Author: Kharatian Ani

TURKEY BLACKMAILS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: HRAYR KARAPETYAN

news.am
April 14 2010
Armenia

Turkey keeps on using blackmail language with international community
and primarily with U.S., stating that Armenia-Turkey reconciliation
will be frozen if the Congress recognizes Genocide, ARF Dashnaktsutyun
member and head of the standing committee on defense, national security
and internal affairs Hrayr Karapetyan told the journalists.

"Thus, Turkey once again tries to prevent any chance for U.S.
President to say the word &’genocide’ during his April 24 speech. If
Obama does not do so, it will mean the White House again gave in to
Turkey’s policy of blackmail," Karapetyan noted. He also underlined
that even in this case victory of Turkish diplomacy will be temporary,
as sooner or later the U.S. will recognize Armenian Genocide. "Obama
should realize that the sooner U.S. recognizes Genocide, the earlier
Armenian-Turkish relations will be normalized," ARFD member stated.

Karapetyan expressed confidence that some day Turkey will have to
recognize Genocide if Armenia adheres to its principles.

The politician fears that Armenia will be urged to ratify the
Protocols under the foreign pressure that is fraught with perils. He
maintained that if Turkey does not ratify the documents by April 24,
Armenia should withdraw its signature. "Though, it does not mean we
should insist on Armenian-Turkish border opening and establishment
of diplomatic relations," MP concluded.

ACTIVISTS COMMEMORATE THRACIAN GENOCIDE AT UNITED NATIONS

Asbarez
Apr 14th, 2010

NEW YORK-Organized by the Pan-Thracian Union of America, "Orpheus,"
activists gathered in Ralph J. Bunch Park outside the United Nations
building to commemorate the Thracian genocide perpetrated by the
Young Turk Party in Thrace, Anatolia and Asia Minor.

Speakers included Sabri Atman, Founder and Director of the Assyrian
Genocide and Research Center; Elias Tsekeride, Deputy President of the
International Confederation of Pontian Hellenes and Parish Council of
Prophet Elias Church of Yonkers; Dimitris Molohides, President of the
Pan-Pontian Federation USA and CANADA; Nikolaos Taneris, President
of the Pan Thracian Union of America; and Garo Manjikian, Director
of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)-Eastern Region.

"The descendants of the Greeks of Thrace, who now live in Greece and
throughout the world, are entering their third and fourth generation
as descendants of Genocide survivors. This commemoration in New York
is a result of a new effort in recent years to tell survivor stories
and speak out about the Genocide, and further, to demand justice from
Turkey – the perpetrator of the Genocide that resulted in the death
of the many millions of Greeks, Assyrians and Armenians who were the
original indigenous people of the entire land mass of Asia Minor and
Thrace," said Taneris.

Speaking on Turkey’s continued genocidal policies, Manjikian commented
that "Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian cultural and historic sites –
such as churches that go back to the 6th, 7th, and 8th century –
continue to be destroyed or neglectd in Turkey today." He also noted
that Turkey’s continued genocidal policies are sometimes enforced
by militarily force, such as the invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the
killing of innocent Kurds in eastern Turkey.

"Assyrians once in the hundreds of thousands lived in cities, towns,
and villages geographically located in the east and southeast regions
of what is now today’s Turkey. Presently 10,000 Assyrians live in
Turkey today," said Tsekeride. Tsekeride also highlighted the recent
resolution passed in the Swedish parliament that recognized the events
of 1915-1923 as genocide committed against Armenians, Assyrians,
and Greeks.

All speakers referred to the cycle of genocide that continues today
and the need to prevent genocide. "It has to be clear that today
we are not only condemning the Thracian Genocide, or the Armenian
genocide, or the Jewish Holocaust, or the Genocide in Rwanda or
Darfur, but also crimes against humanity. It is my responsibility,
as well as your responsibility, to commemorate such acts of violence
and to work actively to prevent these crimes," said Molohides.

ARMENIA, TURKEY AGREE TO CONTINUE RECONCILIATORY TALKS DESPITE RIFTS

Today’s Zaman
April 14 2010
Turkey

At a time when efforts to normalize their bilateral ties have been
stalled for a number of reasons, the leaders of Armenia and Turkey
agreed at a landmark meeting to continue these efforts despite visible
difficulties ahead.

Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan and Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan held a rare bilateral meeting in Washington on Monday
on the sidelines of a two-day nuclear security summit hosted by US
President Barack Obama that started earlier on Monday at the Washington
Convention Center. The two leaders had held another rare meeting in
January 2009, when they both participated in an annual meeting of
the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in the ski resort town of Davos,
Switzerland.

The main item on the agenda of the almost one-and-a-half-hour-long
meeting was a detailed exchange of views on a letter recently sent
by Erdogan to Sarksyan, well-informed sources said. The letter was
sent via Feridun Sinirlioglu, the Foreign Ministry undersecretary,
who last week paid successive visits first to Yerevan and then to
Baku as Erdogan’s special envoy.

It contained a message that an agreement would better serve the
interests of the two countries, especially when compared to the cost
of the failure to achieve peace.

In addition to Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and
his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, Armenian Presidential
Administration Deputy Chief of Staff Vigen Sargsyan and Sinirlioglu
attended the meeting.

The Armenian and Turkish sides agreed to continue efforts to normalize
their relations via contacts led by the foreign ministers of the two
countries, the same well-informed sources said. Yet, there was no other
statement on whether contentious issues regarding the process came
on the agenda of the meeting and if they did, what the leaders said.

As an outcome of closed-door talks that had been held for more
than a year through the mediation of Switzerland on ways to restore
diplomatic relations and open their mutual border, Ankara and Yerevan
announced almost a year ago, on April 22, 2009, that they had reached
an agreement on a road map to normalize their relations.

Overcoming painful ups and downs — particularly stemming from
uneasiness over Azerbaijan — the two countries took a landmark
step in Zurich in October when Davutoglu and Nalbandian signed two
protocols to establish diplomatic ties and re-open their border.

However, the process hit a rocky patch in January after an Armenian
court upheld the legality of the protocols but underlined that they
could not contradict Yerevan’s official position that the alleged
Armenian genocide must be internationally recognized. Turkey accused
Yerevan of trying to set conditions on the deals. The process of
normalization has also been crippled by Turkey’s insistence on parallel
progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh territorial dispute between Armenia
and Azerbaijan.

According to Turkish media reports, during the meeting, Erdogan
recalled that Turkey expects development in the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, while Sarksyan said Turkey could not impose
this as a precondition. The Turkish side also expressed uneasiness
over the Armenian-American diaspora’s intense lobbying efforts for
official recognition of the alleged genocide, underlining that those
efforts have been harmful to the efforts at normalization.

‘Language of conditions’ Despite the absence of a joint statement
following their meeting, Armenian and Turkish leaders, in remarks
delivered separately following the meeting, reiterated their well-known
positions.

Speaking at George Mason University’s new Center for Global Islamic
Studies in Fairfax, Virginia, Erdogan criticized a long-running effort
in the US Congress to pass a resolution declaring that Anatolian
Armenians were victims of genocide nearly a century ago.

"We are against a one-sided interpretation of history," Erdogan said.

"History cannot be written in parliament and judged by parliament."

Turkey recalled its US ambassador last month in protest after the
Committee on Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives passed
a resolution declaring that the Ottoman-era killings amounted to
genocide. The full House has yet to vote on the resolution.

The venue for Sarksyan’s remarks was Washington National Cathedral
as he laid a wreath at the tomb of US President Woodrow Wilson
(1856-1924), known as the architect of the "Wilsonian Armenia," the
boundary for an Armenian state drawn up by Wilson for the Treaty of
Sèvres, which was imposed on the Ottoman government by the victorious
Western powers at the end of World War I.

"This morning I met with the prime minister of Turkey. Our position has
been and remains very straightforward. Turkey cannot speak with Armenia
and the Armenian people in the language of conditions. We will simply
not allow that. We are not preparing in any way to question the fact
of the Armenian Genocide, or to pretend that we believe that Turkey
can play any diplomatic role in the process of finding a solution to
the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh," Sarksyan was quoted as saying by
Armenian media as he spoke to members of the Armenian community there.

"Any new foreign policy is subject to temptations because we are
walking down a path no one has walked before. I am confident Armenia
will pass this exam with honor," Sarksyan also said in remarks
delivered in Armenian.

Later on Monday, Sarksyan held a bilateral meeting with Obama, who
has urged Armenia and Turkey to "make every effort" to advance the
normalization of relations between their two countries.

"The president commended President Sarksyan for his courageous efforts
to achieve normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey
and encouraged him to fulfill the promise of normalization for the
benefit of the Armenian people," the White House said in a statement
after the meeting. "President Obama also urged that both Armenia and
Turkey make every effort to advance the normalization process and
achieve legislative ratification of the protocols of normalization,"
it said, adding that Obama voiced his support for Armenian democracy.

Erdogan hopeful Obama won’t use g-word Erdogan was scheduled to have
a bilateral meeting with Obama on Tuesday on the sidelines of the
summit, only days before April 24, the day Armenians claim marks
the anniversary of the beginning of a systematic genocide campaign
against Anatolian Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman Empire.

Last year, Obama avoided using the g-word in his message, although
he had pledged to recognize the Armenian diaspora’s genocide claims
in his election campaign.

In an interview with CNN International aired on Tuesday, Erdogan
said Turkey cannot accept that the killings were genocide and that
he was confident Obama would also not use the term. "That would be
my expectation, because to this day, no American leader has uttered
that word, and I believe President Obama will not," he said.

Noting that the time when the killings took place was a period of war
and revolts, he pointed out that the Turkish people also suffered
terrible losses during the 1914-18 conflict. "No nation, no people
has the right to impose the way it remembers history on another nation
or people — and Turkey does not try to do that."

OBAMA URGES ARMENIA, TURKEY TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS

Aysor
April 13 2010
Armenia

U.S. President Barack Obama urged Armenia and Turkey to "make every
effort" to advance the normalization of relations between the two
nations, the White House spokesperson said.

"U.S. President Barack Obama commended President Sargsyan of Armenia
for his courageous efforts to achieve normalization of relations
between Armenia and Turkey and encouraged him to fulfill the promise
of normalization for the benefit of the Armenian people," the White
House said in a statement, following the closed-door meeting between
the officials within the framework of the Washington Nuclear Security
Summit.

U.S. and Armenian Presidents also discussed process of settlement to
the Karabakh conflict, Armenia’s State Administration, in its turn,
said in the statement.

Earlier President Serzh Sargsyan met Monday with Turkey’s Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is also on a visit to Washington
to attend the nuclear safety summit.

Process of Armenia-Turkey reconciliation has been starting since
October 2009, when Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers signed in
Zurich protocols on normalisation of relations.

ERDOGAN: GENOCIDE RESOLUTIONS PASSAGE DISADVANTAGEOUS TO ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 13, 2010 – 16:05 AMT 11:05 GMT

Turkey opposes politicization of historic events, Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated.

"Ankara speaks against unfair andone-sided parliamentary resolutions
on recognition ofArmenianGenocide. History should be studied
by experts;parliaments are unfit for study and condemnation of
history," he said at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA."Foreign
parliaments’assessmentof historic events won’t benefit Armenia."

"Those supporting passage of such resolution should be awareoftheir
actions, lest theymight harm the dialogue between Turkey and
Armenia,"TRT-Russianquoted Erdogan as saying.

ALL PROJECTS PLANNED WILL BE IMPLEMENTED

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
April 12, 2010

On April 9-11, the RA governmental delegation led by the RA Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan was on an official visit in Artsakh with
the aim of getting acquainted with the implementation process of
RA-NKR intergovernmental projects at spot. Among the members of the
delegation figured the RA Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan, Finance
Minister Tigran Davtyan, Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan,
Minister of Agriculture Gerasim Alaverdyan, Minister of Energy
and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan, Chief of the RA Government
Staff Davit Sargsyan, administration heads of Aragatsotn, Ararat,
Vayots Dzor, Syunik regions, Director Executive of "Armrusgasard"
CJSC Karen Karapetyan, RA government officials.

The top issues on the agenda were discussed at the joint session of the
two Armenian republics on April 10. After welcoming the RA executive
officers NKR Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan noted that after such
visits have become traditional a number of urgent issues have been
put in good order, some serious and effective changes are in process.

At the joint session issues referring to the sectors of energy and
agriculture as well as those of economic reforms, in particular,
were submitted to discussion. Developing the idea of their settlement
process RA Premier Tigran Sargsyan underlined that the projects being
implemented at present are all aimed at creating favourable conditions
for the population. T.Sargsyan highly estimated the work implemented by
the NKR Government in 2009, which, during this extremely complicated
year, provided an opportunity to record considerable economic growth
in the NKR. According to the RA Prime Minister the current year’s
first quarter indices of Armenia serve basis to state with confidence
that in 2010 all the projects planned will be fulfilled in Artsakh.

NKR Prime Minister A.Haroutyunyan cited some data on the existing
social and economic state of Artsakh and touched upon the problems for
the solution of which RA government support is needed. In particular,
the solution of a number of issues related to the spheres of tourism,
energy sector and resettlement as well as those of pensions and
realization of strong drinks requires joint efforts. At the session
there were made prior arrangements towards their regulation and the
primary orders were given.

On April 10 the heads of the RA and NKR Governments, other officials
were present at the opening ceremonies of computer classes at the
school N 8 of Stepanakert and the school after Mouratsan in Shoushi:
computers were presented by the RA Government.

The same day Tigran Sargsyan and Ara Haroutyunyan visited the military
unit of the NKR DA and the company Artsakhfruit.

In Shoushi the two Prime Ministers spoke about the reconstruction
of ancient Armenian castle town Shoushi and visited some constructed
units.

April 11 was also an eventful working day for the RA delegation.

The officials visited a number of hydroelectric power stations in
Martakert region by the guidance of NKR President Bako Sahakyan and
Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan. They participated in the opening
ceremonies of Verin Horatagh’s water pipes and Trghe 1 HEPS.

The last point of the visit was the company Base Metals in Drmbon,
Where the guests got acquainted with the potentials of gold extraction.

Washington Post
April 9 2010

Turkish PM, Armenian President to meet next week

By DESMOND BUTLER
The Associated Press
Friday, April 9, 2010; 4:38 PM

WASHINGTON — Turkey is looking for progress in talks to improve
relations with Armenia during a rare face-to-face meeting between the
Turkish prime minister and Armenia’s president next week.

Turkey’s ambassador to Washington Namik Tan told The Associated Press
Friday that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian
President Serge Sarkisian would discuss the stalled talks on the
sidelines of the nuclear security summit hosted by President Barack
Obama on Monday and Tuesday.

Turkey and Armenia signed historic agreements for reconciliation in
October, but the deals still need to be approved by their parliaments.

/content/article/2010/04/09/AR2010040904130.html

HIGH TAXES HINDER IT SECTOR DEVELOPMENT: ENGIBARYAN

Tert.am
10:27 09.04.10

Companies in IT sector have recently been complaining about high
taxes and customs which hamper the development of the sector. Though
IT companies hold periodic discussions, presenting their demands to
the tax and customs services representatives, the problems they face
have not been solved yet.

Head of Enterprise Incubator Foundation Bagrat Engibaryan told Tert.am
that the state should review its policy in this sector.

"If we want to have a knowledge-based economy, we should take risky
steps and separate the technology from other sectors. Nowhere in the
world is the technology sector being developed with an equal approach,"
said Engibaryan.

According to him today taxes levied from the IT sector are equalized
with those levied in other sectors of the economy, while "here a
value is made which is thousand-fold more expensive."

"We do have capabilities. Few are the sectors when the Armenian model
is being practiced in other countries in the world. That is why the
Indians are creating a regional center in Armenia, and that means we
have potential that should be developed," said Engibaryan.

ALI AHMADOV: "ALI KARIMLI BACKS UP PRO-ARMENIAN POLICY" – INTERVIEW

APA
April 8 2010
Azerbaijan

"AXCP chair has become a participant of open pressure campaign on
Turkey and Azerbaijan in order to help Armenia"

Baku. Elnur Mammadli – APA. APA’s interview with deputy chairman,
executive secretary of New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) Ali Ahmadov

– Azerbaijan’s accepting the updated version of the Madrid principles
on the solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict was not met unambiguously
by the society. How do you assess double approach to the decision?

– In general, the negotiations on the settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno Karabakh conflict is of confidential character. Of course, it
shows itself in the discussion of the issues emerged in the process
of negotiations. In this respect, it would not be right to say what
proposals have been concretely put on the table.

This is the subject of discussion and these discussions are
confidential, it is inadmissible to go into details. But logical
philosophy of Azerbaijan’s participation in the process of negotiations
as a whole is completely clear. President Ilham Aliyev has openly
stated that in any case the process of negotiations focus on the
complete release of the occupied Azerbaijani territories and return
of the IDPs to their native lands. While Armenian side demonstrated
severe approach to the updated Madrid principles, Azerbaijan stated
that these principles may be accepted as a basis for the following
stage of the negotiations. The points standing in the root of the
updated Madrid principles allow Azerbaijan to demonstrate its just
position thoroughly.

– But the opposition protests against Azerbaijan’s accepting the
Madrid principles. Are there any grounds?

– For a long time we have been observing a reality in the behavior of
Azerbaijan’s opposition. Whatever the authorities do the opposition
protests against it without realizing its essence. I suppose,
opposition’s criticizing the Madrid principles is based on the
principle accepted by the opposition itself. If the Azerbaijani
authorities express positive opinion on these principles, the
opposition protests against it. I do not know whether the opposition
has enough arguments to express these protests or not. As I have
stated, the negotiations are confidential and I do not believe that
there is detailed information about the negotiations. If the persons
attending the process of negotiations from Azerbaijani side state that
the new principles reflect Azerbaijan’s position, the opposition has
no ground to protest against it.

– The Karabakh issue is a national problem. Can the authorities discuss
this issue together with all political forces and opposition, inform
them about the details of the negotiations, essence of the issue?

– I think it should be so. It is not right to stand in the position of
authorities or opposition in the national issues. We have demonstrated
our position concerning it several times. Political struggle should not
be realized on the national issues. But unfortunately, it should be
noted that though the opposition states that it ready to demonstrate
unique position concerning the national issues, when it comes to the
concrete activity we observe differences between these statements
and their behavior. We are still observing it. The structure and
character of the process of negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict is known. It has been stated several times that discussions
will be held with all forces when the two sides reach agreement in
the negotiations. Under the present circumstances, as the sides are
still holding discussions, the discussions inside the country may
harm the process. When there is a common opinion, both sides will
consult with their people and final decision will be passed basing
on the people’s will. It is meaningless to hold discussions, unless
the sides reached complete agreement.

– YAP for many times criticized the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Does these statements have an impact on the co-chairs’ activity?

– These statements are not only the conclusion made by our party,
but it was formed in the whole society. YAP expresses the opinion
of the Azerbaijani people to the co-chairs. In fact, the public
statements forced the OSCE Minsk Group to intensify its activity. It
is impossible to have a positive idea about the Minsk Group, if is
couldn’t solve the conflict during 18 years of its activity. This
group has many shortcomings. For example they didn’t express their
opinion about the reasons and sources of this conflict when they took
the mediatory mission. If there is an aggression, there are aggressors
as well. They must announce the name of aggressors. The Minsk Group
tackles its mission not announcing the name of aggressors. I don’t
suppose that our criticism is a serious and effective mean to change
their activity, but I consider that it is one of the means.

– How is YAP preparing to the upcoming parliamentary elections?

– There will be a number of novelties in the YAP election campaign.

But it is early to speak about that. We are analyzing the elections,
working on the election program and I suppose that we can elaborate our
election concept as a result of these analyses because it is impossible
to join the elections without analyzing the situation and resources
of the party. Only those who spontaneously join the elections can do
that. We never prepare unnecessary statements due to the elections.

– When you will determine the candidates?

– There is a plenty of time until the elections and it will be
incorrect tactics to determine candidates right now. There are some
newspaper reports about the rushes around the determination of YAP
candidates. Such reports are sometimes made purposefully. But in fact,
YAP is working on the issues I mentioned before. In fact, the analyses
will lead to the determination of our individual concept related. YAP
leadership is satisfied with the activity of our parliament corps.

– Some YAP members nominated themselves out of the party’s list in
the previous elections. What measures will be taken if it is recurs?

– I consider that the number of self-nominated YAP candidates will
be significantly reduced in the parliamentary elections in 2010. The
technology we implemented during the parliamentary elections in 2005
and municipal elections in 2009 make it deep clear for the party
members that every YAP member follows the goal to assist the party’s
election campaign and to contribute to its victory. If there is such
position, self-nominated candidates and those who try to tackle the
party’s election campaign will be reduced.

– The opposition parties make different proposals to jointly
participate in the elections. What do you think, can the opposition
parties succeed if they united their forces?

– YAP has 500 000 members. All of them are voters and active people.

Every of them can encourage 2-3 people to come to vote for the position
they support. In this respect, even if the opposition unites its
forces – it is inadmissible idea – it can not be a rival to YAP.

There is a great difference in the relation of forces and even if
the opposition parties support the same position it will not crate
any threat for YAP. This is a political reality of Azerbaijan and the
opposition can not change this reality. The opposition failed to unite
its forces in the past 15 years. It has no potential of unity. They
also understand that they can not wrestle with YAP. The opposition
has a syndrome of non-unity. Their participation in the elections
doesn’t concern us because we know our opportunities and forces.

– Opposition also decided to begin mass actions. How do you assess it?

– Neither policy, nor elections consist of rallies and pickets. One
of the truths which Azerbaijan opposition can’t understand is that,
they can’t differ political struggle from street one. People don’t vote
in the streets during elections. Organizing rallies in the place where
there are many people is illogical. It means sick intention. The main
purpose here is to commit sabotage and make tension among the society.

Another purpose is making an illusion that they have a lot of
supporters. YAP has organized an action during presidential elections
in Bayil stadium in 2008. Our supporters participate at actions
unrelated with the place. But opposition says that the place is far,
supporters can’t go there. Nevertheless, 90 percent of the people
participated in the actions held in front of the former "Galaba"
cinema in 2003 came from regions.

– How do you evaluate the publication of AXCP leader Ali Karimli’s
article in "Washington Post" newspaper?

– There are 2 tragic ends for politician. One of them is to lose
supporters. And as a result of it you try to find supporters
outside the country. Unfortunately, these two factors show itself
in Azerbaijani opposition. Opposition loses its supporters inside
the country and selects the worst way for compensation, try to find
supporters abroad. There is another inclination too. Some opposition
representatives get into touch with foreign forces who try to act
against Azerbaijan. I think you remember Ruslan Bashirli- supporter of
Ali Karimli, he has conduct discussions on cooperation with Armenia
and tried to receive finance support during parliamentary elections
in 2005. Soon there will be new elections. And forgotten Ali Karimli,
from obscurity, delivers speech at Washington Post newspaper. It
happens when there is an open pressure on both Azerbaijan and Turkey
for the help towards Armenia. And Ali Karimli becomes a participant
of this campaign. His interview is full with groundless pretensions
and intentions. Of course one can assess it as a part of pressures on
Azerbaijan. Why this article haven’t published earlier. I think that
each citizen should have national fanaticism. Ali Karimli will not
be an American president. What dividend will he gain from that article?

It has one meaning – to support policy which is realized for the
help to Armenians. If he understands opposition as against national
interests of Azerbaijan and join foreign pressures, then Azerbaijani
citizens should draw a conclusion.

COMMANDOS: FIGHTING EFFICIENCY OF ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES HIGH ENOUGH TO PROTECT COUNTRY AGAINST ANY ATTACKS BY ENEMIES

ArmInfo
2010-04-08 13:03:00

ArmInfo. Fighting efficiency of the Armenian Armed Forces is high
enough to protect the country against any attacks by enemies, Major
General Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan (Commandos), the Hero of the Karabakh
War, told media on Thursday.

"I am not going to assure anyone of the fighting efficiency of
our army. Suffice it to say that military experts of the Central
Intelligence Agency, Russia and the European Union, and even those in
Turkey, highly appreciate the fighting capability of our forces,"
he said. Commandos highlighted the human factor, particularly,
the complex of psychological, patriotic and other factors, in the
fighting efficiency of the Armenian Armed Forces. "Unfortunately,
parents used to frighten their children with the image of a Turk
cutthroat before. Nevertheless, the present generation of Armenians is
not afraid of our Turkic neighbors and ready to protect the motherland
if necessary and to win," he said.