Author: Jalatian Sonya

PERMANENT REPRESENTATION OF THE EURASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK TO OPEN IN ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 27, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
was present today at the official ceremony of signing of contract
between the Armenian government and the Eurasian Development Bank on
the "Terms of being of the Eurasian Development Bank in the territory
of the Republic of Armenia".

Governmental press service told Armenpress that the contract has been
signed by the Armenian Energy and Natural Resources Minister Armen
Movsisyan and chairman of the Bank’s Council Igor Finogenov. The
contract intends opening of permanent representation of the bank
in Armenia.

Cooperation memorandums have also been signed between the Eurasian
Development Bank and Armenian Energy and Natural Resources Ministry,
"ArmRusGasprom", "South Caucasian Railway", "International Energy
Corporation" and "Armbusinessbank".

The prime minister congratulated the present on the signing of the
contract after which he and Igor Finogenov answered to the questions
of reporters.

EU IS CONCERNED ABOUT ‘LOSS OF MOMENTUM IN ARMENIA-TURKEY NORMALIZATION’

Tert.am
15:17 27.04.10

The spokesperson of High Representative of the Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the Commission Catherine
Ashton issued the following statement today in reference to Armenia’s
suspension of the ratification of the Armenia-Turkey Protocols. The
statement reads as follows:

"The High Representative has taken note of the decision by Armenia
to suspend the ratification of bilateral protocols relating to the
normalization of relations with Turkey. The High Representative is
pleased to note that Armenia remains committed to continue the process
of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations but at the same time
expresses concern about the loss of momentum in this process. The EU
reiterates its call on both countries to continue their dialogue and
remain committed to the process of normalization without preconditions
and in a reasonable timeframe.

"The High Representative believes that the full normalization of
bilateral relations between Armenia and Turkey will contribute to
security, stability and cooperation in the Southern Caucasus. The EU
will continue to provide this process with its political and technical
support and stands ready to help implementing the steps agreed between
the two countries."

"ARMENIA HAS POTENTIAL TO EXPORT ELECTRICITY TO TURKEY"

Panorama.am
15:24 27/04/2010

Economy

Armenia has the potential to export electric power (electricity)
to Turkey, President said at the 11th sitting of the Atomic Energy
Safety Council (AESC).

The President underscored Armenia’s attendance to the regional
energy programs is signified, as well as improving participation in
gas-transportation and energy fields. Regarding regional energy market
Armenia has successful collaboration with Iran, Georgia and Russia.

President Sargsyan also stated that Armenia took the initiative to
normalize ties with Turkey. He said the opening of the only closed
border of Europe could contribute to settle economic and energy ties
with regional countries.

"Though because of Turkey’s idle policy the process has been suspended,
we could see potential to export electricity to Turkey and to Middle
East," President said.

ARMENIAN IRREDENTISM: THE REAL OBSTACLE TO TURKISH-ARMENIAN RAPPROCHEMENT (1)
Mehmet Kalyoncu

Today’s Zaman
-centerarmenian-irredentism-brthe-real-obstacle-to -turkish-armenian-rapprochement-1bribyibr-mehmet-k alyoncu-center.html
April 26 2010
Turkey

Yerevan’s unilateral decision, as Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu describes it, to put the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement on
hold should have had a cold shower effect on those who had long been
fed up with the overcooked so-called Armenian genocide debate.

On April 22, Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan signed a decree
suspending the ratification of the "Protocol on Establishing Diplomatic
Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey"
and "Protocol on Opening the Border between the Republic of Armenia
and the Republic of Turkey."

In his televised address to his fellow Armenians, Sarksyan said,
"Our political objective for normalizing relations between Armenia
and Turkey remains valid, and we shall consider moving forward when
we are convinced that there is the proper environment in Turkey and
the leadership in Ankara is ready to reengage in the normalization
process." Referring to Ankara’s demand for Armenia to end its
occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan before
Parliament ratifies the protocols, the Armenian president charged
Ankara with causing the breakup in the normalization process by making
the end of Armenian occupation a precondition to the ratification.

While Ankara repeatedly reiterated its wish to continue the
normalization of relations with Yerevan, on April 24 Armenian
demonstrators burned Turkish flags as well as posters of Turkish
President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
Davutoglu during the so-called Armenian genocide commemoration
ceremonies attended by President Sarksyan and other Armenian officials.

Like the Armenian officials, some inside and outside Turkey have
criticized Ankara for pushing the end of Armenian occupation in
Nagorno-Karabakh as a precondition to the ratification of the
protocols. Some even argued that there was no relationship between
the occupation and the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations
and that Azerbaijan stood as an obstacle to normalization.

As a matter of fact, the real obstacle to Turkish-Armenian
rapprochement is Armenia’s irredentist attitude toward its neighbors.

As such, Armenia’s irredentism not only constitutes a national security
threat to Turkey, but also is the major obstacle to any step toward
sustainable security and stability in the South Caucasus. So long as
Yerevan does not irreversibly change this attitude, it is unlikely
to achieve any sustainable relationship between Turkey and Armenia.

Armenia is an irredentist country. That is, it is a country with
aspirations on a part of another country’s land, over which it claims
to have the political right to control. Article 11 of the Armenian
Declaration of Independence reads, "The Republic of Armenia stands
in support of the task of achieving international recognition of the
1915 Genocide in Ottoman Turkey and Western Armenia," referring to
contemporary eastern Turkey as Western Armenia. Article 12 reads,
"This declaration serves as the basis for the development of the
constitution of the Republic of Armenia and, until such time as the
new constitution is approved, as the basis for the introduction of
amendments to the current constitution; and for the operation of state
authorities and the development of new legislation for the republic."

So obviously, the crux of the Armenian Constitution and of
the guideline for the state authorities is Yerevan’s unrelenting
aspirations to seize eastern Turkey as well as other possible monetary
and political reparations.

Yerevan has proven its characteristic as such by invading and occupying
20 percent of a neighboring country — Azerbaijan.

Consequently, another neighboring country, Turkey, which has long
been the main target of Yerevan’s irredentist aspirations, closed
its common border with Armenia. Although Turkey and Azerbaijan do
have deep cultural, ethnic, social, economic and political ties
and as such Turkey’s closure of the border may seem and has long
been portrayed as an emotional response to Armenia’s invasion of
Azerbaijan’s territories, Turkey’s response to the invasion is purely
a rational one.

KAZAKHSTAN HOSTS EVENTS TO MARK GENOCIDE 95TH ANNIVERSARY

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 25, 2010 – 09:22 AMT 04:22 GMT

Kazakhstan hosted events series to mark 95th anniversary of Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Empire.

Commemorative events were held in the cities of Kustanay and Astana,
with Armenian Embassy in Kazakhstan participating. Documentaries on
Armenian Genocide were screened.

Armenian Genocide 95th anniversary was marked in Bishkek. Despite
strained political situation in the country, Nairi NGO organized a
memorial event in Armenia’s honorary consulate in Bishkek.

ARMEN MARTIROSYAN: WE DID NOT EXPECT US PRESIDENT OBAMA TO USE GENOCIDE TERM

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 25, 2010 – 00:11 AMT 19:11 GMT

We did not expect US President Obama to use Genocide term in his
annual April 24 address, Heritage chairman Armen Martirosyan stated.

As he told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, Obama refrained from using the
term Genocide so as not to harm Armenia-Turkey rapprochement process.

"On the other hand, the address is demonstrative of US attitude to
history, their archives containing numerous materials proving the
fact of Armenian Genocide," he noted.

"Turkey will continue to hamper international recognition of Genocide
until Armenia withdraws from rapprochement process," Armenian
politician believes.

In his annual address to US Armenian community President Obama once
again termed the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire as Mets Yeghern.

Obama commémore les massacres d’Arméniens, salue le dialogue turco-arménien

USA

samedi24 avril 2010, par Stéphane/armenews

Le président américain Barack Obama a publié samedi un message
commémorant les massacres d’Arméniens de 1915-1917, saluant le
dialogue entre Turcs et Arméniens sur cette controverse historique.

M. Obama évoque dans son message "l’une des pires atrocités du XXe
siècle", mais n’emploie pas le terme de génocide.

"J’ai régulièrement décrit ma position sur ce qui s’est passé en 1915,
et ma vision de l’Histoire n’a pas changé", écrit-il samedi : "C’est
dans l’intérêt de tous d’établir pleinement et franchement les faits".

Les présidents américains publient traditionnellement un message au
jour-anniversaire du début des massacres, sans employer le terme de
"génocide" pour qualifier les faits.

En 2009, dans sa première année de présidence, M. Obama avait suscité
la colère de la diaspora arménienne en évitant déjà la référence à un
"génocide" dans son message. Il s’était auparavant engagé, quand il
était candidat à la présidence, à reconnaître la réalité d’un génocide
s’il était élu.

"Les peuples turc et arménien seront plus forts en reconnaissant leur
histoire commune (…) Je suis satisfait du dialogue entre Turcs et
Arméniens, et au sein même de la Turquie, autour de cette douloureuse
Histoire", écrit l’hôte de la Maison Blanche.

Le 95e anniversaire du massacre des Arméniens intervient deux jours
après l’annonce d’un coup d’arrêt dans le processus de rapprochement
engagé depuis plusieurs mois par la Turquie et l’Arménie.

Le président arménien Serge Sarkissian a en effet déclaré que son pays
gelait la ratification d’accords historiques de normalisation avec
Ankara, accusé de poser des conditions inacceptables.

Palos Verdes Peninsula News (California)
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
April 22, 2010 Thursday

News keeps promise to Armenian community

OPINION: April 22 Editorial

by Palos Verdes Peninsula News, Calif.

About five years ago, the News staff made a commitment to the Armenian
community that we would run this editorial, updated, of course, every
year around April 24 until the Turkish government recognizes the
murder of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire
between 1915 and 1923.

The atrocity claimed the lives of Rolling Hills Estates City
Councilman Frank Zerunyan’s great-grandfather and great-uncle. They
were among the victims of the 20th century’s first genocide,
perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks. This year marks the 95-year
anniversary of the bloody crime against humanity that even today tears
at the hearts of Zerunyan and his kinsmen.

Though April 24 is recognized worldwide as the day the genocide began
nearly a century ago, the Turkish government tragically still refuses
to acknowledge it.

Masterminded by the Young Turks, a political group that gained control
of the Ottoman Empire and believed in an oppressive form of
nationalism, the genocide resulted in the deaths of men, women and
children. On April 24, 1915, the Turks rounded up, deported and killed
hundreds of Armenian leaders, writers, thinkers and professionals in
Constantinople, thereby ripping much of the intellectual heart out of
the country. So many potential world leaders in fields like science
and politics were lost on that day. Fortunately, surviving relatives
like Zerunyan are here to remind us of such senseless acts of
violence.

If we don’t learn from history, we’re doomed to repeat it. We ask
readers, as we did two weeks ago, to reflect on the millions of souls
who have perished at the hands of those claiming national and racial
superiority.

We as a people have much to learn. But Zerunyan and those who follow
in his footsteps take the necessary steps to try to prevent similar
crimes against humanity. Their constant vigil is an inspiration and a
reminder of the power of the individual to create positive change in a
world that often is full of hate. Without them, we may as well toss
our history books into the fire.

Turkey’s premier condemns burning of Turkish flag in Armenia

ANKARA, April 24 (RIA Novosti)

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned on Saturday the
burning of a Turkish flag during a rally on the 95th anniversary of
the mass killing of Armenians by Turks.

Media reports said earlier in the day that a group of Armenian youths
had set fire to a Turkish flag at the start of an event to mark the
1915 massacre.

"This action tramples on international law. They are complicating the
process of the normalization of relations," he said.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on Thursday that put
the ratification of Armenian-Turkish protocols to normalize diplomatic
ties on hold.

Attempts to establish formal diplomatic ties have been strained by
Turkey’s support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over
Nagorny Karabakh and differing positions on the massacre of ethnic
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, which Ankara denies was an
act of genocide.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION CRITICIZES COALITION FOR CREATING ‘DEADLOCK’ WITH TURKEY

Hurriyet
April 23 2010
Turkey

Armenia’s leading opposition group on Friday slammed President
Serge Sarkisian’s government for reaching a "deadlock" in efforts to
normalize ties with Turkey after decades of hostility.

Sarkisian announced Thursday that Armenia was halting ratification of
two protocols signed in October to establish diplomatic relations and
re-open the two countries’ border. He insisted however that Armenia
was not withdrawing from the process and hoped for further progress.

The opposition Armenian National Congress led by former president
Levon Ter-Petrossian said in a statement that Sarkisian had damaged
Armenia’s international image and called for his government to resign.

"By on the one hand suspending the ratification process and on the
other hand expressing their readiness to continue it, the authorities
have effectively recognized that they have reached a deadlock and
have no further plan of action," the statement said.

"The authorities have damaged the image of Armenia as a reliable
partner and created the basis for presenting Armenia as a destructive
country on the international scene. The only way out of this process
is the resignation of the regime and the formation of a legitimate
government," it said.

Armenian officials blamed Turkey for stalling ratification of the deal
and accused Ankara of setting a new condition by linking reconciliation
efforts with Armenia’s conflict with Turkish ally Azerbaijan over
the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenia’s opposition has accused Sarkisian of fixing the February 2008
election that saw him defeat Ter-Petrossian. Mass protests followed the
election and 11 people were killed when riot police dispersed thousands
of opposition supporters who had gathered to protest the result.