Author: Kamalian Hagop

MINISTER TAKES BLAME

Hurriyet
Nov 18 2008
Turkey

ANKARA – The views expressed during his speech in Brussels, about the
exchange of minority populations during the foundation of the Republic,
were his alone, said Defense Minister Vecdi Gönul yesterday.

"Our ministry or government have no connection to my speech, it
totally belongs to me. You can hang me if you want, but whatever
you want, you will do it to me," Gönul said, speaking during budget
negotiations in Parliament.

Gönul’s statements in Brussels last week were harshly criticized by
various people, including the Greek foreign ministry, for defending
the exchange of Greek and Armenian populations after the foundation
of the Republic.

"We did not send anyone abroad by force. Even before the Republic was
settled, [Turkey] made an exchange agreement with Greeks Ã~I We sent
1.5 million and received 500,000, based on estimations. Of course
sad [things] happened, but this is only talking about the facts,"
he said. "Minorities are our richness Ã~I They have the right to live
here," he said.

the Defense Minister said last week that the population exchange
between Greece and Turkey in 1923 was a necessary step toward building
a nation-state at the time.

–Boundary_(ID_LAh1PhxK4UUGnXgnr3yh6Q)–

TODAY RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN VISITED THE GRIGOR LUSAVORICH MEDICAL CENTER IN YEREVAN TO CALL ON EDIK BAGHDASARYAN

ion_centre_8/official_news_en.php?&date=122695 2000
Tuesday, 18th of November, 2008

Today RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan visited the Grigor Lusavorich
Medical Center in Yerevan to call on Edik Baghdasaryan, President of
the Association of Investigating Journalists and editor-in-chief of
"Hetk" website, who was hospitalized yesterday following a violent
attack.

The Prime Minister inquired into the journalist’s health status and
answered the questions of those journalists who had come to see their
colleague at hospital. Tigran Sargsyan expressed confidence that
the perpetrators of the attack will be exposed and tried as soon as
possible. He voiced concern over what has happened and emphasized
the need for shaping an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect
in the society. In this respect, the standing dialog between the
Government and the MCM was said to be apt to lead to mutually
acceptable solutions.

MANY ARMENIAN GOODS TO BE SOLD AT CHRISTMAS FAIRS IN VENDEE

Noyan Tapan

Nov 18, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18, NOYAN TAPAN. During the meeting of the Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan and the delegation headed by the President
of the General Council of the Vendee region (France), Member of the
European Parliament Philippe de Villiers, S. Sargsyan in particular
stated that cooperation of Armenia and Vendee in the sphere of
culture has already given good results. P. de Villiers announced
this at the November 17 press conference, noting that an exchange
program in the cultural sphere between Armenia and Vendee has been
implemented. Besides, the Vendee region hosts students from the
French University in Armenia. Cooperation in the economic sphere is
also underway.

P. de Villiers said that at the request of the RA minister of culture,
the sides envisage preparing an agreement on cooperation in the
sphere of culture. A group of French experts will arrive in Armenia
to prepare the agreement and arrange the steps of the sides. The
Vendee region has already donated a mobile library – Bibliobus, which
is still the only one in Armenia. During a talk of P. de Villiers
with the RA minister of culture, they discussed the preservation of
Armenian historic and cultural values, particularly Amberd, and the
implementation of programs on cultural tourism.

According to him, the framework of programs on personnel training and
business trips for students of the French University in Armenia as
well as for French teachers of Armenia will be expanded. P. de Villiers
said that the Armenian president had attached importance to deepening
the economic cooperation of Armenia and Vendee, for which purpose
a group of Vendee experts will come to Armenia and try to identify
the common aspects of economic cooperation between the sides. "The
long-term goal is to explore the accessibility of Russia and the CIS
region," he said, adding that cooperation in the indicated directions
has made progress thanks to the work of Vendee-Armenia Association
created in France. He considered it likely that Armenian experts in
agriculture, industry and services will undergo training at Vendee
schools specialized in the indicated sectors, while businessmen of
Armenia and Vendee will set up joint ventures.

The author of the project viewing Armenia as a country for entrance
of Vendee businessmen into CIS countries, the Deputy President of
Vendee’s General Council Dominique Suchet said that at the suggestion
of some businessmen of Armenia’s agroindustrial sector, studies
were conducted with the participation of the Chamber of Commerce
and Industry of Vendee with the aim of finding ways to provide such
assistance to Armenian producers of agricultural products that will
allow them to enter European market with their goods in line with
strict requirements of that market. The matter also concerns the
prospects of cooperation in viticulture.

It was announced during the press conference that the sale of various
goods made in Vendee will begin soon in Armenian market, while many
of Armenian goods will be sold at the fairs to open in Vendee in
connection with Christmas.

ALIYEV, SARGSYAN MAY DISCUSS KARABAKH ONCE AGAIN IN 2008 – FRENCH DIPLOMAT

Interfax
Nov 14 2008
Russia

Nov 13 (Interfax) – OSCE Minsk Group French Cochairman Bernard
Fassier does not rule out another meeting of the Azerbaijani and
Armenian presidents on Karabakh settlement prospects before the end
of this year.

"The Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents may meet again before the
end of this year, but the choice is theirs. We are always prepared
to organize meetings of the kind," Fassier told the Azerbaijani
channel ANS.

The Moscow declaration of the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian
presidents is an important steps towards the Karabakh settlement,
the diplomat said.

"The document says that the conflict must be resolved in line with
international norms, which include the principles of territorial
integrity and people’s right to self-determination declared in the
Helsinki Final Act," Fassier said.

He welcomed the more intensive participation of Turkey in the Karabakh
settlement process and Turkey-Armenia negotiations as a new page in
the life of the region. The Turkish initiative of a Caucasian stability
and development platform will contribute in the settlement process. At
the same time, Karabakh settlement negotiations have only one format,
that is the OSCE Minsk Group, Fassier said.

MARIOS GAROYAN: TURKEY, WHICH INFRINGES INTERNATIONAL LAW, CAN’T BE UN SC MEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.11.2008 16:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Marios Garoyan, President of the House of
Representatives of Cyprus, said he is hopeful for progress in the
Cypriot problem.

"A dialogue was launched between Cypriot President Demetris Christofias
and leader of Cypriot Turks Mehmet Ali Talat on September 3 and we
hope for progress," he said, adding that Cyprus insist of bi-zone,
bi-communal federation on the basis of agreements signed in 1977 and
1979 and corresponding UN resolutions and EU principles and values.

"We want a solution admissible for Cypriots. To have such, the
international community should put an end to its tolerance and
encouragement of Turkey’s illegal approach to the Cypriot problem. A
country, which keeps on infringing the international law, can’t be
a member of the UN Security Council," Mr. Garoyan said.

ERDOGAN: ARMENIAN DIASPORA ENGAGED IN "CHEAP POLITICAL LOBBYING"

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.11.2008 14:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan once
again offered Armenia to open its archives for a study of the events
of 1915.

Back in 2005, the Turkish PM made a similar proposal to then-President
of Armenia Robert Kocharian.

"Our offer is still on the table. Let’s leave it to historians,"
Erdogan told a conference in New York Columbia University. "We have
opened our archives and Armenians should open their archives too. We
have studied over 1 million documents so far."

Asked about Turkish government’s reaction regarding
U.S. president-elect Barack Obama and his team’s stand on the Armenian
Genocide, Erdogan said the campaign carried out by the Armenian
Diaspora in the United States is not fair.

"I hope the new U.S. administration would take into account Turkey’s
efforts. It is not fair to make a judgment upon such cheap political
lobbying," he said, Today’s Zaman reports.

ARMROSGAZPROM TO INSTALL GAS ALARMS SINCE DEC 1

ARKA
Nov 13, 2008

YEREVAN, November 13. /ARKA/. ArmRozgazprom CJSC to launch large-scale
installation of gas alarms in the RA territory this December 1,
Hrant Tadevosyan, the company’s head of technical management.

"Armenia is the first country to implement such a large-scale action
aimed at securing gas consumers," he said.

According to him gas alarm is a device with an installed indicator
of acceptable level of methane and carbon monoxide. It flashes voice
and light signals and the gas supply is automotically stopped if the
level is exceeded.

Tadevosyan noted the cost of gas alarms and their installation will
be included in the gas rate and will be reasonable enough for the
consumers.

He stated ArmRosgazprom must install gas alarms for all consumers
during 2008-2009 at RA Government decree.

Tadevosyan noted 10% of gas consumers have been provided with gas
alarms under a pilot program and the consumers are satisfied with them.

Niu Jun, the constitutive director of PUHAI Corporation, the winner
of the tender to supply gas alarms to Armenia, noted the first lot
of 33,000 devices will be shipped to Armenia as soon as possible.

According to him, PUHAI will cooperate with ArmRosgazprom and will
make a contribution to the company’s activities and will deliver a
total of 250,000 gas alarm devices to Armenia.

"We intend to create a lab for repairing and controlling the good
condition of the alarms as well," said Jun.

According to the investment program of the company, ArmRosgazprom
will assign 4.1bln AMD to install alarms for inflammable gas and
cutoff valves in Armenia’s multistoried buildings.

Established in 1997 the ArmRosgasprom CJSC holds a monopoly of
distribution of Russian gas in Armenia. The gas enters Armenia
through Georgia.

The company’s capital amounts to 253.8bln AMD. The company shareholders
are the Gasprom OJCS (69.94% of shares), the RA Ministry of Energy
(26.23%) and the Itera Oil and Gas Company (5.82%).

NAGORNO-KARABAKH INSISTS ON INVOLVEMENT IN TALKS

Interfax
Nov 11 2008
Russia

Nagorno-Karabakh should definitely take part in the negotiations on
the settlement of the Karabakh issue, said Bako Saakyan, president
of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno- Karabakh.

"Any dialogue has a positive impact on the settlement of the issue,
but at the same time we believe that dialogue and all efforts taken
by the international community, the OSCE Minsk Group, and especially
Russia, we welcome, but they are incomplete without Nagorno-Karabakh’s
involvement," Saakyan said in an interview with Radio Liberty,
referring to the declaration on the settlement of the Karabakh issue
signed by the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.

The Karabakh administration "demands the restoration of the format
and the fulfillment of the decisions made at the Budapest summit,
in accordance with which the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh is a
fully-fledged party to the negotiations," Saakyan said

"We are also discussing this with the Armenian authorities," he said.

"We welcome the negotiation process in the framework of the OSCE Minsk
Group and we do not believe the format has outlived itself. But we
also believe that this work cannot result in a final solution to the
matter because Nagorno-Karabakh is not involved in the negotiations,"
Saakyan said.

SERZH SARSGYAN: CONTROL OVER KARABAKH IS A SECURITY MEASURE

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.11.2008 12:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia highlights adoption of a joint declaration
excluding resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by use of force",
the Armenian President said.

"I am glad that Azerbaijan signed the document, which recognizing
all of the principles of the international law but not the one on
the territorial integrity," Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "It’s also gratifying that the role
of the OSCE Minsk Group was emphasized."

As to ‘withdrawal of Armenian forces from 7 regions around Karabakh’,
President Sargsyan said, "The core of the conflict is the status of
Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijan should recognize the right of Karabakh
people to self-determination. Control over the region is a security
measure. Now, we need talks on the base document, then we will need a
peaceful agreement. History proved that Karabakh can never be a part
of Azerbaijan, irrelative of the status."

OSCE: CO-CHAIRS OF OSCE MINSK GROUP CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TALKS PROSPECTS

ISRIA (subscription)

Nov 8 2008
DC

Last weekend’s Moscow meeting between the presidents of Russia,
Armenia and Azerbaijan gave the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group,
which deals with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, reason for cautious
optimism, the Co-Chairs told journalists today.

Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov of the Russian Federation, Ambassador
Bernard Fassier of France and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Matthew Bryza of the United States, along with Ambassador Andrzej
Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, talked to journalists after their
address to the OSCE Permanent Council.

"There are personal factors and objective factors in the region that
give us Co-Chairs a reason for some cautious optimism or realistic
optimism," said Bryza.

"Among the personal factors, the 2 November Moscow meeting between
Presidents Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Sarkisyan of Armenia confirmed
the constructive spirit of their first St Petersburg meeting last
June. This constructive spirit allowed them to sign the first ever
declaration on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process," Fassier said. The
discussions between Ankara and Yerevan were also among the positive
factors.

Among the objective factors, obviously, some elements changed since
the crisis in Georgia. The Co-Chairs said that Armenia felt the
fragile character of their lines of communication for imports and
exports through Georgia. Azerbaijan felt deeply the vulnerability of
the so-called energy corridor through Georgia.

Merzlyakov added: "This Moscow meeting, though prepared long in advance
in bilateral way, Russia-Armenia, Russia-Azerbaijan, nevertheless
is in the framework in the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries’ efforts
of mediation."

Kasprzyk noted that an estimated 25 people died this year on the
front lines of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and highlighted that
such incidents were detrimental to the peace process.

The Minsk Group Co-Chairs plan to visit the region in the weeks prior
to the OSCE Ministerial Council, scheduled in Helsinki on 4 and 5
December, to work with the parties to build on the recently-established
positive momentum and to try to find a mutually acceptable solution
to the last remaining differences between them.