Author: Karakhanian Suren

AHMET DAVUTOGLU: "THERE WILL BE STRONG ACTIONS TOWARDS PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE CAUCASUS"

APA
Feb 11 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "We have strong political will for establishing permanent
peace and stability in the Caucasus", Turkish foreign minister
Ahmet Davutoglu told journalists at the airport on his departure for
Kazakhstan, APA reports quoting Anatolian news agency.

Answering the question about the Turkey’s political will towards
the normalization of relations with Armenia, the minister said there
would be strong actions towards peace and stability in the Caucasus.

Davutoglu said he was visiting Kazakhstan as a foreign minister for
the first time and then he would visit other Central Asian countries.

TURKISH GOVERNMENT REJECTS: CHIRAC NEVER HINTED ERDOGAN NOT TO TAKE WIFE TO FRANCE

Panorama.am
14:43 10/02/2010

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz
Baykal claimed yesterday that French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to take his wife to
France during an official visit due to her attire [headscarf].

Later Baykal’s press office clarified Baykal had made a mistake and
it went about not the French President-in-office Sarkozy but former
President Jacques Chirac.

According to Turkish Zaman, Turkey’s government has spread an official
message claiming Baykal’s statement has nothing to do with the reality.

Turkish Embassy to France also rejected the information. The Ambassador
recalled that President Gul and PM Erdogan took their wives to France
on their recent visits.

AZERBAIJANI RULING PARTY: TURKEY WILL NOT DIGRESS FROM DISCUSSING SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Trend
Feb 8 2010
Azerbaijan

Turkey will not digress from discussing the so-called "Armenian
genocide", Azerbaijani ruling party said.

"The Armenian lobby has used all possible ways for the U.S. Congress to
recognize the so-called genocide. Turkey will not retreat, despite the
so-called Armenian genocide is envisaged to be put to the vote by the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the U.S. House of Representatives
in March," Deputy Executive Secretary of New Azerbaijan Party, MP
Mubariz Gurbanli said in his interview with the Internet site of the
party on Monday.

There are no diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia since
1993. The reason is anti-Turkish campaign carried out by Armenia in
the international community and related to the so-called "Armenian
genocide". Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan invited Turkish President
Abdullah Gul to Yerevan for the World Cup qualifying match between
Armenia and Turkey held on September 6. After Gul’s visit diplomatic
efforts to normalize relations between the two countries continue to
take place.

The draft resolution on the recognition of "Armenian genocide" was
delivered by the Democrat Congressman from California, Adam Schiff,
to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the House of Representatives
in January 2007. "Despite pro-Armenian congressmen managed to carry
out this resolution through the committee, the president vetoed it,
and the resolution was not put to the vote in the U.S. Congress and
Senate," MP said.

The Armenian National Committee in the United States continues to make
efforts towards the recognition of the so-called "Armenian genocide".

"The main purpose of all these actions is to put pressure on Turkey
and force it to open its borders with Armenia. But the whole course of
events testifies to the fact that Turkey will not retreat to discuss
the so-called genocide," the deputy executive secretary said.

New Azerbaijan Party was founded in 1992 by national leader Heydar
Aliyev, when he was a chairman of Nakhchivan Supreme Majlis. Now
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has been heading the party for
17 years.

DISMISSALS AT KAPAN COMBINE

Lragir.am
08/02/10

Dismissals started at the Deno Gold Mining Company of Kapan. We
tried to find out from the head of the Company’s expert for public
relations Norayr Aghayan the number and the reason of dismissals
who did not say concrete numbers. We asked whether it is determined
by the recent strike and the increase of salaries, Aghayan said it
can be somehow connected with it, but dismissals were to take place
regardless everything. "We have the aim to optimize the manpower
because the correlation of workers and the work is not right, there
is not enough work for everyone", noted Aghayan.

PROPAGANDA MACHINERY OF AZERBAIJAN: NEW TENDENCIES
Samvel Martirosyan

"Noravank" Foundation
08 February 2010

Azerbaijani propaganda actively continues to use the elaborated theses
which have been used against Armenia and Armeniancy in general over
the whole conflict period. At the same time in the recent period
several main trends, which became definitely prior, are elaborated
actively. And today a definite tradition has been established:
the main theses, the instructive directions for media, analytics,
"information front fighters" working on the Internet are programmed
through the addresses of Ilham Aliyev.

If we trace the recent addresses of the president of Azerbaijan then
the direct correlations between the underlined in them theses of
anti-Armenian character and further massive discharge to the press
and other Azerbaijani sources can be found.

In November-December 2009 president of Azerbaijan made a number
of statements in which he circled the main framework within which
Azerbaijani propagandists would act in the near future.

The main anti-Armenian theses of 2009 were:

Armenia is on the verge of economic collapse, the population
is famishing and ready to make any concessions to save from the
starvation death.

Armenian army is demoralizing; soldiers desert to Azerbaijan,
corruption grew, the moral and fighting spirit are at a very low level.

Armenia is not only ready to leave the freed territories, but also
initiated the arrangements on the withdrawal of the troops, building
of the new security lines alongside the borders of the NKAD.

The population of Karabakh is ready to be a part of Azerbaijan and
do not want to bind their future to poor Armenia.

Armenia is suffering a demographic decline which negative aftereffects
are growing every year.

Alongside with these theses the anti-theses are used which are
directed to the strengthening of the positive image of Azerbaijan
both for domestic and foreign consumers. Thus, alongside with
the anti-Armenian theses, in order to intensify their effect, the
followings are elaborated:

Despite the global economic crisis, the economy of Azerbaijan continued
to grow in 2009.

Azerbaijani army is getting stronger every year; the financing of
the army is increasing and it can be compared to the whole annual
budget of Armenia. The defence industry of Azerbaijan is developing,
new offensive arms are bought.

Azerbaijan cannot wait and negotiate always. If in the near time
Armenia does not make concessions, Azerbaijani party will have to
initiate military action which will lead to the fast freeing of
Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian occupation.

In case of the solution of the Karabakh issue Azerbaijan is ready to
invest more in the restoration of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan is developing intensively in all the directions. The
population, which number at the beginning of 2010 exceeded 9 million
people, is also growing.

In order to substantiate the aforementioned theses all the
available means are used. The economic statistics is falsified:
thus, to prove the positive growth of the GDP the inflation rate is
lowered artificially1. The proven falsifying methods are also used in
demographic statistics: thus, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh was
included in the population of Azerbaijan and according to the state
statistics committee 730 thousand Azerbaijanis live there2.

Tracing the reactions on the publication in Azerbaijani press in the
forums and blogs allows concluding that the Azerbaijani propaganda
exert rather serious influence on Azerbaijanis. Today most of the
Internet users in Azerbaijan fully trust propaganda and are sure
that Armenia is starving, is on the verge of collapse and soon the
Armenians will be ready to make maximum concessions on Karabakh issue.

In general, today, the aggressive psychological pressure is imposed
on the Armenians, in order to induce apprehension of Azerbaijan among
us3. The whole propaganda machinery is working in this direction. At
the same time in Baku to all appearance they underestimate the factor
of the reducing of the citation index of the Azerbaijani mass media
during the last year.

Weak points of Azerbaijani propaganda Azerbaijani propaganda machinery
is not deprived of other shortcomings either. Thus, the synchronism
of the discharge of the anti-Armenian themes, alongside with the
psychological cumulative effect has its rather negative aftermaths
for the Azerbaijani party as periodically the media field is deformed
radically. "Plan model" of the propaganda machinery has the same
shortcomings as the Soviet economy: it is extremely slow, awkward
and needs constant accountability to the top.

The quality of the work of the Azerbaijani propagandists on the level
of more or less long-term projects (film or big analytical article)
drops abruptly because money for that programmes are allotted from the
state foundations (mainly Foundation for State Support of Mass Media
of Azerbaijan under the president administration and Gayedar Aliyev
Foundation, headed by the first lady Mehriban Aliyeva) which demand
for the fast realization and accountability. Looking at the level of
the implementation of a number of the recent projects, one can make
conclusions about the extent of the corruption and the waste of the
finances allotted to the anti-Armenian propaganda purposes. E.g. for
Justice for Khojaly web-site a little changed posters of one of the
candidates to the presidents of Armenia were used (!).

Besides, due to the fact that the psychological attack on Armenia is
going on at a stepped-up pace the propaganda machinery glitch from
time to time, very often the falsified facts are used. Periodically,
in order to achieve the necessary result demanded by the authorities,
Azerbaijani press uses undisguised senseless materials allowing
to report back for the work done. E.g., in order to support the
idea that most of the population of Armenia is famishing, 1news.az
agency issues the material about the invasion of the mice from the
territory of the NKR summarizing the article in the following way:
"The situation in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh reached such an awful
level that people run away from Armenia and mice run away from the
empty occupied territories" 4.

1uËÏÎÏÍEËÁ aÚÅÒÂÁÊÄOÁ ÎÁ. eÔÏCE 2009 CÏÄÁ.

/2010/01/18/azerbaijan-economy/

2aÅÍ&#x CF;CÒÁÆEÑ – ÍEÆEÞÅÓËEÊ <<ÒÅÓÕÒÓ>&g t; aÚÅÒÂÁÊÄOÁ ÎÁ.

2009/12/09/azerbaijan-demography/

3"Today Armenia lives in the atmosphere of fear. Their life in fear
brings to the fact that country cannot provide its security. Because
it is afraid". From the speech of Ilham Aliyev within the framework
of his visit to Geranboy district during the opening of the new
settlement for the displaced persons.

4cÏÌÏÄÎÙÅ ÍÙÛE, ÂÅCÕÝEÅ Ó ÏËËÕÐEÒÏ×& #xC1;ÎÎÙÈ ÔÅÒÒEÔÏÒEÊ , ÕÎEÞÔÏOÁÀÔ ÐÏÓÅ×Ù
× æEÚÕÌEÎÓËÏ Í ÒÁÊÏÎÅ.

Ot her issues of author

INFORMATIONAL CONTEXT OF THE POSSIBLE OPENING OF THE TURKSIH BORDER
[21.12.2009] CONTEMPORARY INFOGENIOUS CHALLENGES [18.05.2009]
INFORMATION SUPPORT TO THE SOUTH OSSETIAN WAR [13.09.2008] ISSUES OF
ARMENIA’S CYBER SECURITY [10.07.2008] THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE AS
ISRAEL INSTRUMENT OF PRESSURE [15.05.2008] KOSOVO AS THE INSTRUMENT
OF GLOBAL INFLUENCE [11.04.2008] SOME INFORMATION ASPECTS OF THE
ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA [12.02.2008]

FIRST MEETING OF YOUNG SPECIALISTS IN SCR

ARKA
Feb 8, 2010

YEREVAN, February 8. /ARKA/. First meeting of young specialists started
on February 5 in the Head Office of CJSC "South-Caucasian Railway"
in the railway station of Yerevan.

After visiting railway museum participants visited the station Masis
where they got acquainted with the work of different services and
new technologies invested by SCR, especially the work of automated
workplace.

In Yerevan they attended the exhibition "Development strategy of SCR:
technology and specialists".

"Times are changing and the demands- working ability, initiative,
ability of working in the environment and decision- making remain
the same. Young railwaymen have time to study. We established Board
of Young Specialists for studying and teaching others in future",
said Shevket Shaydullin, General Director of SCR.

The meeting selected Board members. Vahe Davtyan, Head of press service
of the company was selected a Chairman of the Board who presents the
program "Youth of SCR in 2010-2015".

Such meetings will take place regularly and solve issues which interest
young specialists, as well as obtain skills and knowledge.

Concession management of "Armenian railway" is implemented by CJSC
"South Caucasian Railway" which is 100% affiliate of Open JSC "Russian
Railway". SCR accepted the railway stock of CJSC "Armenian railway"
on its balance from June 1, 2008 according to Concession Agreement
signed on February 13, 2008. The terms of concession management is
for 30 years with the right of prolongation for another 10 years.

Armenia to Make Debut Appearance at LA Times Travel Show Feb. 13-14,
Los Angeles Convention Center.

Armenian American Chamber of Commerce Press Release

PRESS RELEASE
February 2, 2010 / For Release Upon Receipt
Contact: Karmen, Armenian American Chamber of Commerce, Tel. 818-247-0196
Armenia to Make Debut Appearance at LA Times Travel Show Feb. 13-14

(LOS ANGELES)– For the first time in the history of the Los Angeles
Times Travel and Adventure Show, the Republics of Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh (Artsakh) will be represented-in the main Exhibition Hall,
on-stage with cultural performances, and with a photo travelogue.
The tourism offices of Armenia and Karabakh will share a large
"Welcome to Armenia" booth in the Exhibition Hall of the Travel Show,
which organizers estimate will be seen by as many as 50,000 people
over the course of the two-day show.
Armenia’s participation is co-sponsored by the Armenian American
Chamber of Commerce (AACC), located in Glendale, Calif., the Armenian
Tourism Development Agency (ATDA), based in Yerevan, Armenia, and the
Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia, in Los Angeles.
Armenia will also be represented on the "Global Beat Stage" with a
music and dance performance at 11:10 am on each day of the show. The
Gevorkian Dance Academy will perform modern and fold dances in
traditional attire, and the Armenian music and dance group Duo Images
will perform, as well.
And there is a "Destination Workshop" featuring a slide show
travelogue about Armenia and Karabakh at 3:30 pm on the first day of
the show, Feb. 13.
This slide show, entitled "Welcome to Armenia: Ancient Nation, New
Republic," will be presented by Matthew Karanian and Robert Kurkjian,
the authors of Armenia’s first-ever commercial travel guidebook
dedicated solely to Armenia. The show features spectacular photography
of the people, vistas, and historic sites of Armenia and Karabakh.
In addition to showcasing the beauty of Armenia and Karabakh in
photographs, Karanian and Kurkjian will discuss the current state of
tourism in the two republics and explain some of the logistics of
getting there and getting around. They will also discuss Armenia’s
prospects for developing as an eco-tourism destination. Their
guidebook on Armenia, "The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh,"
is the best-selling guide to the country.
"This is a huge event for Armenia, but also especially for Karabakh,"
says Zaven Kazazian, a member of the AACC. "This is a rare opportunity
to showcase Armenians at one of the largest travel shows in the
world," he said.
Participation in the travel show caps a decade of growth in Armenia’s
tourism market, according to the Armenian Consul General
G. Hovhannissian. "Armenia attaches a special importance to tourism,
and has declared it to be a priority sector for the country’s economic
development," he said. "This is a joint undertaking [by the government
and the private sector] and I am sure the Armenia booth will attract a
lot of visitors," he added.
Approximately 650,000 tourists traveled to Armenia in 2009-a ten-fold
increase over the number who visited just a decade ago. More than a
million visitors are projected to annually travel to Armenia by 2020.
The event is a milestone for the development of tourism in Armenia,
says Nick Hacopian a member of the AACC and the Chair of the committee
that organized Armenia’s participation in the travel show. "This is
the largest travel event in the US, and our presence will help
showcase Armenia to a vast new audience," he said.
Representatives of Levon Travel and Sidon Travel-two Los Angeles
travel agencies that offer tours to Armenia– will be at the Armenia
booth each day to explain the logistics of traveling there. And
several tour operators will travel to the Los Angeles from Armenia to
be at the booth, including Saberatours-Sevan; Armenia Travel M; Elitar
Travel; and Nueva Vista Travel.
The LA Times Travel Show will be open to the public from 10 am to 5 pm
on Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14, at the Los Angeles
Convention Center, 1201 South Figueora Street, Los Angeles. Admission
is $10 (Children 16 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an
adult). More information is available at
The Armenian American Chamber of
Commerce was founded in 1999. The organization serves Southern
California’s Armenian American business community and encourages
greater ties and collaboration with the business community of
Armenia. The AACC can be reached at , and at
818-247-0196.
END

Armenia-Turkey relations discussed at Swiss Foreign Ministry
05.02.2010 20:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Swiss Foreign Ministry hosted a meeting between
Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary, Feridun Sinirlioglu and
Switzerland’s State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Michael Ambul
Friday, February 5.

As Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman Erik Reumann told PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter, Armenia-Turkey reconciliation was discussed among other
issues.

Bilateral meetings between Turkish and Swiss Foreign Ministries carry
regular character, Erik Reumann stated.

When asked if Feridun Sinirlioglu voiced Ankara’s concerns over the
ruling of Armenian Constitutional Court on Armenia-Turkey
rapprochement, the spokesman refused a reply.

As he noted, Switzerland has completed its mission as mediator in
Armenia-Turkey rapprochement, having assumed observer’s position.

As was reported earlier, to prevent Armenia-Turkey rapprochement
process disruption, Ankara intends to send diplomats to US and
Switzerland. Ankara’s concerns over RA Constitutional Court’s ruling
on rapprochement Protocols were to be presented, urging US and Swiss
authorities to undertake steps to prevent process disruption.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish
counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of
diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.
On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Commenting on the CC ruling, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
said that `the decision contains preconditions and restrictive
provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols.’

‘The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these
Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach cannot
be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed
allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence
to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same
allegiance from the Armenian Government,’ the Ministry said.

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Feb 6 2010

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu meets with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev

Saturday, 6 February 2010

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with the Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliye on Friday February 5 in Germany where he
attended the 46th Munich Security Conference. The meeting was closed
to the press but they were allowed to take photos at the beginning of
the calls.

It is reported that the recent developments in regards to the the
mutual agreement which was achieved prior to the meeting was
evaluated. The Turkish side was notified about the negotiations
between Armenia and Azerbaijan concerning the Upper Karabakh
conflict’s solution which was made in the city of Sochi and chaired by
Russian President Dimitriy Medvedev.

Opinions were expressed about the decision of the Constitutional Court
of Armenia on the process of the normalization of relations with
Turkey. Energy issues were also touched upon in the meeting.

Davutoglu is also expected to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister
Manucherh Motaki and Swedish Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy Rey.

Davutoglu will participate in a panel discussion today. He is also
expected to in partake in various bilateral talks within the framework
of the conference

Saturday, 6 February 2010

Ayse Akgul (JTW)

HYSTERICS OF AZERBAIJAN ON RESUMPTION OF WAR INAPPROPRIATE

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.02.2010 16:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Virtually the possibility of renewed hostilities at
Azerbaijan’s frontline is not ruled out, but I do not think it will
happen," Artyush Shahbazyan , secretary of the ARFD parliamentary
told a briefing at the National Assembly of Armenia.

According to Shahbazyan, a new war will not resemble the war of early
1990’s, as the preparedness and weapons of the armies of both countries
are different. "Immediately after hostilities starts, the parties will
suffer great losses that would result in a great numbers of refugees,"
he said.

ARFD faction secretary added that the hysteria of Azerbaijan on the
resumption of hostilities is not appropriate, since at the beginning
of March 2008 an unsuccessful attempt had already been made and the
Azerbaijani army had suffered substantial losses.

On March 3-4, 2008 the Azeri troops tried to break the NKR Defense
Army. As a result of actions taken by the NKR army, the Azeri side
lost more than 20 people.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun is an Armenian
political party founded in Tiflis (Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia)
in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian
The ARF has the largest number of members from the political parties
present in the Armenian Diaspora, having established affiliates in
more than 200 countries.

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun led the effort toward the establishment of
the first Armenian Republic in 1918 and was the party in power for
the duration of its existence. Following the Sovietization of Armenia
in 1920, the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun was banned by the Communists and its
leadership exiled.

In the Diaspora, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun fought Soviet rule over
Armenia and championed the cause of Armenian rights and independence;
it played a leading role in organizing a social and cultural framework
aimed at preserving the Armenian identity.

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun officially re-emerged in Armenia during the
dissolution of the USSR, in 1990.

On December 28, 1994, the activities of the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun were
"temporarily suspended" by the Armenian authorities. In view of
the political nature of the anti-ARF interdictions by the Armenian
authorities, the ARF continued to operate in Armenia. On February 9,
1998, less than a week after the resignation of the then president
Ter-Petrossian, the Justice Ministry lifted the ban on the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun.

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