Author: Nadirian Emma

COALITION MEMBER SEES NO PRECONDITIONS FOR RECOVERING TO BEFORE THE CRISIS LEVEL

/ARKA/
April 22, 2010
YEREVAN

A press secretary for the Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik
Tsarukian, one of the richest Armenian businessmen, questioned today
government’s assurances that the country’s economy is out of economic
slump and back on the track to recover to before the crisis level.

Speaking to journalists, the spokesman, Khachik Galstian, said
the party, a component of the ruling coalition, does not see any
preconditions for it.

‘The impact of the global economic crisis on Armenia is not overcome
yet, although we have made some steps to exit of it, but we have not
yet secured preconditions to recover to the before the crisis level,’
he said.

Armenian economy shrank last year by 14.4%, but according to the latest
numbers of the National Statistical Service, the growth in the first
quarter of 2010 expended by 5.5% from the same time last year.

RF MFA CONSIDERING TURKEY’S INVOLVEMENT AS OSCE MG CO-CHAIRING COUNTRY

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 23, 2010 – 10:30 AMT 05:30 GMT

Spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Andrei
Nesterenko stated that Russia "has recently made certain proposals
for resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh problem."

Asked during a press briefing about Turkey’s possible involvement
in the OSCE Minsk Group as a co-chairing country, he said, "We are
considering such possibility. However, to give estimations, we still
need to contact with all participants of the negotiations process. We
will be able to give detailed explanations after consultations with
our colleagues."

AZERI ANALYST SAYS IRAN UNLIKELY TO BROKER KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Day.az
April 20 2010
Azerbaijan

An Azerbaijani political expert believes Iran’s fresh initiative to
broker a solution to the protracted Karabakh problem is doomed to fail.

Iran wants to host a meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers in Tehran in a bid to seek a solution to the conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russian-language Day.az news agency has said.

In a comment on Tehran’s move, Azerbaijani political expert Zardust
Alizada downplayed Iran’s zeal to play a decisive role for the
resolution of the conflict.

"The Foreign Ministry of Iran needs to demonstrate to the people of
Iran, the world community its capacity and wish to play a peacekeeping
role in the region. Hence, they are trying to prove to the domestic
audience that Iran as usual is an important geopolitical player.

However, Tehran understands well that superpowers will not let
Iran strengthen its influence neither globally, nor in the region,"
Alizada told Day.az.

Against the backdrop of the latest row between Azerbaijan and the
USA, Iran seems ready to take advantage of this opportunity to bring
the parties to the conflict to the negotiating table to improve its
standing, the report added.

BAKU CRITICIZES U.S. FOR NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT POLICY

Interfax
April 21 2010
Russia

Azerbaijan does not want its relationship with the U.S. to worsen
and hopes that Washington will change its current approach toward the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani presidential
spokesman Ali Hasanov told journalists on Wednesday.

"We believe that they will be objective till the end in the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict settlement process," Hasanov said.

"We don’t want to damage relations with the U.S. on other issues
either, and we don’t want to harm our partnership with that country.

However, circumstances sometimes force us to do so," he said.

Public discontent in Azerbaijan about Washington’s policy in the region
"has had a certain effect on the U.S. centers planning government
policy," he said.

"We hope the U.S. will retain its healthy and partner-like position
on Azerbaijan, and we will honor all our commitments related to their
interests," he said.

Several days ago, Hasanov reproached the U.S. for caring too much about
improving Armenia’s economic conditions rather than concentrating
efforts to secure the withdrawal of Armenian troops from occupied
Azerbaijani territories.

This policy has frustrated the Azerbaijani public about the regional
role of the U.S. and may prompt Baku to revise its relations with
Washington in various ways, he said.

ARMENIA SUSPENDS CONSIDERATION OF ACCORD TO OPEN TURKEY BORDER
Helena Bedwell

Georgiandaily
dex.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18 309&Itemid=65
April 22 2010
Georgia

April 22 (Bloomberg) — Armenia suspended consideration of a treaty
with Turkey that would reopen their common border until the Turkish
government indicates a readiness to proceed toward ratification
"without preconditions," the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.

"The political majority in the National Assembly of Armenia
considers unacceptable the Turkish side’s stance, particularly recent
statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which make
ratification of the protocols directly dependent upon settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh-Azerbaijan conflict," the ministry said today
in an e-mailed statement.

Erdogan in December linked the normalization of relations with Armenia
to the resolution of a dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region
between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a key Turkish ally and energy supplier.

The two nations agreed on Oct. 10 to re-establish ties and open their
border within two months of ratification by both parliaments.

Relations have been frozen since Turkey closed the border in 1993
to protest Armenia’s occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in
Azerbaijan.

Armenia on April 24 will commemorate the killing of Armenians in
Ottoman Turkey in 1915. Many Armenians are concerned the treaty could
lead to compromise on Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia’s demand that
Turkey recognize the World War I massacre of Armenians in Ottoman
Turkey as genocide.

Erdogan said in Ankara today that Turkey is committed to the accord,
which he called the best way to peace in the Caucasus.

ARMENIA HALTS RATIFYING AGREEMENT WITH TURKEY ON IMPROVING TIES: REPORT

People’s Daily
April 22 2010
China

The Armenian ruling coalition of three parties in the parliament
announced Thursday in a statement that they would freeze the
ratification of an agreement with Turkey on improving relations,
Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.

The majority of the parliament members are opposed to ratifying the
landmark accord, said the report.

Turkey and Armenia have been bogged down in a row over the 1915
incident, which Armenia says was a genocide. Turkey denies that
charge and insists the Armenians were victims of widespread chaos and
governmental breakdown as the 600-year-old Ottoman Empire collapsed
before modern Turkey was born in 1923.

The two countries signed last October historic deals on normalizing
ties and reopening their borders after nearly a century of
hostilities. The agreements need to be ratified by both countries’
parliaments before taking effect.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic or economic ties since Armenia
declared its independence in 1991. Turkey closed its border with
Armenia in 1993 to support Azerbaijan, which had a territorial conflict
with Armenia over the Upper Karabakh region.

MATINEE DEDICATED TO ARMENIA WAS HELD IN WARSAW

Aysor
April 21 2010
Armenia

In the collage N 1 in Rembertuv region of Warsaw by the support of
the Armenian ambassador to Poland Ashot Galoyan and the Armenian
Congress took place a matinee dedicated to the Armenian Republic.

As the press, information and public relation’s department of the RA
MFA informs there was presented a movie telling about the Armenian
culture, history and education by Margarita Yeremyan’s commentaries.

The polish pupils have participated in the competition on Armenian
issues the winners of which have received souvenirs.

Due to the director of the collage and the professional staff the
first form pupils showed bright knowledge about the Armenian past
and present and presented songs in English.

By the request of the pupils the Ambassador Galoyan has given an
interview to the journal of the collage.

MARGARITA HOVAKIMYAN: I DREAM OF WINNING WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 21, 2010 – 15:22 AMT 10:22 GMT

On April 21, the president of Physically Challenged Sports Federation
of Armenia, Samvel Rostomyan; Federation spokeswoman Varduhi Aramyan
and silver medalist at Russian Swimming Championship for Disabled,
Margarita Hovakimyan gave a news conference.

As Margarita Hovakimyan told reporters, her April 22 performance at
Armenian Swimming Championship will decide her further participation
in World Championship for Physically Disabled.

15-year-old swimmer will qualify for the championship in case she
covers 100 meters in 1,50 minutes.

"It’s been my first participation in a major championship which, I
believe was successful. I dream of winning World Swimming Championship
gold," young sportswoman told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

PACE SPRING SESSION TO BE HELD TO ALL APPEARANCES: DAVID HARUTYUNYAN

Panorama.am
20/04/2010

"PACE spring session has not been cancelled for this moment," the
head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe) David Harutyunyan told Panorama.am.

Note that Azerbaijani media reported today that the session may not
be held due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

"Probably the final decision will be taken by Wednesday evening.

Anyway, to all appearances, the sitting will be held," David
Harutyunyan said.

PACE spring session is due April 26-30.

CO-CHAIRS EXPECTED TO DECLARE ARMENIA’S ATTITUDE TO MADRID PRINCIPLES

news.az
April 20 2010
Azerbaijan

Elkhan Polukhov Azerbaijan expects the co-chairs to provide information
on Armenia’s attitude to updated Madrid principles, said spokesman
for the FM Elkhan Polukhov.

According to Polukhov, these principles, prepared by the OSCE Minsk
Group together with the diplomats of Armenia and Azerbaijan, contain
basic, framework provisions of the peace plan for resolving the
Karabakh conflict.

Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group from Russia Yuri Merzlyakov has
arrived in Azerbaijan. It is the last visit of Yuri Merzlyakov to
the region as the co-chair. US co-chair Robert Bradtke is expected
to arrive Tuesday afternoon. The current visit of the co-chairs will
not be with a full staff. French Fassier will not come to Baku.

The visit will last for a day. No briefings are planned, although
the guests may say a few words to reporters.

In the case the co-chairs declare Armenia’s refusal to accept the
Madrid principles, Azerbaijan will consider the continuation of peace
negotiations excessive and step onto an alternative way to resolve
the territorial issue, said President Ilham Aliyev.

Azerbaijani FM said earlier that the co-chairs are expected to meet
Azerbaijani officials and discuss the Karabakh settlement.

Co-Chairs of OSCE Minsk – Robert Bradtke (USA), Bernard Fassier
(France) and Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia),- visited Yerevan and Khankendi
on March 26-27.

The statement they made after the visit fixes that the co-chairs
informed the leader of the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh
on the negotiation process and discussed further ways of peaceful
settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict at the meetings with
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, FM Edward Nalbandian.

Deputy chairman of the Azerbaijan ruling party Ali Ahmadov has
commented the situation around the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

Ahmadov told reporters that Azerbaijan highly appreciates the visits
of the premier and the Turkish FM in the United States where they
negotiated with the US leadership and discussed ways of the Karabakh
conflict settlement.

‘Turkey has urged the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to spare no effort
to settle the conflict. Azerbaijan’s position is supported by Turkey
which satisfies us. Unfortunately, there are some countries, even among
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs that find it difficult to demonstrate
their fair position and firmness on the Karabakh issue when it is
necessary’, Ali Ahmadov said.

‘We consider Turkey’s direct participation in the negotiation process
natural, as it is one of the OSCE Minsk Group countries. We believe
it is time to change the format of the OSCE Minsk Group institution
and Turkey is the best candidate to fill the format’, Ali Ahmadov said.