Author: Karabekian Emil

MEDVEDEV TO MEET ALIYEV, SARGSYAN IN SOCHI OVER KARABAKH CONFLICT

Itar-Tass
Jan 21 2010
Russia

MOSCOW, January 21 (Itar-Tass) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
will meet with his counterparts, Ilkham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Serzh
Sargsyan of Armenia, in Sochi on January 25 to discuss the settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Kremlin press service reported
on Thursday.

The Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is always in the focus of all
meetings between the Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents. The
conflict between the Transcaucasian republics broke out in 1988 when
the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomy decided to secede from the Azerbaijani
SSR and get incorporated into Armenia. This led to an armed conflict
in the region in 1991-1994.

The talks started on September 23, 1993 and involved Russia,
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Armenia. In March 1992 Moscow initiated
the creation of the OSCE Minsk Group with the participation of 12
countries. The Minsk Group worked out a plan of gradual settlement. At
present, the talks continue within the Minsk Group co-chairmen of
which are Russia, France and the United States.

In 1999 Baku and Yerevan began a direct dialogue. In 2009 the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan met nine times.

On November 2, 2008 Medvedev initiated a tripartite meeting of the
presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia that resulted in the
Declaration on the principles of the settlement of the conflict. This
is the first document signed by representatives of the three countries
over 15 years.

In the course of the talks the positions of the parties remain
unchanged. Baku insists on the liberation of Azerbaijani territories
and return of refugees. Then it believes it necessary to discuss the
status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan is ready to give a high level
of autonomy for this region as part of the republic.

Armenia insists on determining the political status of Nagorno-Karabakh
and recognising it, and then it is necessary to eliminate the
consequences of military actions.

Russia believes that Armenia and Azerbaijan should reach political
and diplomatic mutual understanding. Moscow reiterated that it was
ready to be guarantor of the settlement of the conflict.

In November 2009, the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh
Sargsyan and Ilkham Aliyev, me in Munich to continue discussing the
settlement of the conflict in the mostly Armenian populated Azerbaijani
enclave of Nagorno Karabakh.

This was their sixth meeting this year. It will be held at the
residence of the French consul general in Munich in the presence of
co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno Karabakh, who represent
Russia, France and the USA.

At the present moment, the sides are coordinating a draft framework
agreement on the settlement based on the so-called Madrid Principles,
presented by the co-chairmen in the Spanish capital in November 2007.

After the signing of the framework agreement work will begin on a
basic political document on the conflict settlement.

In July, the presidents of Russia, France and the USA confirmed in
a joint declaration within the G8 summit in Italy that the proposals
of the co-chairmen remain on the table of negotiations and urged the
conflicting sides to speed up work on final agreements.

The Madrid Principles, in particular, envisage the return under control
of Azerbaijan of its regions occupied by Armenia, the establishment
of an intermediate status of Nagorno Karabakh, envisaging guarantees
of security and administrative autonomy.

Armenia will be connected with Nagorno Karabakh by a corridor,
and its legal status will be determined within the framework of the
process of declaration of will, the results of which will get legal
force. The document stipulates the right of all displaced persons and
refugees to return to places of their former domicile. And finally,
there are international guarantees of security, which would include
an operation to support peace.

At talks on the Karabakh settlement, Armenia seeks "long-term
decisions, such decisions that will really bring peace and it will
be long-term," the Armenian president told reporters recently. "Our
approach to the whole process of negotiations is very serious and
responsible," Sargsyan noted.

He is confident that "sober decisions" do exist, but "they can be
found only when the parties engaged in negotiations have a realistic
approach to the existing situation".

According to Sargsyan, it would be incorrect "to achieve such decisions
that will possibly be accessible for a certain period, but will fail
to ensure lasting peace".

"We are going to this meeting with our own program. This meeting must
play a crucial role in the process of negotiations. If this meeting
also fails to produce results, then our hopes for negotiations will
be exhausted," he stressed.

He did not rule out that if his country lost hope for the process
of negotiations, it could opt for a military settlement. He said, in
particular, that Azerbaijan "has full authority to free its lands in
a military way". "International legal rules recognize this right of
ours," he stressed. He also emphasized that his country "will never
agree to the independence of Nagorno Karabakh".

Over the past year-and-a-half, the meeting in Munich will become the
eighth round of direct negotiations of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents. Four of them took place in Russia.

TEHRAN TIMES: ROBERT KOCHARYAN THINKS THAT FOREIGN POWERS’ PRESCRIPTIONS FOR RESOLVING CRISES IN THE CAUCASUS REGION IS DESTRUCTIVE

ArmInfo
2010-01-21 13:14:00

ArmInfo. Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan met with Iranian
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on January 20, Tehran Times
reports.

According to the source, the parties exchanged views over regional
and bilateral ties. The Iranian diplomat described the Iran-Armenia
relation as "long-standing" and underscored the necessity to maintain
calm in the Caucasus region. "Security and stability in the Caucasus
should be consolidated by regional approaches," Mottaki said.

In his turn, Robert Kocharyan said Armenia is determined to expand
bilateral cooperation with Iran. He also highlighted the efficiency
of regional approaches in promoting regional security and economic
development, saying the foreign powers’ prescriptions for resolving
crises in the Caucasus region is destructive.

REGISTER’S ALL-ARMENIAN PROGRAM IN ARTSAKH
Zarine Mayilyan

Azat Artsakh Newspaper NKR
January 15, 2010

On initiative of the Armenian register of Marrow’s donors charitable
fund, NKR Ministries of Health Service, Culture and Youth Affairs, and
by participation of RA and NKR singers, creative groups on January 8th
at garrison’s Officer’s House of Stepanakert "Save our life" a gala
concert-action was organized. As we have informed, on January 8th,
2000 the Armenian register of Marrow’s donors was founded officially
in Armenia and Bella Kocharyan was elected as the honorary chair of
it. And by special decision of RA government this day was declared as
Donors’ day. And it was decided to organize the tenth anniversary of
the Armenian register in Artsakh. In connection with the anniversary
the founder and chairman of the Armenian register of Marrow’s donors,
american-armenian doctor Freeda Jordon, executive director Sevak
Avagyan, deputy director Mihran Nazaretyan, the regulator of the
arrangement’s process and leader of the whole producer works Marietta
Keshishyan visited the NKR. According to S.

Avagyan, the program is handed on a "special plate": it’s a cultural
joint program, and it’s not casual, that the preference of carrying
out the anniversary has been given the NKR. The Armenians of all
over the world in any way help each other, especially the Armenians
of Artsakh, and the latter today stretches its hand in answer by the
conviction that by its blood it will save the life of at least a man.

On January 8th, during the action more than 200 persons were
donated. The day the Speaker of NKR National Assembly A. Ghoulyan,
the primate of Artsakh’s Diocese Pargev archbishop Martirosyan,
representatives of mass-media, departments were also donated to the
Armenian register. According to Pargev Martirosyan, each Armenian
should be its nation’s donor in all senses. To give blood, means to
give a life. During Artsakh war armenian azatamartiks donated their
all blood and life to the country – for freedom and bright future. The
action which is called to save life of many Armenians, is a great and
chaste work. It’s a holiday of rescue and unanimity. The Speaker of
NKR NA A. Ghoulyan, touching importance to the program, has noted,
that if it is spoken about the rescue of a man’s life, so it means,
that we also show duty of honour to Christian worldwide values, which
tell us always to help relatives, a needy man. Ministers of NKR Health
Service and Culture and Youth Affairs, as well as all participants
expressed their appreciation to the action’s all organizers and
supporters. The minister of NKR Health Service A.

Khachatryan handed over a special diploma signed by the Premier Ara
Harutyunyan to the Armenian register of Marrow’s donors charitable
fund in connection with the program being realized in NKR and the
anniversary of the organization. It was given to the founder and
chairman of the register Freeda Jordon and executive director Sevak
Avagyan.

AZERBAIJAN’S "TRAGEDY": A FAIRY TALE
By Ivan Gharibyan

news.am
Jan 20 2010
Armenia

January 20 is a day of "national mourning" in Azerbaijan. This is the
Aliyev clan’s interpretation of the tragic events in Baku in January
1990. The Azeri state propaganda has taken one episode out of the
entire context of the tragic events – the entry of Soviet troops to
Baku, which was the only way of establishing law and order in the
city, with numerous acts of brutal violence and ethnic murders being
committed there.

For 20 years the tragic events in Azerbaijan have been designated as
"suppression of the Azerbaijani people’s aspiration for freedom." So
what does, according to the Aliyev clan, the "Azerbaijani people’s
aspiration for freedom and independence" mean? Nothing but mass
pogroms of the local Armenian population in several cities, including
the capital, gang rapes, including statutory rapes, burning people
alive. Turks and Azeris have always been "fond of" massacring people
– three Armenians pogroms took place in Baku in the 20th century,
to say nothing of the Armenian Genocide.

And now the rising generation in Azerbaijan is sure that, all of a
sudden, the Soviet leaders decided to introduce troops into peaceful
Baku, and those troops proved to be "extremely cruel." And no one even
asks: Why did the Kremlin order the troops to enter the capital of one
of the Soviet republics? No. But we can only hear "moving" speeches
about the "totalitarian Communist regime, which committed a terrorist
act against the Azerbaijani people." By the way, everything turns out
tragically absurd at this point as well: the "national leader" Heydar
Aliyev, who saved the Azerbaijani people from all the troubles, was
an outstanding representative of the "totalitarian Communist regime."

Xenophobia, the very essence of present-day Azerbaijan, has been
especially obvious over the last few days. The official propaganda
inadvertently betrays one of the pillars of the present-day ideology of
"prospering" Azerbaijan – no room for other ethnic groups, especially
ones practicing other religions, in the country. This is the conclusion
one can draw from the numerous interpretations of the events in January
1990 offered by Azerbaijan. Of course, according to official Azeri
propaganda, beatings, rapes and murders on January 13-19 were not a
tragedy. Moreover, nothing like that had ever happened. But the entry
of Soviet troops to Baku on January 20 was "a national disaster." The
fundamental principles of the Aliyev clan’s propaganda are nothing but
a manifestation of neofascism: Armenian citizens of the Azerbaijani
Soviet Republic could be murdered in cold blood without any problems,
and those murders were manifestations of "the Azerbaijani people’s
aspiration for freedom and independence."

But killing the participants in the Armenian pogroms as Soviet troops
entered Baku was a "tragedy" – they were Azeris!

Yes, January 20 is a tragic date for the Azerbaijanis. It is a real
tragedy when thugs and murderers are officially declared national
heroes, when "a Shahids’ lane" is built in their honor for people,
like a herd of cattle, to go up there to pay homage to the cut-throats’
memory.

ARMENIA-DIASPORA COOPERATION DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURE APPROVED IN 2009

news.am
Jan 20 2010
Armenia

In the course of its over year activities, RA Diaspora Ministry managed
to solve a number of issues, as well as provided Diaspora’s involvement
in the implementation of educational, cultural and information
programs, the 2009 activity report by RA Diaspora Ministry reads.

In the mentioned period, Ministry drew up partnership programs and
signed memos with UNDP, RA National Academy of Sciences as well
as RA Chamber of Commerce and Industry. At the Diaspora ministry’s
initiative a department of Diaspora studies opened at the Yerevan
State University.

The ministry also launched project in the frames of which events
dedicated to the memory of Vazgen I Catholicos, as well as Charles
Aznavour and Kirk Krkorian were held. 300 Armenian young people
visited the country in the frames of "Ari Tun" ("Return Home")
project initiated by the ministry.

With the ministry’s assistance, about 50 Armenian schools of Diaspora
received 16.456 books.

The procedure on Armenia-Diaspora cooperation development was approved
within last year, partnership programs as well as expansion of ties
was discussed.

TURKEY: COURT RULING COULD HURT PEACE WITH ARMENIA

Reuters
Jan 20 2010

ANKARA, Jan 20 (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said
on Wednesday a ruling by a court in Armenia could derail efforts to
end a century of hostility between the two neighbours.

Armenia’s Constitutional Court last week rejected opposition complaints
over the legality of peace accords between Ankara and Yerevan that
call for the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening
of the Turkish-Armenian border.

But Erdogan said the court’s reference to the mass killing of Armenians
by Ottoman Turks and its implicit rejection of any link between the
peace accords and a resolution to the frozen conflict between Armenia
and Turkish ally Azerbaijan meant "the process will be challenged
unless this mistake is corrected.

"It’s definitely unacceptable to Turkey," Erdogan told a news
conference during a visit to Saudi Arabia.

"We have never taken the protocol to our Constitutional Court. We took
it directly to our parliament, without making changes. We didn’t employ
a mediator on the text. We didn’t carry out any read-between-the-lines
operations. This is a proof of our sincerity.

Armenia has tried to change the text."

Armenia said its foreign minister, Edward Nalbandian, expressed
"bewilderment" at the Turkish reaction during a telephone call on
Wednesday with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu and urged
Ankara to move ahead with ratification.

AZERI BACKLASH

The accords, which need parliamentary approval in both countries,
have been gathering dust since they were signed in October 2009,
and Turkey has faced a backlash from its close ally Azerbaijan,
a key energy supplier to the West.

Turkey has repeatedly said progress on full normalisation with Armenia
depends on Yerevan making concessions in its festering conflict with
Azerbaijan over the breakaway mountain region of Nagorno-Karabakh,
where Christian ethnic Armenians threw off Azeri rule with Armenian
support in the early 1990s.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with
fellow Muslim Azerbaijan during the fighting.

Armenia, Russia’s strategic and economic ally in the South Caucasus,
rejects linking opening the border with Turkey to progress towards
peace with Azerbaijan.

Rapprochement, backed by the West and Russia, would bring big economic
benefits to poor, landlocked Armenia, while Turkey would burnish its
credentials as a potential EU member and strengthen its influence in
the Caucasus, a region criss-crossed by pipelines carrying oil and
gas to the West.

But analysts say Turkey is worried by the angry backlash from
Azerbaijan, with the traditional allies now bogged down in protracted
negotiations over the price of Azeri gas supplies.

The press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry said Nalbandian was
surprised that Turkey could see any contradictions or preconditions
in the court ruling.

"Nalbandian expressed concern at the fact that since October there has
not been any progress in Turkey in the process of ratification," it
said. (Additional reporting by Hasmik Lazarian in Yerevan; Writing
by Ibon Villelabeitia; Editing by Jon Hemming)

SERGEY MINASYAN: CC’S VERDICT SHOULD BE VIEWED IN DOMESTIC POLITICAL CONTEXT

news.am
Jan 19 2010
Armenia

The Turkish Foreign Office’s statement that the RA Constitutional
Court’s verdict contains wordings running counter to the bilateral
protocols does not correspond to the facts, Sergey Minasyan, Deputy
Director of the Institute of Caucasus, told NEWS.am.

"The Constitutional Court’s verdict can be viewed in a legal aspect
and in the domestic political context. It is a necessary condition
for the protocols to be submitted to Parliament," Minasyan said.

According to him, a similar situation developed when the Turkish
Government submitted the protocols to the Turkish Parliament. "A
cover letter submitted to the Turkish Parliament indicated facts that
might be interpreted as running counter to the protocols, but Yerevan
interpreted that as the Turkish Government’s attempt to present the
protocols in a favorable light," Minasyan said.

The RA Constitutional Court only confirmed the constitutionality of
the documents, and its verdict allows the Parliament to ratify the
protocols. "On the other hand, we should realize that the Turkish
side will take any opportunity to delay the ratification, if not
frustrate it at all," the expert said.

Minasyan said that official Yerevan can only respond through the
RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which can express hope for further
dialogue. According to him, the Turkish Foreign Office’s statement
is a propaganda one.

"To refuse the ratification Turkey must have much more convincing
arguments. It is clear that the Turkish Foreign Office’s statement
cannot be taken seriously. It can only be viewed as an act of
information to explain to the international community Turkey’s efforts
not to expedite the process," Minasyan said.

THOUSANDS APPEAL FOR JUSTICE ON THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF DINK MURDER

Today’s Zaman
Jan 19 2010
Turkey

The distinguished Turkish-Armenian intellectual and journalist Hrant
Dink who was assassinated on Jan. 19, 2007 by an ultra-nationalist
teenager in Istanbul, was commemorated in the third anniversary of
his killing on Tuesday.

A series of ceremonies were held across Turkey to mark the third
anniversary of the death of Dink, who was gunned down on Jan. 19,
2007 in broad daylight in front of the headquarters of the bilingual
Armenian weekly Agos, where he was editor-in-chief.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of Agos yesterday to commemorate
Dink and demanded that the circumstances behind his murder be
resolved. Carrying banners that denounced the vicious attack against
Dink in a number of languages including Turkish, English, Armenian
and Kurdish, protestors shouted, "For Hrant, for justice" and "We are
all Hrant, we are all Armenians." Protestors also placed carnations
in front of the building in memory of the slain journalist.

KARABAKH’S INVOLVEMENT IN TALKS TO CREATE NEW POTENTIALS FOR CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.01.2010 19:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The statement adopted during the OSCE Ministerial
Council in Athens is the first document to enshrine the principle
of people’s right to self-determination, Armenia’s Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandyan finds.

"Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity has nothing to do with Karabakh
people’s right to self-determination as the process began before
Azerbaijan’s gaining independence," he said.

According to Armenian FM, "The sooner Karabakh is involved in the
talks, the more chances there will be for conflict settlement."

"In all meetings with European mediators, Armenian side raised the
issue of Karabakh’s participation in the process," Mr. Nalnadyan added.

In the statement adopted during the 17th OSCE Ministerial Council,
Foreign Ministers call on conflicting parties to continue the
negotiation process based on Madrid Principles.

"The final agreement over basic principles should mark the start of
elaboration of peace agreement. To achieve mutual understanding,
Foreign Ministers should be guided by the Helsinki Final Act
stipulating for conflict settlement without threat and use of force.

We are confident that there are currently real potentials for
building peaceful, stable and prosperous future," Ministers say in
their statement.

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 as result of the
ethnic cleansing launched by Azerbaijan in the final years of the
Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 to 1994. Since
the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions
of Azerbaijan around it (the security zone) remain under the control
of Nagorno Karabakh defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan have since
been holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group.

ADOPTION OF NEW DECLARATION ON KARABAKH CONFLICT REGULATION CAN AFFECT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEGOTIATIONS POSITIVELY – EXPERT

ARKA
Jan 18, 2010

YEREVAN, January 18. /ARKA/. "Adoption of new declaration on
Karabakh problem regulation can positively affect the development of
negotiations", said political scientist Alexander Makarov on Monday
during the video-bridge Yerevan-Moscow on the subject "Armenian-Russian
relations: results of the visit of Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Russia to Yerevan".

"Though many declarations are not implemented, this declaration
symbolizes that the parties give great importance to it", said
Makarov. He considered important that in the frames of declaration
certain positions of parties are fixed, otherwise such documents are
meaningless. "If adoption of declaration will assume continuation
of the process in the frames of agreements on peaceful negotiations,
adoption of new declaration will assist further positive development
in negotiations", said Maкkarov.

Karabakh conflict started in 1988 after coming out of Karabakh, settled
mostly by Armenians, from Azerbaijan. On December 10, 1991 referendum
was conducted in Karabakh where 99.89% of population was on the side
of full independence from Azerbaijan. Broad-scale military actions
initiated by Azerbaijan followed this event which brought to lost of
control not only in Karabakh but also its seven regions. From May 12,
1994 after entering into force the agreement on concluding a truce,
military actions were terminated in the result of which about 25-30
thousand people from both sides died and about 1 million had to leave
their houses. Agreement on fire termination acts till now. Since 1992
till now negotiations on peaceful regulation of the conflict in the
frames of Minsk Group of OSCE are conducted till now, the co-chairmen
of which are USA, Russia and France.