Author: Nalchajian Markos

PROCEEDINGS INITIATED ON ‘GENOCIDE DENIAL’ CASE AGAINST CAUCASUS INSTITUTE

Tert
Oct 19 2009
Armenia

Proceedings on the case brought forth by Ararat Center for Strategic
Research NGO against Caucasus Institute have been initiated at the
Court of First Instance of Center and Nork-Marash Communities of
Yerevan, press secretary of the Court of Cassation Alina Yengoyan
stated in speaking with Tert.am.

"On October 7, the court noted the claim. For now, the date and time
of the court hearings aren’t noted," Yengoyan said.

As previously reported by Tert.am, Ararat Center for Strategic
Research has brought forth a case against the Caucus Institute
because they presented and subsequently published an article titled
"Turkish-Armenian relations: an eternal deadlock?" by Aybars Gorgulu
from the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV),
who co-prepared the report with Caucasus Institute. In his report,
Gorgulu not only wrote the word Genocide in quotation marks, but also
denied the fact of the Armenian Genocide.

Hoping to get comments, Tert.am established contact with head of
Caucasus Institute’s Political Studies Department Sergey Minasyan. He
stated that they have familiarized themselves with the information
today from media; they haven’t received any official notice from
the courts.

"When we receive it [official court documents], we will then decide
on our next steps," Minasyan said.

Ha’aretz, Israel
Oct 18 2009

Comment / How do Turkey and Israel measure each other’s love?

By Zvi Bar’el Haaretz Correspondent

Once in a while Israel picks a Turkish daisy and begins pulling off
its petals one at a time: "She loves me, she loves me not, she loves
me, she loves me not." Last week it was "she loves me not." How is
Turkey’s love for Israel measured? Is it by expelling Israel from a
joint military exercise and showing a television series on the Israel
Defense Forces’ supposed activities in the territories, or by
purchases of military equipment and intelligence cooperation? And how
does Turkey measure Israel’s love? By Israel pushing Turkey out of all
diplomatic efforts on the Palestinian issue, or by the Jewish lobby’s
actions in the United States favoring Turkey, mostly against efforts
to define the Armenian holocaust as genocide?

It seems that in the two countries’ relations, terms like "love" and
"betrayal" have replaced the correct terminology of interests and
strategic partnership. Israel feels betrayed by Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan’s verbal assault, rushing to link Turkey with the
"Islamic-Iranian-Syrian" axis of evil. And perhaps Turkey can’t come
to terms with Israel’s lack of consideration for what it considers
most important: allowing it to take part in regional diplomacy. The
region’s sole Muslim country with genuine "ties of love" with Israel
finds itself cast aside like a useless piece of equipment, at a time
when she is offering to be a partner.

Because in Israel’s eyes, Turkey is seen as two states – one in the
form of the military, twin sister of Israel, the other political,
leaning toward Islam and making friends with Syria and Iran. Thus,
insolent Israel decided in a typical manner not to take Turkey’s
politicians seriously and to adopt the Turkish army. Israel was also
certain all these years that Turkey, backward and poor, needed its
sole friend in the Middle East because it was not accepted in the
region due to its Ottoman history and close ties with Israel and the
United States, and therefore could not do without Israel.
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So in Israel, people have been quick to conclude that "something went
wrong" in Turkey. Suddenly the government rules the army instead of
the army, Israel’s loyal friend, telling the government what to do.
Israelis did not think for a minute that the Turkish army might also
have had enough.

Turkey has changed; inwardly, for the most part. In a long and
difficult process it has become a more democratic country. The army is
still dominant, but less public in its role in the civilian domain.
Turkey has overcome most of its economic problems and has been
transformed into a regional economic power. It is a real strategic
asset for the United States, increasing its importance after the Iraq
war. It has also developed a different regional strategy.

Whoever reads what Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says recognizes
that Turkey aspires to become an influential player not only in the
Middle East but also in the Caucasus and Asia. It is involved in the
fighting in Afghanistan, is forming an economic alliance with Iraq,
plans to invest billions of dollars in Egypt, and its annual trade
with Iran stands at $9 billion, with Syria at $1.5 billion.

And here is the paradox. This is the only Muslim country that is not
harshly criticized, whether by Iran or any Arab state, for having such
close ties with Israel. As such, it could have served as an excellent
mediator between Israel and the Arab countries had Israel not
considered it an obvious satellite state.

Turkey is not a saint. Its modern history is replete with terrible
events including the destruction of thousands of Kurdish villages, the
eviction of millions of people, bombing sometimes without proper
distinguishing of targets, political arrests and torture. This is also
why it has considered Israel an ally. But the moment comes when even
evil countries don a suit and tie and ask to join a new club that
allegedly is honorable and carries out "just wars." Israel, which is
certain that all its wars are just, still doesn’t understand where it
went wrong.

Turkey, the second Muslim country after Iran to recognize Israel in
1949, is neither kicking Israel nor changing its spots. But it doesn’t
want its ally to embarrass it, whether in front of its own public or
its other allies.

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MONEYVAL REGISTERS PROGRESS IN ARMENIA’S EFFORTS IN FIGHTING MONEY LAUNDERING
Nvard Davtyan

"Radiolur"
16.10.2009 18:28

Armenia occupies the 10th place among 25 countries of the Council of
Europe (CoE) as to meeting international standards for fighting money
laundering and terrorism financing, Head of the Financial Monitoring
Center of the Central Bank (CB) of Armenia Daniel Azatyan told a
press conference today, referring to the report of CoE Committee of
Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the
Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL).

Daniel Azatyan noted that in the report, among the post-soviet
countries, Armenia yields only to Lithuania, Latvia and
Estonia. According to him, the systems for fighting money laundering
and terrorism financing in Armenia have received the high assessment
of the Committee.

In particular, significant progress has been registered in legal,
financial and law-enforcement spheres.

NZ PARTY: ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS ARE EVIDENTLY ANTI-ARMENIAN AND ARE RESULT OF SERIOUS PRESSURES

Noyan Tapan
Oct 13, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN. According to Nor Zhamanakner
(New Times) party’s estimation, the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Turkey signed evidently anti-Armenian protocols on October 10
in Zurich. Mentioning that the signing ceremony took place three
hours late the NZ Board is convinced that the protocols are a result
of serious pressures. NZ Board’s statement read that the protocols
have the three preconditions put forward by Turkey as far back as in
1993 regarding its country’s and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,
dampening the process of Genocide’s international recognition, and
Nagorno Karabakh problem’s solution in favor of Azerbaijan.

Reaffirming that the fact of thrusting anti-national protocols on
the Armenian people at any price is the consequence of exercising
anti-popular legislative and executive power for years in Armenia
serving exclusively for clan interests the Nor Zhamanakner party
declared:

"At the current stage the Armenian people should do its utmost in
Armenia and Diaspora to hinder ratification of this disgraceful
document and by doing so should prevent a regular attempt of world
powers to sacrifice Armenia and the whole Armenian people. Processes
going on over the Republic of Armenia with their logic being very much
like the destructive events that happened in Serbia make it unequivocal
that the clan-oligarch regime having seized the power in our country
should be removed as soon as possible, which can be done as a result
of joint struggle of various strata of society, political forces free
of compulsion. Since 2009 October 10 the Armenians worldwide should
realize that they will be able to resist the coming challenges only
with their own forces. We remind to all world forces that the Armenian
nation over the five thousand years of its history survived in more
difficult situations, experiencing the Genocide it continued building
its homeland and now struggles for a Deserved and Fair Future."

NKR OMBUDSMAN A MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTE

News.am
20:47 / 10/15/2009

"Of course you all remember that the very first day since the Institute
of Omudsman has been established in Nagorno-Karabakh, Ombudsman of
Azerbaijan Elmira Suleymanova declared the organization is unlawful
maintaining NKR was under her authority. In fact it was not a proper
step for the Ombudsman as notwithstanding the fact whether the
Republic is recognized or not, the citizens’ right and life should be
protected. Suleymanova appealed to the International, European and
Asian Institutes of Ombuudsman with a request to pronounce the NKR
Ombudsman unlawful rejecting his membership in the organizations,"
NKR Ombudsman Yuri Hayrapetyan said at the press conference dedicated
to his joining the Euroepan Institute of Ombudsman as a fullfledged
member of the organization’s sitting in Italy.

NKR Ombudsman also pointed out that his Azeri counterpart skiped
the event.

"The reason of doing so may be her failed attempt to prevent my
membership in the organization, the second may be that her term is
over. It is about six months that he has been occupying the office
unlawfully. The law prevents her from taking the seat again. However
it will be no surprise if she does so as she is with all her might
backing the authorities disregarding right of the citizens," maintains
Hayrapetyan.

He informed he had meeting with Ombudsman from all over the world in
Italy. According to him, his international counterparts showed interest
about Karabakh and expressed willingness to visit the Republic upon
his invitation.

"It is crucial to maintain the network to be updated about developments
in the Ombudsman Institute worldwide," assures Hayrapetyan.

ABOUT 6,100 UNITS OF BOOK GATHERED FOR ARTSAKH LIBRARIES

ARMENPRESS
OCTOBER 15, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 15, ARMENPRESS: About 6,100 units of book have been
gathered as a result of book gathering announced to support Artsakh
libraries. The book gathering is carried out by the National Library.

Alisa Adamyan, head of the library’s book exchange and foreign
relations department, told Armenpress that 2500 books have been
provided by National Gallery, the rest by individuals, organizations
as well as Armenian Science and Education Ministry. The books will
be given to Artsakh libraries in late October.

Adamyan noted that till that the book gathering will continue. "First
we announced deadline for book gathering but up to now a great
activation is being noticed among different organizations, individuals
who wish to bring to us their books by all means," Adamyan said.

The gathered books will be provided to Artsakh rural, urban, school
and higher educational establishments’ libraries.

During the running year the officials of the National library visited
Nagorno Karabakh and found out that the libraries there are in
desperate condition.

PRESIDENTS OF ARMENIA AND TURKEY TO WATCH THE FOOTBALL MATCH SITTING AT SPECIAL LOGE DECORATED WITH SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS

ArmInfo
2009-10-14 20:34:00

Arminfo. Special loge is set for the Armenian and Turkish Presidents
at Ataturk stadium in Bursa town. According to ArmInfo correspondent,
the loge is decorated with Swarovski crystals. One couch and two
arm-chairs cost $10 000.

As reported earlier, at the moment Turkish President Abdullah Gul meets
with RA President Serzh Sargsyan in Almira hotel.Many officials and
journalists gathered near the hotel. At the sam,e time a small group
of people protesting against normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relations was noticed near the hotel.

The match will start at 9:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. Yerevan time).

Right after the match RA President is leaving for Yerevan. The match
itself will not resolve any problem for the two national teams,
it is more of the political nature.

FIVE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO HAVE TRAINING COURSE AT ARMENTEL

ARKA
October13, 2009
Yerevan

YEREVAN, October 13, /ARKA/. Five Armenian college students have
won the right to have an in-depth training course at Armen Tel
telecommunications company. They were the winners of Skills Work
Challenge business essay competition on the topic of "What I would
do if I were the Chief Executive Officer of ArmenTel".

The first stage of the competition attracted over 350 college
students aging 15-18. The best 50 were then invited to take part in
the final stage of the national competition held at the resort town
of Tsakhkadzor on October 9-10.

The students gathered in groups to address a specific business
challenge posed by ArmenTel and came up with ideas which would solve
the problem.

Participants were able to develop their interpersonal, creative
thinking, entrepreneurial as well as problem-solving skills.

ArmenTel CEO Igor Klimko awarded DVD players to the five winners. The
best participants of the competition will travel next spring to Serbia
to represent Armenia at the International Finale.

The competition in Tsakhkadzor was organized by Junior Achievements
NGO, the Yerevan office of the British Council and the ministry of
education and science. It was sponsored by ArmenTel company (operating
under Beeline trademark).

The essay competition aims to link education with business and
encourage young people to use their skills in enterprising and
innovative ways.

ArmenTel is a full subsidiary of Russian Vimpelcom company. It offers
fixed, mobile phone and Internet services.

RAU, VIRGINIA TECH TO SIGN AGREEMENT ON IT COOPERATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.10.2009 14:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, Virginia
Tech and USAID CAPS (Competitive Armenian Private Sector project)
will sign an agreement on IT cooperation on October 15, RAU press
office said. The goal of the agreement is establishment of academic
cooperation between universities, including curriculum development,
joint scientific research, students and tutors exchange projects.

IMF: REGIONAL INTEGRATION WILL PROVIDE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.10.2009 16:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Regional integration will provide economic growth
in regional states, IMF Executive Director Ambroise Fayolle stated,
commenting on possible consequences Armenia will face with RA-Turkish
border opening. "IMF experience in other regions proves opening of
border and regional integration promote economic development in the
country," he said.

Still, Ambroise Fayolle fount it difficult to provide exact forecasts
over consequences of opening border with Turkey for lack of research
data on he issue.