RA DIASPORA MINISTRY STAFF HEAD RESIGNS
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.10.2009 18:29 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ By decision of the Armenian government, Artak
Zakaryan was relieved from the post of the head of RA Diaspora
Ministry staff.
Artak Zakaryan has taken up a parliamentary mandate.
DAVUTOGLU: WE CONSIDER THE "OCCUPIED" AZERBAIJANI LANDS OUR LANDS AND WILL CONTINUE OUR STRUGGLE TO RELEASE THEM
AZG DAILY
23-10-2009
Turkey-Azerbaijan
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu gave interview to APA and
some other Azerbaijani news agencies on October 22.
To the question "Can Turkey-Armenia border be reopened unless Nagorno
Karabakh problem is solved?" Davutoglu answered, "Our President, Prime
Minister and I being Foreign Minister, have several times expressed
our position on this issue. I said in the parliament yesterday that
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is as important for us as Turkey’s
territorial integrity and is a strategic priority for us. Nothing
is more important than Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, welfare,
stability and Turkey-Azerbaijan friendship. As this is the fundamental
principle of our foreign policy your question has also been replied.
One should ask – Does the status-quo favor Azerbaijan, Turkey or
Armenia? For 17 years Azerbaijan’s territories – our territories, as
we consider it so, – are under "occupation". Turkey has always made
efforts to end this "occupation". Previous ministers, governments
supported Azerbaijan after the country gained its independence. It
will always be so. Nothing can change the reality that Turkey is always
with Azerbaijan. But we should think over changing the status-quo. We
should find ways to end peacefully the "occupation" lasting for 17
years. We said to the entire world the day when the protocols were
signed, earlier and later: Turkey-Armenia normalization may improve
only if there is large-scale normalization in the region.
It means that Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict should also be solved. How
can it be solved? Of course, by ending the "occupation". This is such
an open position that no one in Azerbaijan should doubt it. We consider
the occupied Azerbaijani lands our lands and will continue our struggle
to release them. We think that these protocols will give an impetus
to this process. Dynamism has been observed in this direction in the
past five months. A delegation went to Lachin to carry out technical
analysis. This is connected with Turkey’s Caucasus policy. We touch on
Karabakh problem at every meeting, every international event that we
attend. I discussed Karabakh conflict with Hillary Clinton in Zurich
when the protocols were signed. The representative of our ministry Unal
Cevikoz is attending the meeting of the Minsk Group in Vienna. Even
if Azerbaijan does not put Karabakh problem for discussion, Turkey
will do it everywhere. This is one of our national problems. We do
not discriminate between Azerbaijani and Turkish lands, Azerbaijani
and Turkish flags".
PROTOCOLS WILL BE RATIFIED WITHOUT RESERVATIONS, SAYS MP RAZMIK ZOHRABYAN
Tert
Oct 21 2009
Armenia
"There is international experience [which provides the option] to sign
with reservations, but, in my opinion, the Protocols will be signed
as they are, but only after Turkey [ratifies the Protocols]," said
Republican Party MP Razmik Zohrabyan, referring to those opinions that
state Armenia’s parliament might ratify the Armenian-Turkish Protocols
with certain reservations, during his meeting with journalists today.
The MP also referred to the news that the the process of ratifying
the Protocols in Armenia, or at least voting on them, might take
place behind closed doors.
"I don’t think that the voting in Armenia will take place behind
closed doors. What sort of mysterious voting is that, that it has
to be closed? Keeping the voting closed from the people will more or
less create space for rumours," noted Zohrabyan.
TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER: AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AS VALUABLE AS TURKEY’S
Anadolu Agency
Oct 21 2009
Turkey
ANKARA (A.A) – 21.10.2009 – Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
said on Wednesday that territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was as
valuable as Turkey’s territorial integrity.
"There is not any other country than Turkey which exerted that
much effort on this issue," added Davutoglu who addressed Turkish
Parliament and gave information about the protocols signed by Turkey
and Armenia on October 10 to establish diplomatic ties and develop
bilateral relations.
Davutoglu said that one of the targets of the protocols was to
establish a general normalization basis in Caucasus.
He recalled that many paragraphs in the protocols were making a
reference to normalize bilateral relations and thus to advance peace,
security and stability in the region.
Noting that Turkey’s efforts for the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan would continue without any disruption, Davutoglu said that
he, President Abdullah Gul and Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan always
told that the basic issue in this subject was Karabakh issue.
He added that Turkey would exert efforts to solve the conflict
about Karabakh regardless of international, regional and bilateral
conjuncture.
ARMENIA’S GDP IN JANUARY-SEPTEMBER FALLEN 18.3 PER CENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.10.2009 16:19 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Over the nine months of 2009 GDP of Armenia decreased
by 18.3 per cent to $ 2 trillion 123 billion AMD, the RA National
Statistical Service published.
Armenia’s economy showed some trends of stabilization, since GDP over
the first 7 months fall by 18.5 per cent, over the eight months – by
18.4 per cent. The biggest decline in Armenia’s economy was observed
in construction industry: by 53.8 per cent. The volume of industrial
production in the country in January-September 2009 reached 459.694
billion AMD, 11.4 per cent less down compared to the same period of
2008. The decline in agriculture averaged 2.3 per cent, while in the
service industry – 1.8 per cent.
NZHK DEMANDS TO RELEASE THE TEXT
12:02:21 – 19/10/2009
hos15588.html
The board of the Nor Zhamanakner (New Times, NZhK) party addressed
an open letter to the Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandyan
demanding to release the final text of the Armenian-Turkish protocols
signed on October 10, in Zurich considering the fact that new
provisions are said to be included in them.
ABDULLAH GUL: THERE IS PROGRESS IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
AZG DAILY
20-10-2009
International
The Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in his interview with TRT1
TV channel that there was progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement, CNN Turk reported with the reference to the TRT1 TV
channel.
According to Azerbaijani media, the Turkish president also noted that
Ankara’s intention to normalize diplomatic relations with Yerevan
made the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, which has been forgotten at the
political arena for many years, topical.
There is progress in the settlement of the conflict, Gul said not
divulging what it was.
The Turkish president added that the U.S. and Russia have the same
opinion on this issue.
"The Ankara-Baku relations are developing as previously. Azerbaijan
and Turkey are one nation, two states", Gul said.
The Economist, UK
Oct 10 2009
Bones to pick: Turkey and Armenia
DER ZOR, SYRIA
A new deal, but the old quarrels persist
THE bones protrude from the earth. An Armenian priest extracts them,
praying quietly. Syrian secret police in a green jeep look on.
Residents of Busayrah, a village 35km (22 miles) south-east of Der
Zor, claim the bones are of hundreds of thousands of Armenians marched
into the Syrian desert and slaughtered by Ottoman forces in 1915.
"Donkeys are now defecating on the bones of my forefathers. They were
not allowed dignity, not even in death," says Khatchig Mouradian, a
journalist.
Armenians say the mass extermination of their forebears was genocide.
Members of the Armenian diaspora believe that justice will not be done
until the world, and above all Turkey, accepts this. And that is why
many viscerally oppose a landmark deal between Turkey and its
landlocked neighbour, Armenia, due to be signed this weekend in
Switzerland.
Serzh Sargsyan, Armenia’s president, has been blasted by nationalist
opponents and greeted with howls of "traitor" by thousands of Armenian
protesters in France, America and Lebanon where he has
(unsuccessfully) lobbied the diaspora’s leaders for support. Websites
with names like "stoptheprotocols.com" abound.
The draft agreement calls for diplomatic ties and the reopening of
Armenia’s border with Turkey, sealed by the Turks in 1993 in
solidarity with their Azeri cousins after Armenia occupied chunks of
Azerbaijan following a nasty war over the mainly Armenian enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Diaspora Armenians are especially incensed by a plan
for a joint commission of historians to investigate the events leading
up to 1915. They fume that this calls the genocide into doubt and may
make it harder to seek compensation. Most historians agree that there
were as many as 1m Armenians living in Turkey before 1915, compared
with 60,000 today. Much of their wealth went to Muslim Turks.
William Schabas, a professor of human rights in Galway, Ireland, says
the 1915 killings constituted genocide. But he also argues that "there
is no solid legal precedent for a right to compensation with respect
to events that took place nearly a century ago." In Turkey, too, there
are deep misgivings about peace with Armenia. Opposition parties have
accused Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, of "carrying out
America’s orders" and "selling the country". They will fight the
agreement if it is put to a vote in parliament.
Mr Erdogan (whose ruling Justice and Development Party has a clear
majority in parliament) has made clear that Armenia needs to cede some
of the occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh before the
agreement can be approved. That is because Azerbaijan, which sells
large quantities of oil and gas to Turkey, threatens to turn to Russia
should Turkey abandon its cause. The Turks pin their hopes on a
meeting due soon between Mr Sargsyan and his Azeri counterpart, Ilham
Aliev, in Moldova. Mr Aliev claims that a deal is imminent. But Mr
Sargsyan has said that he won’t be "signing anything".
The concern for Turkey may then be that merely signing a deal with
Armenia without ratifying it will not be enough to stave off threats
by America’s Congress to pass a bill labelling the Armenian tragedy as
genocide. The past week’s events show that, even if Turkey and Armenia
shake hands, the diaspora will keep to its cause. But the question
Turkey should ask itself is how long it can evade the ghosts of its
bloody past.
SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT IS VERY IMPORTANT FROM REGIONAL POINT OF VIEW: AZERBAIJANI DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER
Trend
Oct 6 2009
Azerbaijan
Settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is very important from
regional point of view as all communications and roads are closed,
Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister Araz Azimov said.
"Co-chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group prepare a meeting of Azerbaijani and
Armenian Presidents in Kishinev. We also prepare for this meeting. More
attention will be paid to several issues. But some of them will be
discussed during further stages of the talks," Azimov told media on
October 6.
The next meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev
and Serzh Sarkisian will be held in Kishinev on October 8, Russian
co-chairman of OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov told media in Baku
on October 6.
There is no unilateral settlement of the conflict. It can be solved
only on the basis of a compromise, Azimov said.
He said that Azerbaijan is ready for a compromise settlement. High
degree of autonomy within the Azerbaijani Republic must be given to
Karabakh, deputy minister said.
He said that Armenia must also refuse from maximalism and take
further actions. "If these actions are not taken, there will not be
any conceptual settlement of conflicts," Azimov said.
He said that one of the principles is liberation of seven
regions. Karabakh must remain as part of Azerbaijan. Refugees must
return, communities must establish joint life. Afterwards, the issue
on status can be solved. "There is not other solution. Other logic
is unacceptable. There can not be any variant for Armenia to solve
the conflict without Azerbaijan’s consent," deputy minister 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 7
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 the peace negotiations.
PARLIAMENT OF GEORGIA MAY START SAAKASHVILI’S IMPEACHMENT PROCEDURE
PanARMENIAN.Net
16.10.2009 17:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Parliament of Georgia calls to start impeachment
proceedings of the President Mikheil Saakashvili . The representative
of the Republican Party, a member of the "Strong Georgia" opposition
faction Carlo Kopaliani told a press conference in Tbilisi, that the
report of the EU commission, acknowledging Saakashvili to be guilty
for the war in South Ossetia, enables to start such a procedure.
As GeorgiaTimes says, according to the deputy, the report showed that
"the emperor is naked, and those who are trying to cover up him –
are fig leaves." Carlo Kopaliani called on Saakashvili to resign
voluntarily.
In accordance with law, a document on the impeachment must be signed
by at least a third of the 150 MPs. Only in this case the document is
then passed to the Supreme and Constitutional Courts of Georgia. A day
before the movement of Levan Gachechiladze "Protect Georgia" launched a
campaign to" alienate Georgia from the President Mikheil Saakashvili".
The report of the EU commission acknowledged that the Georgian
authorities are guilty of unleashing of active hostilities, the massive
large-scale military operation in Tskhinvali and the application of
prohibited weapons. Furthermore, Saakashvili’s regime was accused of
shooting and destruction of non-military objects and military attack
on the UN peacekeeping mission.
Last week, the opposition, which has long conducted an open war
with the president, demanded to recognize Mikheil Saakashvili to be
a war criminal and bring him before a tribunal. As the Labor Party
of Georgia stated, if Saakashvili is not disarmed on time, he would
endanger the entire region.
The party also announced its intention to apply to the official
Brussels and Washington to immediately start an investigation over
the Georgian leader’s actions. Earlier, the Labor Party demanded that
Saakashvili resigned himself. The Conservative Party raised the issue
of starting p he president and impeachment.
Mikheil Saakashvili has repeatedly said that he is not going to resign
before expiration of his term in 2013. In regard to the report of the
EU Commission, the president first called it "a diplomatic victory
of Georgia," and then accused the commission of authority abuse. As
the leader of Georgia said "one does not need know much to give a
true assessment of the other country’s heavily-armed troops invasion,
the country, which threatened you for many years."