Author: Karakhanian Suren

AZERBAIJAN TO TRY "OTHER WAYS" OF HANDLING N. KARABAKH CONFLICT IF TALKS FAIL

Interfax
Jan 25 2010
Russia

Azeri television on Saturday quoted the Azeri president’s chief of
staff as saying Azerbaijan "will apparently have to look for other
ways" if the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict proves impossible to settle
through talks.

"We are trying to resolve the conflict in a peaceful way. If a peaceful
resolution of the conflict is not found, we will apparently have to
look for other ways. We must liberate our lands. We will not give our
lands to anyone as a gift," Ramiz Mekhtiyev, President Ilham Aliyev’s
chief of staff, was quoted by ANS channel as saying.

Mekhtiyev was speaking in connection with a planned meeting in Sochi,
Russia, on Monday between Aliyev and the presidents of Armenia and
Russia, Serzh Sargsyan and Dmitry Medvedev.

"I believe that our people are prepared for the resolution of the
problem in appropriate form. Naturally, we are trying to resolve
this problem in a peaceful way, and President Ilham Aliyev is making
numerous attempts to that end, he is holding meetings, he is working,"
Mekhtiyev said.

ARTUR PETROSIAN APPOINTED RA MINISTER OF SPORT AND YOUTH AFFAIRS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 1, 2010

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, NOYAN TAPAN. By RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s
January 29 decree Armen Gevorgian was relieved of the post of the RA
Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs.

According to RA President’s Press Office, by S. Sargsyan’s another
decree Artur Petrosian was appointed RA Minister of Sport and Youth
Affairs.

A. Petrosian was born on May 22 1952 in the Ani region of Armenian SSR,
in the family of an office worker.

In 1970 he graduated from Yerevan secondary school N 83.

In 1970-1976 he studied and graduated from the Mining Faculty of
Yerevan State Engineering Institute.

In 1976-1981 he worked at Nurnus Stone Procession Factory as shift
chief, then as mine chief, then as production chief.

In 1981 he was employed by the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs as
an authorized person, then as a senior authorized person, head of
department, then head of board.

In 1992 he was appointed Head of the Operative Department of the
State Tax Inspection under the RA government.

In 1993 he was appointed Deputy Head of the RA State Tax Inspection
and in 1995 First Deputy Head of the RA State Tax Inspection, Head
of the Operative Department. He has a special rank of the State Tax
Inspection Colonel.

On November 8 1999 he was appointed Adviser to the RA National
Assembly Speaker.

In 2003 he headed the Kentron TV company.

>>From May 2003 to 2007 he was RA National Assembly deputy.

>>From 2009 February he has been a member of the Bargavach Hayastan
(Prosperous Armenia) party.

>>From 2009 July up to the new appointment he was Head of the RA
State Labor Inspection.

He is married, has two children.

MAJOR AMERICAN COALITION BACKS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

armradio.am
02.02.2010 11:10

As the House and Senate Armenian Genocide resolutions saw the
additions of Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA), and Senators Sam Brownback
(R-KS) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) during the month of January, the
Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) also welcomed the unanimous
support of the Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) regarding
U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide reported the Assembly.

"We are proud to stand with the Armenian Assembly and lend our support
to this critically important human rights issue," stated Max Teleki,
President of the Hungarian American Coalition.

The CEEC represents 18 nationwide organizations representing more than
22 million Americans who trace their heritage to Central and Eastern
Europe. Founded in 1994, the CEEC has offered a critical voice in
helping to shape U.S. foreign policy. The Coalition includes the
following organizations: American Hungarian Federation, American
Latvian Association in the U.S., Armenian Assembly of America,
Belarusan-American Association, Bulgarian Institute for Research
and Analysis, Congress of Romanian Americans, Washington Chapter
Czechoslovak National Council of America, Estonian American National
Council, Georgian Association in the USA, Hungarian American Coalition,
Joint Baltic American National Committee, Lithuanian American Council,
Lithuanian American Community, National Federation of American
Hungarians, Polish American Congress, Slovak League of America,
Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, and the Ukrainian National
Association.

"As a people, we share a common bond with all those who have fallen
victim to genocide and man’s inhumanity to man," stated Michael Sawkiw
Director, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.

During its meeting last month, at the Assembly’s urging, the Coalition
unequivocally offered its public support for the resolutions swift
passage. "The Polish American Congress welcomes the Assembly’s
initiative," stated Barbara Andersen, Director of Legislation and
Research with the Polish American Congress’s Washington, DC office.

"It is only fitting that as the parliament of Poland affirmed the
Armenian Genocide on the 90th Anniversary, that we affirm our support
during this, the 95th anniversary year," added Andersen.

H.Res. 252, introduced by Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and George
Radanovich (R-CA) along with Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone
Jr. (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) and its counterpart in the Senate,
S.Res. 316 introduced by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and John
Ensign (R-NV), are currently pending in the House Foreign Affairs
Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee respectively.

"As we approach the 95th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the
CEEC’s support is not only timely, but lends a critically important
voice in the cause of genocide education, affirmation and prevention,"
said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

"LONG LASTING WARS ARE EXCLUDED"

Panorama.am
14:08 01/02/2010

"Those thinking that Karabakh conflict will be settled in the framework
of the discussing, negotiating formats, in the forthcoming two years
are deeply confused. Karabakh conflict is classified among those
issues which don’t have soonest solution and can’t be defined.

Similar conflicts are blockaded," Hayk Demoyan, director of Armenian
Genocide museum-institute told at news conference. "Azerbaijan is
ruled by everything otherwise nothing slogan, and they’ll never stop
demanding Nagorno-Karabakh to join them. This is a point that Armenian
side will never assume," expert said adding that in similar cases
war may become conflict settlement scenario. But it was also stated
that Azerbaijan is conscious of its losses if war starts. According
to Demoyan any military activity in the region will be a short one
as 2008 August war showed. "There won’t be long lasting wars. Neither
powerful state will assume that," expert said.

Today’s Zaman

01 February 2010, Monday

Medvedev to pay `key’ visit to Turkey in May
Dmitry Medvedev

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Turkish counterpart,
Abdullah Gül, have confirmed that Medvedev will pay a visit to Turkey
in May, the Kremlin press service announced, noting that both leaders
agreed that this visit will be of `key’ importance in the next period
of Russian-Turkish bilateral relations.

Medvedev and Gül had a telephone conversation upon the latter’s
initiative on Saturday when they exchanged views on the Caucasian
region, while Gül expressed his appreciation for Russia’s contribution
to the international efforts to achieve progress on the
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, a statement by the Kremlin press service
said.

The both sides expressed satisfaction with the joint work in the Black
Sea region and discussed European security issues, including the
Russian initiative to develop a treaty on European security.

The central event in Russian-Turkish relations in the near future will
be the planned visit by the Russian president to Turkey, the press
service said, noting that the agreement on the visit planned for May
was confirmed during the conversation.

The talk between Gül and Medvedev came days after Medvedev hosted
Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev in the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort near Sochi last Monday for
talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a territorial dispute between
Baku and Yerevan.

Russia, along with France and the United States, is one of the three
co-chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has striven to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for more than 17 years.

01 February 2010, Monday
TODAY’S ZAMAN ANKARA

STEPAN SAFARYAN: HAYK BABUKHANYAN FULFILLS AUTHORITIES’ DEMANDS

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.01.2010 15:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Leader of Heritage faction Stepan Safaryan
disapproves Hayk Babukhanyan’s recent statement concerning the party’s
anti-state policy.

As he told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, such conduct clearly
demonstrates that Babukhanyan fulfills authorities’ demands.

"There is reliable information that leader of Constitutional Rights
Union receives funding from an oligarch representing one of coalition
parties. Babukhanyan needs first of all to prove that Heritage conducts
an anti-state policy," he said.

Founded in 2002, Heritage , a National Liberal Party, is national by
its roots, liberal in its economic principle, and an advocate of the
democratic system of governance and due process for its citizens. The
party’s objective is the development of Armenia as a democratic,
lawful, and rights-based country that anchors its domestic and foreign
policies in the nation’s sovereign interest. During the party’s Third
Congress on May 30, 2005, Raffi K. Hovannisian was elected chairman.

The other eight members of the party board were elected by secret vote.

EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COURT RULES TURKEY VIOLATED FREE SPEECH LAWS

Tert.am
17:42 ~U 27.01.10

Europe’s top human rights court on Tuesday ruled that Turkey violated
free speech laws when it suspended five newspapers and sentenced a
magazine editor to prison over an article criticizing prison brutality,
reports AFP and Hurriyet Daily News.

Judges at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said the closure
of the five newspapers for three months by a Turkish court amounted
to censorship.

In the first case, an Istanbul court halted publication of five
newspapers under anti-terrorism laws, saying they were promoting
propaganda from the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.

Some 19 journalists complained this violated their right to freedom
of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The second case involved a magazine which ran an article criticizing
a security operation in Turkish prisons that left 30 inmates dead,
along with a graphic cover photo showing prisoners who had been burned
or beaten.

In the wake of the article, Turkish authorities seized all copies
of the magazine featuring the article and sentenced the owner and
editor-in-chief, Aziz Ozer, to six months’ imprisonment.

The ECHR ruled unanimously that Turkey had violated the right to free
speech in both cases, and said "the practice of banning the future
publication of entire periodicals went beyond any necessary restraint
and amounted to censorship."

AUCTION OF TREASURY SHORT-TERM BONDS WITH 13-WEEK MATURITY HELD ON JANUARY 25

Noyan Tapan
Jan 25, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. An action of state (treasury)
short-term bonds (AMGT13264104 issue) with a 13-week maturity was
held on January 25. The amount of bonds subject to placement was 500
million drams, the demand was 1 billion 289 million drams.

According to the press service of the RA Ministry of Finance, the
placement of bonds made 500 million drams. The revenues from placement
amounted to 490 million 185 thousand 750 drams. The weighted average
yield of the placement is 7.9206, the limit yield is 8.4825%. 7
dealers participated in the auction.

In 2009 Armenian unemployment level increases by 0.8% to 99.3 thousand people

YEREVAN, January 21. /ARKA/. `As of December 31, 2009 Armenian
unemployment level was 7.1% or 99.3 thousand people which are by 0.8%
more than in the same period of 2008′, said Sona Harutyunyan, Head of
State Employment Service of the Ministry of Social Welfare of Armenia
on Thursday to the journalists.

In 2009 the number of job seekers in Armenia exceeded 99.3 thousand
people from which more than 84.4 thousand got status of unemployed.
They are mainly women and about 21% – youth. The number of registered
work migrants was 1600. The main tasks of employment sphere are quick
search of vacancies, contact with employers and job search for
uncompetitive groups.

`We proposed to make amendments in the legislation which envisage
implementation of two new programs, including creation of
opportunities of professional education of rural youth, as well as
creation of working conditions for invalids’, she said. During 2009
the number of people who received consultations in regional and
territorial agencies was 33.4%, total number of which was more than
193 thousand people. Number of people registered for job search
increased by 58.6% instead of envisaged 10% making more than 54.7
thousand.

Cooperation between employers and registered unemployed people through
state employment services was increased. In 2009, 9394 people found
job which is by 9.2% more than the envisaged indicators. 220 people
found jobs in the frames of six job fairs. As for unemployment
benefits in 2009, 33.3 thousand people got benefits versus 21 thousand
unemployed in 2008.

`The program of unemployment benefits was implemented very
productively – 33.3 thousand people received benefits instead of 22
thousand. The government allocated additional 1.4 billion drams for
its implementation’, said Harutyunyan. During 2009 for the payment of
unemployment benefits which is 18 thousand drams and is paid within 6
months, state budget allocated 4.6 billion drams instead of envisaged
3.5 billion drams.

`Because of crisis, increase of unemployment rates was expected in
Armenia but due to anti-crisis programs of the government and programs
in unemployment sphere the rates of unemployment was only 0.8% (ratio
of unemployed to job finders) and absolute growth of unemployment made
10% or about 10 thousand people compared with 2008′, she said. -0–

Turkey’s parliament holds close-door discussions over protocols

Panorama.am
18:59 22/01/2010

According to the Turkish Vatan daily, Foreign Relations Committee of
Turkey’s Parliament had a hot debate over the Armenian-Turkish
protocols. Though the discussions were close-door, it was revealed
that two parliamentary opposition forces – `Democrat Republican’ and
`National Movement’ – urged to return the protocols submitted for
ratification, in response to the Armenian Constitutional Court’s
decision.

The Chairman of the Committee Murat Mercan responded that the issue is
up to the government to decide and highlighted that practically, it
makes no difference as to whether the protocols will be suspended in
the parliament or be returned to the government.

Mercan urged his opposition colleagues not to hurry since quick
actions may put Ankara in even a harsher condition.

Opposition members expressed discontent over Erdogan’s response made
in Saudi Arabia. According to them, it demonstrated Ankara’s waiting
position, whereas the documents should be returned to the government.