Author: Kharatian Ani

ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN SEPARATED IN EURO 2012 QUALIFYING ROUND

Tert.am
10:53 ~U 08.02.10

The draw for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying round took place in Warsaw
on February 7.

Armenia’s national football team was originally included in Group A,
set to compete against Azerbaijan; however, as UEFA had previously
stated that these two teams wouldn’t play against each other, Armenia
was moved to Group B, where it will play against Russia, Slovenia,
Ireland, Macedonia and Andorra.

According to ESPN, European soccer’s governing body decided before
Sunday’s draw that neighbours Russia and Georgia would be separated
if they were drawn in the same group, as would Azerbaijan and Armenia,
two more former Soviet republics.

UEFA had to enforce their ruling and move Armenia to Group B after they
were drawn in Group A with Azerbaijan. The two countries had refused
to play each other during the 2008 European championship qualifiers.

The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship will be hosted by Poland
and Ukraine and will take place from June 8 to July 1, 2012.

GIBRALTAR OPEN: SERGEY MOVSESIAN SCORES 7,5

Panorama.am
15:39 08/02/2010

GM Sergei Movsesian (Slovakia) scored 7,5 points out of 10 in
Gibraltar Open. He shared the 1st-7th places with GMs Jan Gustaffson
(Germany), Michael Adams (England), Fransisco Vallejo Pons (Spain),
Chanda Sandipan (India), Gata Kamsky (USA) and Etienne Bacrot
(France). According to the regulations, the four chess players with
better indices (Gustaffson, Adams, Vallejo Pons and Sandipan) had
additional matches as a result of which Adams took home the main prize.

TURKISH MINISTER IN MUNICH DISCUSSES ARMENIA, BALKANS

news.az
Feb 8 2010
Azerbaijan

Ahmet Davutoglu Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has raised Ankara’s
concerns over the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation process with Swiss
and US officials.

Speaking to Turkish journalists as part of the 46th Munich Conference
on Security, Davutoglu said that the normalization process of relations
between Turkey and Armenia was something to which "we gave detailed
consideration and something that includes a vision".

"This vision involves not merely the normalization of relations
between Turkey and Armenia but also the improvement of Turkish-Armenian
commercial relations and turning the Caucasus into an area of peace
and well-being," he said. "There will certainly be ups and downs
during the process and some difficulties may be experienced.

We knew that the process might develop this way from the beginning.

Our thoughts, concerns and unease on this matter are clear. We
discussed the situation that arose after the recent decision by the
Armenian Constitutional Court (on the protocols signed by Turkey and
Armenia in 2009) with all the relevant parties in an extremely open
way. Within this framework, we hope that the process will continue
in accordance with the vision we have determined and that, at the
end, we will establish new peace and stability in the region which
could benefit the Turkish and Armenian peoples, Turkey and Armenia,
as well as the Azerbaijanis. We will never stop efforts on this and
we are committed to move the process according to the principles
established at the beginning."

Touching on his bilateral talks in Munich, Mr Davutoglu said that
he had held an extremely comprehensive meeting with the president of
Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

"We discussed with President Aliyev the results of the trilateral
summit held by Russian President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan and Aliyev in Sochi, the recent developments
in the region, the latest point reached on Nagorno-Karabakh, and
Turkish-Armenian relations," he said.

Davutoglu said that he and head of the Federal Department of Foreign
Affairs of the Swiss Federation, Micheline Calmy-Rey, "a dignitary
who played a crucial role in normalizing relations between Turkey and
Armenia", discussed the normalization process and that he conveyed
Turkey’s thoughts on the issue.

"Within this context, I had talks with the deputy secretary of
the US State Department, James B. Steinberg. Mr Steinberg was in
Yerevan. He informed me about his impressions in Armenia. We exchanged
views. We also talked about the latest developments at the US House
of Representatives and an Armenian resolution there. We discussed
the situation in the Caucasus and Balkans," he said.

Balkans, Iran

"I had talks with the foreign minister of Slovenia, someone with whom
Bosnia-Herzegovina has close relations for their European Union (EU)
process. In addition, I had talks with the foreign minister of Sweden,
Carl Bildt, and US President Barack Obama’s National Security Council
adviser, James B. Jones, on bilateral relations and international
topics," Davutoglu said.

"We discussed, with Mr Jones, joint security topics, Iran’s nuclear
program and the Middle East problem," Davutoglu said.

Davutoglu said that he had had the chance to continue in Munich the
talks begun with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in the
Turkish capital, Ankara. They had a comprehensive discussion on Iran’s
nuclear program, bilateral relations and the Middle East.

"I had talks with the foreign minister of Serbia. We will hold a
trilateral meeting with the Serbian foreign minister and the foreign
minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Ankara on Tuesday. This meeting will
be the fifth between the three sides and we plan to hold a trilateral
meeting every month. We will evaluate the steps to be taken in order
to facilitate stability in the Balkans," Davutoglu said.

Minister Davutoglu had separate meetings with the chairman of the
International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, NATO Secretary
General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the European Union rotating
president, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Miguel
Angel Moratinos Cuyaube.

Foreign Minister Davutoglu was scheduled to make a speech on "Security
and Stability in the Middle East" in a panel discussion in Munich on
Sunday and to meet the US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan,
Richard Holbrooke.

"We will talk about Turkey’s potential contributions to Afghanistan
with Mr Holbrooke. I will later hold a tete-a-tete meeting with the
French minister of foreign affairs and European affairs, Bernard
Kouchner," Davutoglu said.

AZG DAILY #20, 06-02-2010

Armenian Genocide

Update: 2010-02-06 01:33:20 (GMT +04:00)

CHAIRMAN BERMAN SETS COMMITTEE VOTE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
FOR MARCH 4TH

U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Howard Berman (D-CA), a
leading Congressional supporter of human rights and a longstanding
friend of the Armenian American community, has scheduled a vote of his
panel on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.252, for Thursday,
March 4th, yesterday reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).

"We want to thank Chairman Berman for his vision and strength in
taking this bold step to send the clear message to Turkey that the
United States Congress will not be complicit in their immoral efforts
to deny truth and justice for the Armenian Genocide," said Ken
Hachikian, Chairman of the ANCA, following his meeting yesterday in
Washington, DC with the senior California legislator. "We look forward
to working with the Chairman and all our friends on the Committee from
both parties to facilitate passage of this critical piece of human
rights legislation by both this panel and the full House of
Representatives. Our grassroots activists are mobilized to help
achieve the success of this effort."

Hachikian also consulted February 4 with several other
Representatives, most notably, Congressional Armenian Genocide
Resolution author Adam Schiff (D-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and senior House Foreign Affairs
Committee Members Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Ed Royce (R-CA).

The House Foreign Affairs Committee adopted legislation similar to
H.Res.252, on a bipartisan basis, in 2000, 2005, and 2007. These past
measures, despite their broad-based support, did not reach the House
floor for an up or down vote, largely due to strident opposition from
the Clinton and Bush administrations fearful of Ankara’s threats of
retaliation. President Obama, during his campaign for office, pledged
to recognize the Armenian Genocide and specifically voiced his strong
support for this exact legislation; his Vice President, Joe Biden, and
Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, both cosponsored this measure.
Since taking office, the Obama Administration has yet to make any
comments, either favorably or unfavorably, on the Armenian Genocide
Resolution currently before Congress.

H.Res.252, introduced in March of 2009 by lead sponsors Adam Schiff
and George Radanovich (R-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), currently has
over 135 cosponsors. A parallel Senate measure, spearheaded by
Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and John Ensign (R-NV), has 13
cosponsors.

NewsOK.com
Feb 6 2010

US Congress to take up Armenia resolution

The Oklahoman
February 5, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) ‘ A U.S. congressional panel will consider a
resolution to declare the World War I-era killings of more than a
million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks a genocide.

The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday
announced it had scheduled a debate on the resolution for March 4. The
State Department had no immediate comment.

The issue has the potential to raise U.S. tensions with Turkey, which
has lobbied intensively against past attempts to pass the resolution,
while the Armenian-American Diaspora groups have pressed for its
passage.

Historians estimate that 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman
Turks in 1915. The event is widely viewed by scholars as the first
genocide of the 20th century, but Turkey insists the death toll has
been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and
unrest.

Debate on the bill was proposed by Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee, who co-sponsored the legislation. It
comes just months after Turkey and Armenia signed a landmark agreement
to establish diplomatic relations and open their sealed border after a
century of enmity. Led by the Swiss, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton played a pivotal role in brokering the signing of that
deal in October.

In April, President Barack Obama came under fire from
Armenian-American groups for backtracking on a campaign pledge to
declare the killings genocide, on grounds that he did not want to
upset the diplomacy that was then under way.

Read more: ia-resolution/article/feed/131162#ixzz0enRfItUQ

212 671 PEOPLE USE VIVACELL-MTS MOBILE INTERNET CONNECTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.02.2010 14:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 212 671 people are subscribers of 3G Internet
connection services offered by VivaCell-MTS, the company’s press
office said.

This figure includes Internet users by phone, 3G SIM-cards for PCs and
notebooks, as well as subscribers of MTS-Connect, Home Zone and Office
Zone. Meanwhile, according to the latest data of Opera Software, the
increase of unique users of mobile Internet services in Armenia was
47.1 per cent in September 2009 compared with the previous September.

MINSK GROUP’S DOORS CLOSED TO TURKEY

Tert.am
16:21 ~U 04.02.10

Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS) Director
Richard Giragosian, during a press conference today, recalled that
it was Turkey who criticized the OSCE Minsk Group.

"Turkey’s insulting statements have closed the door to be included
in the Minsk Group," said Giragosian.

The ACNIS director noted that the situation noted above is in
Nagorno-Karabakh’s favour, since "it can’t allow Turkey to become a
participant in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process and
take on the role of a co-chair country."

TURKEY’S DISAPPOINTMENTS AND DOUBTS

Aysor.am
01.02.2010, 17:56

There is a kind of pause in process of normalisation of Armenia-Turkey
relations, which are to be activated within a certain time period, said
at today’s press conference Director of the Genocide Museum-Institute
Dr. Hyke Demoyan.

Through its statements, Turkey is trying to get into time-trouble to
insure itself, as in chess-language, against Zugzwang, says Dr. Hyke
Demoyan.

"Powers didn’t respond to Turkey’s statements that it was making after
Armenian Constitutional Court’s decision. So Turkey understood Armenia
wouldn’t make a concession in the issue of the Karabakh settlement.

And this is the first disappointment. The second one refers to
Turkey’s expectations that Armenia would make a concession in the
issue of the international recognition of Genocide," said historian.

Hyke Demoyan said he believes Turkey realizes that cannot expect
from Armenia in the issue of borders more than it has got under
international treaties. Historian pointed that we are watching the
process of ‘how difficult to Turkey is to lose Azerbaijan’, and not
‘how difficult to Turkey is to open the border and reconcile with
Armenia.

"In this situation the both sides will be guided by the principle of
paying less and getting more. As April marks the symbolic line, the
"red cards" period will start for Turkey’s attempts to fasten down
and fail Armenia-Turkey relations," said Hyke Demoyan.

If the process of reconciliation fails, Turkey will either face
serious domestic problems, or will normlise relations with Armenia
and open the border.

Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway construction planned to be completed in 2011
31.01.2010 16:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway construction is planned to
be completed in 2011. As TRT Russian reported, 2010 project budget was
confirmed at Tbilisi’s conference, which hosted representatives of
Georgia and Azerbaijan.

USD 600 million worth Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway construction agreement
was signed on February 8, 2007.

The project aims at providing continuous, safe and fast cargo and
passenger transportation between Asia and Europe through connecting
the railways of the People’s Republic of China and Kazakhstan in the
east, through Turkey’s Marmaray (Commuter Rail Mass Transit System) to
the European railway system in the west.

SERZH SARGSYAN: ARMENIAN ARMY IS A COLD SHOWER FOR ANY HOT-BRAIN VENTURERS

ArmInfo
2010-01-29 11:52:00

ArmInfo. On the occasion of the Day of the Army, President of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan granted medals to a number of officials of the Ministry
of Defense and participants in the Nagorno-Karabakh war for their
outstanding contribution to the enhancement of the fighting capacity
of the national army and for their courage and self-sacrifice.

Speaker of the National Assembly of Hovik Abrahamyan, Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan, Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, Chief of Police
Alik Sargsyan, Chief of National Security Service Gorik Hakopyan and
other officials attended the awarding ceremony.

While congratulating the awardees, Sargsyan said: "The formation and
development of the Armenian army was a historic achievement. We have
paid a high price for the loss of statehood and the lack of an army
during the period from the Middle Ages to 1915 and, later, Sumqayit,
Kirovabad and Baku. The Armenian army is one of our most valuable
assets and it was this value that inspired our soldiers during
the war. Many of them sacrificed their lives for our liberty. The
Armenian army was born in blood, tears and fire. Today, it is an
absolute guarantee of our peaceful existence and a cold shower for any
hot-brain venturers. Without highly efficient armed forces we cannot
achieve balance, peace and stability in our region. The mission of our
army is not just to protect pour country. International integration
is setting new different tasks."

"The profession of soldier is a mission implying worthy continuation of
the historic victories of our army. Our task is to ensure the safety of
our homeland. High professional and moral qualities are a guarantee of
our security. The Armenian army is able to rebuff any provocation and
only naive people can hope for the contrary. The ability to prevent
war is the biggest achievement for any country respecting the rights
of people, nations and states. You do it property and therefore enjoy
the love, respect and confidence of your people," Sargsyan said.