Author: Nalbandian Eduard

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO USA SAID TURKEY IS THE HOSTAGE OF ITS DISCLAIMER

Panorama.am
23/04/2010

A tribute was paid to Armenian Genocide victims in the U.S. Congress
supported by U.S. Congress group supporting Armenian Genocide res.,
Armenian Embassy to Washington and American Armenian NGO-s, Armenian
MFA PR department reported.

The event was held by congressmen Frank Pallone and Marc Kirk. All the
congressmen have signified in their speeches the demand to recognize
Armenian Genocide not only for Armenian, but for Turkish and American
people also.

The Speaker of House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi stated in her
speech that 23 years ago when she became Congresswoman, she has been
fighting for getting Armenian Genocide recognition, and is ready to
contrinue her fight for justice. She said the recognition of Armenian
Genocide would contribute Turkey to turn a bloody page of its history
and to build modern country.

Armenian Ambassador to the USA Tatul Margaryan said that the process
of normalization of Armenian-Turkish ties has become a touchstone
for Turkey to refer to its past newly for the sake of its future peace.

The international community witnessed Turkey hasn’t got that political
will and decisiveness and is the hostage of its disclaimer.

Regarding the recognition of Armenian Genocide, Ambassador Margaryan
stated the normalization of Armenian-Turkish ties can’t happen to
replace the international recognition of Armenian Genocide. The global
recognition of Armenian genocide will contribute to the normalization
of Armenian-Turkish ties.

AZERBAIJAN DISCONTENTED WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP’S EFFORTS TO SETTLE NK CONFLICT

Interfax
April 21 2010
Russia

Azerbaijan has shown discontent with the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts
toward settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani presidential
spokesman Ali Hasanov said.

"We are displeased with the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group in
terms of progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process. We are
displeased because this problem has not moved an inch for many years,"
Hasanov told journalists.

"Armenia is dismissing issues that were agreed upon at previous
meetings and is trying to revert to the discussion of issues agreed
upon earlier, and therefore we believe it is time to display political
will based on international law," Hasanov said.

Regarding the possibility of amending the composition of mediators
settling the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Hasanov said Azerbaijan
has no power to analyze the Minsk Group’s activities and determine
its composition. "This is an OSCE institution," he said.

However, if Azerbaijan is again displeased with the next summit, it
"might express its position," he said.

In particular, Hasanov suggested that the European Union could join
the mediators. "Turkey’s participation is also on the table. There are
also other proposals – so many countries, so many proposals. But the
evaluation of these proposals is the OSCE’s prerogative," Hasanov said.

SEPARATE INDICES OF MATERIAL PRODUCTION IN NKR IN 2010

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
April 20, 2010

Industry: In January-March 2010, in the Republic, industrial production
release at factual prices formed 9448.7 mln drams. In comparison
with January-March 2009, the index of physical volume of industrial
production in comparable prices formed 106.2 percent.

The structure of released industrial production according to the types
of main activities is as following: mining industry-43.1 percent,
processing industry-27.8 percent, electroenergetics, gas, water
industries and their distribution-29.1 percent.

During the accounting period, the volume of consumer goods production
formed 1564.0 mln drams, increasing by 31.3 percent in comparison
with the index of the same period in the previous year.

In January-March, 2010, realization of finished product at factual
acting prices formed 9154.7 mln drams, and the level of realization
96.9 percent.

An average recorded number of industrial production personnel formed
5166 persons, labour productivity-1829.0 thousand drams.

Agriculture: In January-March, 2010, 639.9 tones (live weight) cattle
and poultry meat, 7927.9 tones milk and 5714.1 thousand eggs were
produced in the Republic.

Construction: In January-March, 2010, construction at the cost of
4984.6 mln drams against 4830.8 mln drams in January-March, 2009,
was realized in the Republic.

EU SHOULD TAKE CLEAR STANCE ON KARABAKH
Leyla Tagiyeva

news.az
April 21 2010
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Stephan Goris, honorary president of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union.

What can you say about the current state of the Karabakh conflict
settlement?

It is a very important issue. I am sure that all South Caucasus
countries suffer from this unsettled conflict as it hampers democratic
and socioeconomic reforms. I believe that this casts a shadow on
the South Caucasus region overall. I think that the Karabakh problem
should be problem number one on the agenda of both parties.

How do you assess possible resolution of the Karabakh conflict by
the end of the year?

This conflict should have been settled long ago. I do hope it will be
settled by the end of this year, but unfortunately, I cannot predict
a settlement for sure.

Do you think that the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations
and the Karabakh conflict have nothing to do with each other?

I think we should not confuse different things. I would like to call
on all participants, in particular, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
and both conflict countries, to continue negotiations on the conflict
settlement. That is all I can say for the moment.

Baku says that the negotiations on Karabakh may enter deadlock due
to Armenia’s attempts to protract the process. Yerevan is not facing
any pressure either from the mediators or the international community.

What do you think is the solution?

I think that first of all the resolutions of the Security Council
that respect the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be observed
by all parties, including the European Union. I think the EU should
take a clear position which we do not see now. I urge the EU to take
an unambiguous position in line with gthe UN resolutions.

But what can Azerbaijan do when the resolutions of the UN Security
Council are ignored?

Azerbaijan needs the support of the Minsk Group participants and
the international community. Azerbaijan already has support on paper
but I think there is a need to urge the countries to provide greater
support in the area of negotiations.

MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO MEET IN MOSCOW TOMORROW

armradio.am
21.04.2010 17:38

US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Robert Bradtke has described his
meetings in Baku as ‘very serious and constructive.’

"I was very pleased when Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev underlined
that he supported a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem,"
Bradtke said. "I reiterated at the meeting with the president that
US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
supported a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue."

The American diplomat said that the Minsk Group co-chairs would meet
in Moscow tomorrow, APA reports.

Asked whether Armenia accepted the Madrid principles for a settlement,
Robert Bradtke said: "We will continue discussions. There are important
points where common views are expressed, but some points have not
been agreed yet.’"

He echoed his comments of yesterday that one of the goals of his
visit was to regain the lost momentum in the Karabakh peace process.

Robert Bradtke’s remarks came as a senior Azerbaijani official
broadened the scope of his criticism of Karabakh mediation to cover
all three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

‘We are not satisfied with the work of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
in making progress on a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The problem is still in deadlock, there is no movement,’ Ali Hasanov,
head of the public policy department at the Azerbaijani presidential
administration, told journalists today.

Russia’s new co-chair, Igor Popov, said in Baku today that Moscow’s
position on Karabakh would not change because of his appointment.

AN INTERNSHIP TO BE ORGANIZED FOR YOUNG UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE AT EMPLOYERS

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 20, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS: "State Employment Service" agency of
the Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs intends to organize
in the running year an internship of unemployed young people at
employers. Head of the agency Sona Harutyunyan told Armenpress that
the young people must be registered in the territorial centers of
the agency and without job experience.

The studies of the agency show that many young people, graduating
from educational establishments, face difficulties in finding a job,
as they do not have a job experience. It becomes a serious obstacle
in getting a job.

The program will be implemented with the support of the World Bank.

The organization of an internship at an employer is intended to be
6 months, during which the young people will have an opportunity of
displaying the whole working capabilities and skills. The program
will operate for 3 years.

MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ECHMIATSIN TO MARK KHRIMIAN HAYRIK 190TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY IN OCTOBER

Panorama.am
19/04/2010

The Mother See of Holy Echmiatsin will mark the 190th anniversary
of the Catholicos of All Armenians (1892-1907) Mkrtich Khrimian I
(known as Khrimian Hayrik) of blessed memory in October this year,
the Mother See press office reported.

Following the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II’s order, a
commission group, chaired by Bishop Ter Anushavan Zhamkochyan of
Yerevan St. Gregory the Illuminator Church, has been established.

The group is expected to discuss and organize the jubilee events
dedicated to Khrimian Hayrik’s 190th anniversary.

Mediamax, Armenia
April 15 2010

NATO states back Armenia’s defence reforms – agency report

Yerevan, 15 April: A sitting of NATO military-political leaders’
committee took place in Brussels in NATO-Armenia format at [with the]
participation of the Armenian Defense Ministry’s delegation, headed by
Deputy Minister Ara Nazaryan.

Mediamax was informed in the press service of the Armenian Defense
Ministry that cooperation goals that were renewed in the frames of the
Planning and Reviewing process were discussed at the sitting.

RA [Republic of Armenia] delegation introduced the implementation
process of the special civil service in the Ministry of Defense.
Highly evaluating the defense reforms exercised in the Republic of
Armenia the representatives of NATO member states reconfirmed their
support and expressed their readiness to continue the cooperation in
defense reforms.

At the sitting they also discussed the peacekeeping activities of the
RA Afghanistan units in the ISAF in Afghanistan which received the
high appraisal of NATO military-political leaders.

Aysor, Armenia
April 17 2010

Situation in Azerbaijan can get out of control

The "Broken Pillar: Democracy in US-Azerbaijani Relations’ Forum took
place in Washington on April 16, organized by Johns Hopkins University
and Azerbaijani AZAD organisation, which advocates US support for
democracy in Azerbaijan and promotes US-Azerbaijani relations based on
principles of respect for fundamental human rights and liberties.

The forum gathered numerous officials, experts, analysts, and
journalists for a discussion, related to the item of support for
democracy as a US foreign policy priority in relations with
Azerbaijan.

`If democracy and freedom of speech remains under pressure in
Azerbaijan, the situation can get out of control and move in
undesirable direction,’ told the Forum Senior Transatlantic Fellow at
The German Marshall Fund of the United States, Former US Assistant
Secretary of State David Kramer.

He stressed that every time he referred to the issue of democracy in
Azerbaijan, its authorities use the Karabakh issue to blame the
international community. `This is not normal,’ said Kramer.

Aysor, Armenia
April 17 2010

Remarks by Artsakh Republic’s President Bako Sahakyan

The Press Office of the Artsakh State administration has released the
welcoming address by Artsakh Republic’s President Bako Sahakyan to the
participants of theoretical and practical conference, which launched
in Stepanakert on April 17, marking the 15th anniversary of the
Armenian Constitution.

`It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to this conference and
congratulate on the beginning of theoretical and practical conference
dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the Armenian Constitution.

The very circumstance that the organizers of the conference are
Armenia’s Constitutional Court, National Assembly and Supreme Court of
the Artsakh Republic, as well as International Association of Armenian
Lawyers confirm the significance of the event. It is also very
important that the conference is being held in Artsakh, marking
scientific and political importance.

The development of constitutionalism in Armenia and Artsakh is
considered to be among the pivotal directions of strengthening
independent national statehood and integration with the civilized
world.

Great representatives of our nation are used to putting such a great
attention to the constitution that even in the absence of statehood
they designed this fundamental document.

Now when we have both the independent statehood and basic laws we
should solve issues of different qualities. It is necessary to
continue developing constitutionalism and Armenian legal thought,
studying experience of leading countries and improving domestic
legislative basis. It is among the foundations of democratic and legal
state system that are exclusive values for us. For Artsakh it is also
one of the key directions for international recognition of its
independence.

This process requires high professionalism, adherence to principles,
honesty and daily painstaking work.

Close cooperation within the whole Armenian world, between the
Republic of Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora, is a matter of great
importance. Using the potential of the strong Armenian Diaspora, we
can solve the issues that we meet in more effective way through
studying and putting into practice the experience of other countries.

>From this point of view, `The Contemporary Issues of Developing
Constitutionalism’ theoretical and practical conference, which
gathered together representatives of the state bodies and was
organized on a high representative level to mark the 15th anniversary
of the Armenian Constitution, has a special significance.

I am confident that the conference will solve its agenda’s issues
effectively and will contribute to further widening and deepening of
scientific and practical ties in this very important sphere.

I wish you all fruitful work for the love of strengthening the
Armenian Statehood and realization of our national goals.’