Author: Karagyozian Lena

LEBANON GOVERNMENT ACCORD REACHED

BBC NEWS
iddle_east/8347965.stm
2009/11/07 08:15:56 GMT

Lebanon’s political opposition has agreed to join a unity government
under Prime Minister designate, Saad Hariri.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement says its alliance of opposition groups
agreed to the move after talks on Friday.

Hezbollah is expected to officially inform the Western-backed prime
minister of its decision on Saturday.

Relations between Saudi Arabia, which supports Mr Hariri, and
Hezbollah’s backer Syria have improved – leading to the breakthrough,
correspondents say.

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri – who is backed by the United
States and Saudi Arabia – led what many described as an anti-Syrian
coalition to victory in parliamentary elections in June.

He has spent the time since then trying to broker a deal with the
opposition to join a unity cabinet, but faced a number of disputes
over details, specifically the division of ministerial portfolios.

Syria was a significant political player in neighbouring Lebanon
for nearly 30 years, until the death of Saad Hariri’s father, Rafiq,
in 2005.

There had been growing concern among Western countries and the United
Nations over the political deadlock, and its impact on regional
security and the Lebanese economy.

INFLOW OF TOURISTS TO ARMENIA SCALES UP

ArmInfo
2009-11-06 16:17:00

ArmInfo. Inflow of tourists to Armenia till the end of the year will
reach 600000 people growing 7.4% per year, says Mekhak Apresyan,
Head of the Armenian Economy Ministry Department for Tourism. He
told ArmInfo that in Jan-Sept 2009 422807 tourists visited Armenia,
which was 5.8% more than in the same period of 2008. M. Apresyan
says that in winter tourists can have a rest at the resort towns of
Tsakhkadzor and Jermuk as well as in Gyumri were skiing is becoming
more and more popular.

Although 60% of tourists visiting Armenia are Diaspora representatives,
M.Apresyan says, residents of more and more countries are visiting
Armenia year by year. "Over the last year tourists from the
Scandinavian countries and the Far East had visited Armenia. The
number of tourists from Iran and Turkey has significantly grown as
well," he said.

As regards hotel resorts, he said Armenia offers over 170 accommodation
facilities, and over 70 hotels. Half of these complexes are in the
regions. The number of Bed and Breakfasts keeps on growing.

National Statistical Service of Armenia reports 396560 people left
Armenia for tourism purpose in Jan-Sept 2009, which is 1.2% more than
a year ago.

TEAM OF BROTHERS KARAMYAN – ROMANIAN "TIMISHOUARA" HAS A CHANCE TO GO TO 1/16 FINALS OF THE EUROPEAN LEAGUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.11.2009 15:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Romanian "Timisuara" , where the Armenian footballers
Arman and Artavazd Karamyans play, now will hold a guest match with
Belgian Anderlecht in European League . "Timisoara" with 2 points
is 3 points behind Dutch Ajax and Anderlecht, which have 5 points
each. Zagreb Dynamo is at the last line, the official site of UEFA
reports.

TURKISH PREMIER HOPES FOR HISTORIANS

news.am
Nov 5 2009
Armenia

Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently expressed hope for the
Armenian-Turkish disagreements to be settled as a result of studies by
historians and other scholars, while the bilateral relations develop,
reported Anadolu Agency.

The Turkish Premier meant the intergovernmental commission to be set
up to study historical facts and archives. The commission, which is
to be formed under the Armenian-Turkish protocols, will study the
events in Ottoman Turkey, which are regarded as genocide by numerous
historians and other scholars.

The Turkish Premier also pointed out the Armenian-Turkish presidential
meeting in Bursa, Turkey, on October 14. He regards it as "positive
dynamics."

Addressing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Turkish Premier expressed
hope that it will be settled by means of a dialogue. He pointed out
that turkey has always considered Azerbaijan’s interests as its own.

Recep Erdogan also spoke of problems of terrorism. He stated Turkey
has nothing in common with terrorism and murders of innocent people.

The Turkish authorities will not allow terrorist activities in Turkey.

Turkey must open a new page in its history, which would be prerequisite
for a dialogue, harmony and integration instead of enmity and
aggression.

The Turkish Government’s democratic initiatives are actually a
multi-aspect process of national unification. According to Erdogan,
the aim of democratic initiatives is not only to eradicate terrorism,
but also establish friendly relations between people and ensure the
country’s prosperity.

SWITZERLAND CONSIDERS DIALOGUE MAJOR TOOL TO PREVENT CONFLICTS: AMBASSADOR

Trend
Nov 3 2009
Azerbaijan

Switzerland always adhered to the need to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict peacefully, Swiss Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alain Guidetti
told media Nov. 3.

"Switzerland considers the establishment of a dialogue as one of the
major tools for preventing conflicts," Guidetti said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in
December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha,
Khojali and seven districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan
and Armenia signed a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. — are currently holding
peace negotiations.

GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA DID NOT EXCLUDE THE PARTICIPATION OF THE GERMAN ORGANIZATIONS IN CONSTRUCTION OF "NORTH-SOUTH" HIGHWAY AND THE IRAN-ARMENIA RAILWAY

ARMENPRESS
Nov 4, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Transport and Communication
Minister Gurgen Sargsyan received today newly appointed German
ambassador to Armenia Hans-Yochen Schmidt.

Press secretary of the Transport and Communication Ministry told
Armenpress that the minister presented to the ambassador the functions
of the ministry and the implemented programs. They particularly
highlighted construction of "North-South" highway and the Iran-Armenia
railway as well as the programs of restoration of the rural roads
implemented by the Asian Development Bank and World Bank.

G. Sargsyan said that for the first round of the construction of
"North-South" highway the Asian Development Bank will provide 60
million AMD. Soon a project tender for the first round will be
announced after which in 3-4 months an international tender of a
construction company will be announced. The construction works of
the road are expected to kick off in April-May of the next year.

The ambassador noted that Germany has great experience in construction
of roads and did not exclude the participation of the German
organizations in these two projects.

TEHRAN READY FOR NEW TALKS WITH IAEA

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.11.2009 22:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran announced its readiness for new talks with IAEA
on the nuclear program, Ali Ashgar Soltani, permanent representative
of Iran to IAEA said. According to him, Tehran demands "fundamental
changes" in the draft agreement on beneficiation of Iran’s uranium
abroad.

He added that the time for talks should be determined by the leadership
of the atomic agency. Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov proposed to convene a meeting of the "six international
mediators" on Iran, Russia media report.

The statement of ARFD-Movement 88 NKR Parliamentary Faction Leader
unlikely to gain legal force
31.10.2009 16:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Until NKR status issue is resolved, concessions are
out of question in NKR conflict settlement process,’ RA Republican
Party MP Karen Avagyan stated.

Commenting on the statement of ARFD-Movement 88 NKR Parliamentary
Faction Leader Armen Sargsyan on imposing legal charges on those
questioning NKR’s territorial integrity, Karen Avagyan noted the
statement is unlikely to gain legal force.

Regardless of whether the statement will be accepted as a law, NKR
conflict settlement negotiations will continue within OSCE MG
frameworks, Karen Avagyan concluded.

RUSSIA’S ROLE IN KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION TO BE DISCUSSED IN MOSCOW

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.10.2009 12:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia’s role in the Karabakh conflict resolution
will be discussed in Moscow on the initiative of International Alert
and Center of Strategic Research of Religions and Policy of Modern
World.

International Alert’s Projects Director for the Eurasia Program
Dessislava Roussanova, Russian First Channel anchorman Maxim
Shevchenko, deputy director of the Institute of Political and Military
Analysis Sergei Markedov will be the guest speakers.

Chairman of Islamic Commiitee Heydar Jemal, director of Institute
of Social Systems Sergei Kurghinyan, director of RIA Novosti CIS
and Baltic states division Alan Kasayev, representatives of leading
Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani media will be also attending.

MEMBERS OF THE ANC-PAC MET WITH CONGRESSMAN THADDEUS MCCOTTER

PanARMENIAN.Net
31.10.2009 13:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Members of the Armenian National Committee –
Political Action Committee (ANC-PAC) met with Congressman Thaddeus
McCotter in Los Angeles, California to discuss foreign policy issues
important to the Armenian American community.

The centerpiece of the discussion was the Turkish-Armenian protocols,
Armenian Genocide recognition and President Obama’s failure to honor
the memories of the victims of the Genocide.

"Despite campaign promises to officially recognize the Genocide,
the Administration has failed to deliver on its commitment," said
McCotter. "Further, this Administration has worked with Turkey in
pressuring Armenia into accepting an allegedly neutral historical
commission to determine the facts surrounding the Armenian Genocide.

Importantly, the United States should never support efforts to question
the veracity of the Armenian Genocide, a crime that U.S.

diplomats risked their lives to document."

"Turkey must end its blockade of Armenia without imposing preconditions
and end its genocide denial campaign," continued McCotter. "To
demonstrate its good intentions, Turkey should refrain from issuing
official statements which attempt to link the settlement of the
Azerbaijan/Nagorno Karabakh conflict to diplomatic normalization
with Armenia."

Rep. McCotter has been a strong supporter and vocal on Armenian
issues. He has been a Member of the Armenian Caucus since his election
to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002. He is currently a
co-sponsor of H. Res 252- Affirmation of the U.S. Record on the
Armenian Genocide Resolution.