Author: Nalchajian Markos

SCIENTISTS FROM ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA PUBLISH BOOK "HISTORY OF SOUTH CAUCASUS" IN MOSCOW

Noyan Tapan
Jan 18, 2010

MOSCOW, JANUARY 18, NOYAN-TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The scientists
from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia will published book "The History
of the South Caucasus" in Russian in February. According to Turan
news agency, Aydin Aslanov, chief of department of history of the
Azerbaijan’s Teachers Institute, told a news conference that the
authors from Armenia and Georgia are historians Armen Hachikyan and
Paata Ramishvili.

The e-version of the book will be posted in the internet. According
to the book will be translated into English under the
EU support. There is also a plan to publish this book in Armenian,
Azerbaijani and Georgian.

The book will be published in 1000 exemplars and will be distributed
to libraries, scientific and educational establishments of the three
countries.

RA PRESIDENT OFF TO MOSCOW

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.01.2010 10:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan departed Sunday
for Moscow on a short-term visit on the invitation of his Russian
counterpart Dmitry Medvedev. Mr. Sargsyan will return to Yerevan on
Monday evening, the presidential press office reported.

Paris hosts `Hrant Dink’s murder’ documentary premiere
16.01.2010 16:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Entrepot movie theater in Paris hosted `Hrant Dink’s
murder’ documentary premiere. The documentary will also be screened in
Yerevan and Istanbul, Hurriyet reported.

`In 2004, I met Hrant Dink to discuss joint creation of a film.
Project implementation was delayed because of the death of my wife,
and later, because of Dink’s murder. As a result, the project of
`Armenia-Turkey’ documentary was reformed into `Hrant Dink’s murder’
film,’ producer Osman Okan said.

Hrant Dink was a Turkish-Armenian editor, journalist and columnist.

As editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos,
Dink was a prominent member of the Armenian minority in Turkey. Dink
was best known for advocating Turkish-Armenian reconciliation and
human and minority rights in Turkey; he was often critical of both
Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, and of the Armenian
diaspora’s campaign for its international recognition. Dink was
prosecuted three times for denigrating Turkishness, while receiving
numerous death threats from Turkish nationalists.

Hrant Dink was assassinated in Istanbul in January 2007, by Ogun
Samast, a 17-year old Turkish nationalist. This was shortly after the
premiere of the genocide documentary "Screamers" in which he is
interviewed about Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and
the case against him under article 301. While Samast has since been
taken into custody, photographs of the assassin flanked by smiling
Turkish police and gendarmerie, posing with the killer side by side in
front of the Turkish flag, have since surfaced. The photos created a
scandal in Turkey, prompting a spate of investigations and the removal
from office of those involved.

At his funeral, two hundred thousand mourners marched in protest of
the assassination, chanting "We are all Armenians" and "We are all
Hrant Dink".

Ria Novosti, Russie
16 Jan 2010

Bakou adresse une note à Moscou en réponse à une déclaration de
Jirinovski (agence)

BAKOU, 16 janvier – RIA Novosti

L’ambassade d’Azerbaïdjan à Moscou a envoyé une note au ministère
russe des Affaires étrangères en raison d’une déclaration du
vice-président de la Douma (chambre basse du parlement russe) Vladimir
Jirinovski, a annoncé l’agence News-Azerbaijan, citant le porte-parole
de la diplomatie azerbaïdjanaise Elhan Poluhov.

La note a été remise le 13 janvier.

Selon l’agence, M. Jirinovski a déclaré dans une interview au
quotidien letton "Neatkarigas Rita Avize" que si le Haut-Karabakh
proclamait unilatéralement son indépendance, la Russie devrait la
reconnaître.

La partie azerbaïdjanaise souligne dans la note que ces propos ne
correspondent pas aux relations d’amitié qui existent actuellement
entre les deux pays.

"Force est de constater que les démarches de ce genre ne contribuent
ni à améliorer ni à renforcer les relations entre l’Azerbaïdjan et la
Russie", a souligné M.Poluhov.

Le conflit du Haut-Karabakh a éclaté en 1988, après que cette région
peuplée essentiellement d’Arméniens eut annoncé son intention de se
séparer de l’Azerbaïdjan. Lors du référendum organisé dans le
Haut-Karabakh le 10 décembre 1991 (soit quelques jours avant la
désintégration officielle de l’Union soviétique), 99,89% de la
population se sont prononcés pour l’indépendance totale vis-Ã-vis de
l’Azerbaïdjan. Les résultats du référendum ont fourni un prétexte Ã
des affrontements armés à la suite desquels l’Azerbaïdjan a perdu le
contrôle du Haut-Karabakh et de sept régions adjacentes. Les
hostilités ont fait environ 15.000 morts et ont contraint près d’un
million de personnes à quitter leurs foyers.

L’armistice signé le 12 mai 1994 à Bichkek a instauré un cessez-le-feu
qui est toujours respecté.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Jan 14 2010

Armenian-Language Faculty to open at Turkey’s Arciyas University

An Armenian-Language Faculty will open at the Arciyas University in
Kayseri, CNN Turk reported.

Assistant to Arciyas University Rector Metin Hulagu confirmed the
faculty’s opening.

An Ibrani- and Persian-Languages Faculty will also open at the
university.

Minister Nalbandian had a working dinner with Ambassadors of EU member states

armradio.am
16.01.2010 11:52

On January 15 Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a working dinner
with the Ambassadors of EU member countries accredited in Armenia and
the Head of the European Commission delegation.

A broad framework of regional and international issues was discussed,
Press and information Department of the Ministry of foreign Affairs
reported.

news.az, Azerbaijan
Jan 16 2010

Freedom House corrects Karabakh mistake on its map
Sat 16 January 2010 | 08:55 GMT Text size:

Freedom House The international organization Freedom House has never
recognized the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh republic.

After protests from the Azerbaijani public, Freedom House has
corrected the mistake on its Freedom in the World Map 2009, which
showed Nagorno-Karabakh under joint rule by Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The organization recently published a new Freedom in the World Map,
where Nagorno-Karabakh is shown as Azerbaijani territory.

A representative of Freedom House told APA that they had never
recognized separatist Nagorno-Karabakh.

Despite that the 2010 Freedom Report still shows Nagorno-Karabakh as
"partly free".

Freedom House’s new map can be found here.

APA

S. SAFARYAN: THE "HERITAGE" SUPPORTS THE "ARF" PARTY

Aysor, Armenia
Jan 15 2010

The "Heritage" party will direct all its resources against the
consequences of the decision taken by the Constitutional Court
concerning the Armenian – Turkish protocols, stated Stepan Safaryan
the head of the "Heratige" party. He announced that the party is ready
to help the ARF in fighting against the ratification of the Armenian –
Turkish protocols.

"We notice that even the political forces having extreme disposition
towards the protocols are changing their positions", – he said,
referring to ARF.

According to S. Safaryan in the political field as a result of those
processes will be formed three groups; "Heritage" party which is
obviously against the CC decision, opposition that are partially
satisfied with the decision of the CC and oppositions that are
completely satisfied with the decision.

At the same time the deputy said that he finds this struggle to have
no prospective especially when most of the parliament members speak
about their readiness to vote for the protocols.

EDITORIAL: PROJECT FINANCE IN THE CIS

Who’s Who Legal
Jan 15 2010

Our research identifies 46 leading project finance lawyers in the
region.

Magisters has a strong contingent, with four lawyers featured. Olga
Khoroshylova heads the capital markets, banking and finance group in
Ukraine while Dmitry Dementyev in Moscow "is a fine lawyer". Marta
Khomyak heads the Astana office in Kazakhstan and Anna Rusetskaya
provides "excellent counsel" in finance issues relating to Belarus.

At Salans in Kazakhstan Aigoul Kenjebayeva has particular expertise
regarding foreign investments into the country and the Caspian region
while the "highly practical and business-minded" Abai Shaikenov also
advises a range of clients in the banking, real estate and oil and
gas sectors. In Kiev managing partner Oleg Batyuk is a member of the
board of the central and East European practice group and advises
major international companies and financial institutions regarding
investments in Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.

We list two lawyers at Linklaters LLP in Russia. Michael Bott
advises a range of clients including lenders, borrowers, export
credit agencies and multilateral institutions; Daniel Tyrer is
"very knowledgeable particularly in the energy sector" and has
over 10 years of experience in this industry. Elsewhere in Russia,
at Herbert Smith LLP Alexander Currie has worked on numerous large
project financings including Gazprom and Wintershall on the â~B¬3
billion project financing to develop one of Russia’s largest gas
fields. Edward Baring is also highly recommended. Dmitri Nikiforov of
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP chairs the firm’s Moscow Office and is very
well regarded while Alan Kartashkin is "superb". At Allen & Overy LLP,
the "highly knowledgeable" Anthony Humphrey is global head of the
Russia practice group and managing partner of the Moscow office. We
also identify Tatiana Kachalina of Liniya Prava who is reported to be
a "great lawyer". Anton Klyachin of Salomons provides a "first-rate
service" regarding investments into the country.

Our research identifies a further seven leading lawyers in Kazakhstan.

Aequitas has two lawyers listed. Tatyana Suleyeva is a co-founder and
deputy managing partner of the firm and has "excellent experience"
relating to the structuring of transactions and investments in
the country. Semion Issyk advises a number of financial groups
and institutions and is rated highly in our research. Kenneth Mack
is a managing partner of Chadbourne & Parke LLP and has extensive
experience in transactions involving Central Asia and Russia. The
"brilliant" Sergei Vataev has drafted documents for complex project
finance transactions involving innovative use of payment and debt
instruments. At Denton Wilde Sapte’s Kazakhstan branch Joel Benjamin
represents clients in various industries including oil and gas,
mining, banking, electricity, aviation, and telecommunications and
media. At Grata Law Firm, managing partner Rashid Gaissin heads
the banking and finance department and counsels multinationals and
financial institutions. Walter Daniel of White & Case LLP focuses
on international oil and gas matters and has previously advised an
international consortium on the concession and other Kazakh law issues
associated with the proposed US$6 billion financing of a petrochemical
complex in the Atyrau region of Kazakhstan.

>>From the seven outstanding lawyers in our Ukraine list, DLA Piper
LLP provides two. Illya Muchnyk is a "star" and advises leading banking
and financial institutions and major Ukrainian industrial groups.

Oleksandr Kurdydyk leads the finance and projects practice in Ukraine
and has significant industry experience in the energy, transport
and telecommunications sectors. At Asters Oleksiy Didkovskiy is a
"highly skilful lawyer". From Frishberg & Partners Vladimir Lukovich
provides "highly astute" counsel while Oleg Vysochinsky of Grischenko
& Partners is a "fantastic lawyer". At Ilyashev & Partners, Maksim
Kopeychykov is "a very worthy lawyer that should be on the list",
while Valentyn Zagariya is also highly regarded in the region.

We select six professionals in Azerbaijan. From Baker & McKenzie
Aykhan Asadov is "very impressive". His partner Vagif Karimli has an
"outstanding" practice. MGB Law Offices has two representatives in
this chapter: Ismail Askerov advises a number of major oil and gas
corporations and also acts for multinational financial institutions
on the financing of major vessel and aircraft operators in Azerbaijan.

Elchin Mammadov is "certainly a leader in the region" and his previous
experience has involved acting for HypoVereinsbank on a US$30 million
structured financing in Azerbaijan and abroad. BM Law Firm also has two
lawyers on our list. Dilyara Israfilova is "very good" and previously
represented a Swiss bank in connection with a US$5 million financing
of a fuel conversion and retrofit of Nakhichevan Power Plant. Farhad
Mirzayev is "well respected" and has been listed.

In Belarus our research identifies a strong contingent at Borovtsov &
Salei. Alexander Botian "is certainly one of the best" while managing
partner Vassili Salei is seen as a "world class" lawyer. The "highly
accomplished" co-managing partner Maksim Salahub of Sorainen Law
Offices advises a number of international financial institutions,
transnational corporations and prominent foreign investors venturing
into Belarus while at Vlasova Mikhel & Partners Tatiana Emelianova is a
"highly respected lawyer".

In Armenia our research identifies three outstanding lawyers. At
Ameria Legal Practice Andrew Lazarian is "the man for project
finance in Armenia" and Karen Babalyan is also well respected in this
jurisdiction. At Arlex International Ltd managing partner Thomas
Samuelian "is an expert" and has over 20 years of experience in
international practice.

At Kalikova & Associates in Kyrgyzstan managing partner Gulnara
Kalikova is a "very adept lawyer" with a specialism in project finance.

Turcan & Turcan have two representatives listed in Chisinau. Alexander
Turcan is "highly reputable" while Octavian Cazac has "a very good
understanding of clients’ needs".

lysis/article/19731/editorial-project-finance-cis/

ARMENIA-TURKISH RELATIONS AND KARABAKH SETTLEMENT NOT LINKED-FM

ITAR-TASS
Jan 14 2010
Russia

YEREVAN, January 14 (Itar-Tass) – Russia sees no connection between
the process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
said on Thursday following the talks with his Armenian counterpart
Edward Nalbandian,

"There should be no artificial linkage between these matters. This
is not proper," the minister stressed.

He said, "Russia has confirmed its support for this process. We are
interested in the normalization of these relations." "The sooner this
happens, the better for the whole region," he added.

The Russian foreign minister holds that "this process can be assisted
through implementing infrastructure projects in the region." "If
the sides are ready for this, Russia will give assistance," Lavrov
promised.