Author: Nahapetian Boris

AZERBAIJAN CONCERNED OVER RECONCILIATION

News.am
15:54 / 10/06/2009

Azerbaijan is concerned over Armenia-Turkey reconciliation process
and monitors situation closely. Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister
Araz Azimov said, commenting on the resumption of Armenian-Turkish
relations, APA news agency reports.

"We understand that the solution of historical and political problems
is very important for Turkey and Armenia and others. But taking into
account the links among the existing problems in the region, isolated
solution of these problems will not be possible and even will produce
nonpositive results," Azimov stated.

BIG TURKISH FLOOD

5419.html
17:29:06 – 05/10/2009

I do not think Armenia is ready to open the border with Turkey. Turkey
is much more ready from all the points. After the border opening, there
will be a big Turkish deluge in the Armenian economy and everyone will
have to build their own ark. But the border is better to be open now
then to leave it for tomorrow and try to resist all the challenges,
says the enterpriser Vahagn Hovnanyan.

According to Hovnanyan, we must not be afraid because fear is death. I
am sure now it is the right time to open the border. In order to
resist Turkish companies, we need to eliminate monopoly and promote
competition in the economy, says Hovnanyan.

Hovnanyan was asked about the setup of the commission of
historians. In this connection, he noted that the fact of genocide is
irrefutable. There are two Armenia now: Armenia and the Diaspora. And
if there are no claims against Turkey here, they exist within the
Diaspora.

Venice Commission Secretary General: Armenian authorities have enough
will to complete democratic development process in country

2009-10-03 13:12:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian authorities have enough will to complete the
democratic development process launched in the country, Gianni
Buquicchio, Secretary General of the Venice Commission, told media in
Yerevan on October 3.

He said Armenia joined the Venice Commission in 1995 and democratic
development in the country has become quite tangible. G. Buquicchio
said the Venice Commission is cooperating with Armenia rather
effectively and welcomes the relations achieved during these years.
Amendment of the Armenian Constitution, improvement of the election
legislation and adoption of laws on rallies and manifestations and on
Mass Media are the best evidence of this cooperation, he said. G.
Buquicchio thanked President Serzh Sargsyan for being awarded the Order
of Honor.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: INITIATED DOCUMENTS HAVE NO MENTION OF PRECONDITION, ESPECIALLY PRECONDITION REGARDING NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

NOYAN TAPAN
OCTOBER 1, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. On October 1, RA Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian spoke at the National Assembly and presented the
authorities’ "approaches and perceptions on the current process of
normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, initiated documents and
possible developments and concerns." Below is the text of Foreign
Minister’s speech provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Foreign Ministry
Press and Information Department:

"Thank you for this opportunity to present to you our approaches and
perceptions on the current process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations, initiated documents and possible developments and concerns.

Since getting independent Armenia has been ready to normalize its
relations with Turkey without preconditions. Now we are fulfilling
this striving Armenia had expressed for years. <…>

I am ready to give explanations and to answer questions and points
interesting you. <…>

Are there any preconditions? No and once again no. Do we cast a doubt
on the fact of Armenian Genocide, hinder the international recognition
of the Armenian Genocide? No and once again no. Is there a relation
between the initiated documents and the Nagorno Karabakh negotiations
process? No and once again no.

The Armenian President has repeatedly declared that Armenia does
not discuss the issue of Armenian Genocide’s happening or not, does
not question the fact of Genocide and the importance of Genocide’s
international recognition.

As RA Foreign Minister I declared it in Turkey, in 2008 November in
Istanbul, in the presence of more than one hundred journalists.

The process of recognition of Armenian Genocide has several planes
regarding problems of recognition by the international community and
by proper Turkey.

The problem of Armenian Genocide is rather considered by the
international community from point of view of not Armenian-Turkish
relations but universal values and in this respect is involved in
spheres of discussion of such vital issues as human rights, prevention
of genocide as danger of the gravest crime against mankind. I touched
upon this issue two days ago in my speech at the UN General Assembly.

The assertions that if Armenia carries out a dialogue with Turkey,
the issue of Genocide will be limited to only an issue discussed
between two states and will lose its universal significance are
artificial. We are also sure that the initiated documents give no
ground to doubt that the Armenian people is deprived of the right to
pursue historic justice.

About the supposed relation between the Nagorno Karabakh negotiations
process and initiated documents. The initiated documents have no
mention of a precondition, especially a precondition regarding the
Nagorno Karabakh settlement.

And the Armenian President has repeatedly declared it. I have touched
upon it in my official statement in response to Turkish Prime
Minister’s statement. I cite: "The Turkish side is informed and,
we are sure, it realizes that we exclude conditioning normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations by steps of Nagorno Karabakh settlement."

And it is not only the approach of principle of the Armenian
authorities but also of the international community, which has already
repeatedly expressed its position over that issue. The Minsk Group
co-chairing countries have repeatedly expressed their position over
it. After a meeting with U.S.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton two days ago the Secretary of State
once again reaffirmed the position of the U.S. over that issue. And
the co-chairs being in Yerevan at present made a unanimous statement
in this connection.

As I have already mentioned, the Armenian-Turkish relations are a
complicated knot of psychological, social, legal, economic, political
problems, therefore the solution cannot be easy. Armenia seeks to
establish good-neighborly relations with all its neighbor states. That
is what we are moving to.

I think it is appropriate to finish my speech with a quotation from
RA President’s greeting speech:

"I view the end of those processes as ensuring a minimum environment
that will give a possibility to launch a dialogue with Turkey. We have
many problems to solve on the plane of normalization of Armenia-Turkey
relations… Let’s understand everybody’s task and what work we should
do together. I think it is the most important thing."

PRESIDENT OF BELGIAN SENATE PAYS VISIT TO ARMENIA

Panorama.am
15:43 30/09/2009

The President of Belgian Senate Armand De Decker and the delegation
chaired by him pays working visit to Armenia today, National Assembly
PR department reports.

It is reported that the President of Belgian Senate will be hosted
on 1 October by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Chairman of
National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan. The delegation chaired by the
Belgian President will have meetings with the chairmen of NA fractions.

It is also said that Mr. Decker will be hosted by Garegin II, the
Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians; he will be accompanied to Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin and Zvartnots temple.

On 2 October Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan and Armenian FM Edward
Nalbandyan will have a meeting with the President of Belgian Senate.

SERZH SARGSYAN: STATE WILL CONTINUE ASSISTING TALENTED IT SPECIALISTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.09.2009 21:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On September 29, President Serzh Sargsyan received
30 students and school-children who won annual presidential laureate
in IT sphere.

In his welcoming speech, President congratulated winners and wished
them success in their future endeavors. Welcoming Synopsys Armenia’s
initiative of handing presidential awards, President said it was
a good opportunity for revealing and developing young specialists’
talent in IT sphere.

"When we speak about our country’s richness, i.e. educated and
up-to-date generation, we first of all mean young people like you,"
President said.

In that connection he added, "If we want our country to become
competitive from that viewpoint, we are obliged to solve the problems
in the sphere."

Addressing the laureates, President assured them that their work was
highly demanded and appreciable, and state would permanently assist
talented young people, RA President’s press service reports.

RA-TURKISH PROTOCOLS WILL BE SIGNED BEFORE OCTOBER 14

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
29.09.2009 16:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA -Turkish rapprochement Protocols will be signed
before October 14, unless any force majeure circumstances occur,
Caucasus Institute Director, politologist Alexander Iskandaryan
told a news conference in Yerevan. "One thing is clear: Protocols
will be signed before October 14, and logically, this will happen in
Switzerland," the politologist noted.

According to Alexander Iskandaryan, current discussions in Armenia
and Diaspora around RA-Turkish Protocols are unlikely to affect
protocol’s conclusion.

Dwelling on RA-Turkish Protocols’ ratification, the politologst
noted that the probability of procrastination in Turkish parliament
is rather high. "It won’t go swimmingly in RA Parliament either,"
Alexander Iskandaryan stated, adding that the main risks to RA-Turkish
rapprochement come from Turkey.

MINSK GROUP SEEKING ANOTHER KARABAKH SUMMIT

oup-seeking-another-karabakh-summit/
Sep 28, 2009

NEW YORK (Combined Sources)-International mediators said over the
weekend that they will visit Armenia and Azerbaijan soon to prepare
for the next meeting of the two countries’ presidents which they hope
will pave the way for a framework peace accord on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

The American, French and Russian diplomats co-chairing the OSCE
Minsk Group met in Washington on Thursday to discuss details of
their upcoming trip both amongst themselves and with two senior
U.S. administration officials dealing with the South Caucasus.

"The Co-Chairs met with Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Senior
Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council and
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Tina Kaidanow," they said in a
joint statement issued on Saturday.

The three mediators also held separate talks with the Armenian
and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in New York the next day. "The
two foreign ministers and the Co-Chairs reaffirmed a commitment to
negotiations based on the Basic Principles [of Karabakh peace,] and
discussed upcoming travel of the Co-Chairs to the region in early
October," the statement said.

"As agreed in Moscow July 18, the Co-Chairs will travel to Armenia
and Azerbaijan to prepare for a proposed meeting between President
Aliyev and President Sarkisian in Chisinau on the margins of the CIS
Summit," added the statement. The summit of former Soviet republics
is scheduled for October 8-9.

"At this important moment in the negotiating process, the Co-Chairs
called on both sides to be constructive in their public statements,"
the statement said, referring to recent bellicose rhetoric from
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry.

The mediators hope that Aliyev and Sarkisian will iron out their
remaining differences over the settlement principles proposed by
them. The two leaders failed to do so at their last face-to-face
meeting held in Moscow in July. In an early August interview with
RFE/RL, the Minsk Group’s outgoing U.S. co-chair, Matthew Bryza,
insisted that they agree on the "fundamental concept" behind the
proposed settlement and are "coming close" to working out its
important details.

Still, Sarkisian sought to lower expectations of an impending
breakthrough in the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations when he addressed
Armenia’s top diplomats on September 1. The resolution of the Karabakh
dispute, he said, is "not a matter of days, weeks or months."

As agreed in Moscow July 18, the Co-Chairs will travel to Armenia and
Azerbaijan to prepare for a proposed meeting between President Aliyev
and President Sargsian in Chisinau on the margins of the CIS Summit.

DELEGATION LED BY ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN TO VISIT BELARUS

NOYAN TAPAN
SEPTEMBER 28, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. A delegation led by RA National
Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasarian will be in Belarus on
a visit between September 28 to October 1. According to a report by
the NSC Secretary Press Office, the delegation will be present at
the West 2009 strategic exercises and will take part in the meeting
of the CSTO Security Council Secretaries.

RF President Dmitry Medvedev and Belarusian President Alexander
Lukashenko will open the West 2009 strategic exercises. Security
Council Secretaries’ meeting in a limited staff will take place on
September 30, which will be followed by a meeting in an enlarged staff.

BUST OF ADMIRAL ISAKOV TO BE ERECTED AT POKLONNAYA HILL IN MOSCOW

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
28.09.2009 19:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As part of the annual International Armenian Festival
"Karot" to be held between November 23 and 29 in Moscow, the bust of
Admiral Ivan Isakov will be erected at the Poklonnaya Hill.

"The bust of Admiral Isakov has a special significance. Residents and
guests of Moscow will be able to learn and appreciate the role Ivan
Isakov, Hero of the Soviet Union, played in the victory in the Great
Patriotic War, " Metso Igityan, president of the Armenian culture
development fund, said.

Ivan Stepanovich Isakov (Hovhannes Isahakyan) was a Soviet military
leader, Navy Admiral of the Soviet Union. Hero of the Soviet Union was
born on August 22, 1894 in Nagorno Karabakh in the village Aterk. In
1937-1938 he was Commander of the Baltic Fleet. In 1938-1950 he was
Deputy Minister of the Navy and from 1939 he served as the first Deputy
Minister of the Navy, in 1941-1943 and 1946-1950 Isakov was Chief of
the Naval Staff, Vice-Minister of the Navy. On October 4, 1942 Admiral
Isakov was seriously injured during operations near Novorossiysk,
Tuapse, after the amputation of his leg became disabled, but after
treatment continued working in the Navy. Admiral was awarded 6 highest
orders, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 orders of Ushakov of 1-st degree,
Order of the Patriotic War of 1-st degree, the Red Star and medals,
as well as foreign orders. He died in Moscow on October 11, 1967.