard Fassier, the group’s French co-chairman, said the negotiators
had to "finalise the details" with foreign ministers ahead of the next
meeting.

That is expected to take place on the fringes of a business forum in
St Petersburg in early June.

"We have a huge work ahead in the coming days and weeks," he added.

Backed by Armenia, ethnic Armenian separatists seized control of
Nagorny Karabakh in the early 1990s in a war that killed nearly 30,000
people and forced two million to flee their homes.

A ceasefire was signed between the two former Soviet republics in 1994
but the dispute remains unresolved.

France, Russia and the United States are co-chairs of the Minsk Group,
which is seeking to resolve the conflict.

AN ARMENIAN WON RUSSIA’S NATIONAL COMPETITION "TALENTS OF THE NEW CENTURY – 2009"

Noyan Tapan
May 4, 2009

MOSCOW, MAY 4, NOYAN TAPAN- ARMENIANS TODAY. Angelika Terzyan, an
Armenian lady from Russian Belorechensk town, became a the winner
of Russia’s open National Competition "Talents of the new Century –
2009" . The competition was organized by the charitable foundation
of Vladimir Spivakov with support of the Culture and Cinematography
State Federal Agency.

PRESIDENT GUL ON NORMALIZATION OF TURKEY-ARMENIA RELATIONS

Anadolu Agenny
May 8 2009
Turkey

PRAGUE (A.A) – 08.05.2009 – Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on
Friday that, "we have renewed commitment on normalization of relations
between Turkey and Armenia".

"Works are underway for normalization of relations between Turkey and
Armenia," Gul said when asked to comment on opening of Turkish-Armenian
border.

Gul denied any tension between Turkey and Azerbaijan while speaking
at a news conference in Prague where he came to attend "EU Southern
Corridor" energy summit.

Asked if EU made a commitment to open energy chapter heading, Gul said,
"such a development will be in the interest of both Turkey and the
EU. Opening of this chapter is at EU’s discretion. I am not insistent
on it. This is in fact a commitment of the EU. Opening of this chapter
is related to credibility of the EU."

Gul later departed from Czech capital Prague for Turkey.

TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY PRINCIPLE NOT INCLUDED IN EASTERN PARTNERSHIP DECLARATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.05.2009 17:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The final text of Eastern Partnership Declaration
to be signed in Prague was modified during the EU Summit in
Brussels. Project member-states were defined as "Eastern European
partners" or "partner countries", and simplified visa regime among
EU member states was extended for a longer term. As reported by
Euobserver, Germany and the Netherlands forced the changes, concerned
that "European countries" sounds too pro-enlargement.

Meanwhile, Georgia and Azerbaijan failed to push in a clause
that the 33 countries should respect each other’s "territorial
integrity". Instead, the document calls on parties to obey principles
and norms of international law.

According to Alexander Vondra, Prime Minister of Czech Republic,
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
and Italian and Spanish Prime Ministers Silvio Berlusconi and José
Luis Rodríguez Zapatero won’t attend the summit.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will represent Germany, and José
Manuel Barroso will represent the European Commission.