Author: Nalchajian Markos

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
March 11 2009

OSCE holds monitoring on contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian
armed forces

11 March 2009 [15:29] – Today.Az

OSCE monitoring, held today on the contact line of the armed forces of
Azerbaijan and Armenia near the Fizuli-Horadiz highway in Fizuli,
recorded no incidents, according to the press service for the Defense
Ministry of Azerbaijan.

By the information, the monitoring was held on the basis of mandate
of personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office.

The Azerbaijani side will be represented by field assistants of the
representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office Peter Kie and Imre
Palatinus.

The opposite side, recognized as the Azerbaijani land on the
international level, was represented by field assistants of personal
representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office Irzhi Aberle and
Vladimir Chountulov.

/Day.Az/

URL:

Armenia’s Ambassador to UK meets ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

armradio.am
11.03.2009 18:01

The Armenian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Vahe Gabrielyan met with
the former UK Prime Minister, Baroness Margaret Thatcher to hand in
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan’s letter of commendation.

During the meeting Ambassador Gabrielyan conveyed the gratitude of the
Armenian Government and people for the invaluable assistance rendered
after the devastating earthquake of 1988.

Mts. Thatcher noted it’s a great honor for her to get the letter of
commendation of the Armenian Government and recalled her visit to
Armenia in June 1990. She was interested in today’s economic and
political situation in Armenia and the challenges the country faces.

At the end of the meeting Ambassador Gabrielyan invited Margaret
Thatcher to visit Armenia again.

A1+

HHK Spokesman refutes rumours
[08:05 pm] 11 March, 2009

It is rumoured that the sons of the Armenian Parliament Speaker Hovik
Abrahamyan and Chief of Yerevan Police Nersen Nazaryan are going to
run in the elections for Yerevan Mayor.

Spokesman of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), MPEdward
Sharmazanov refutes the information saying that they don’t meet
Article 87 of the Law on Self-Government Bodies: they are both under
25.

Mining industry was the first to feel the impact of the global crisis
09.03.2009 14:59

Karen Ghazaryan
`Radiolur’

One of the priority branches of economy ` the mining industry ` was
among the first to feel the impact of the global financial-economic
crisis. The sphere found itself in a hard situation because of the
unprecedented fall of prices. As for Armenia’s shift to the floating
exchange rate, some representatives of the sphere say the depreciation
of the national currency will have a positive influence on mining
industry.

Director of the ACP Group Gagik Arzumanyan told a press conference
today that any exporting company will benefit from the depreciation of
the national currency.

`Mining industry is the sphere, the production of which directly or
indirectly exported from the country. Therefore, all the enterprises of
the field find themselves in an advantageous position with the
weakening of the Armenian dram against dollar,’ Gagik Arzumanyan said.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Georgian Opposition collected almost 50 thousand signatures against
Saakashvili
09.03.2009 20:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `April the 9th ` protest action organizers,
Georgia’s opposition parties, launched `box actions’ in
Tbilisi. Numerous political forces, including Conservative Party,
People’s Party, Democratic Movement, Freedom party, Traditionalists,
Manufacturers, Women’s Party, Georgia’s Way, United Georgia joined the
campaign. The citizens of Tbilisi were called on to sign a demand for
president Mikhail Saakashvili’s resignation. The parties managed to
collect 48 347 signatures within 5 days.

A 3 day-action will be launched in 16 major cities of Georgia on Mar
10. `The action will involve Telavi, Gori, Zestafoni, Poti, Dusheti,
Batumi, Ozurgetti, Akhaltsikhe, marneuli, Gardabani, Rustavi, senaki,
Gurdgaani, Samtredia, Zugdidi and Kutaisi,’ Georgia Online reported.

Jamestown Foundation
March 9 2009

Turkish-American "Strategic Partnership": On the Way to Rejuvenation?

Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 6 Issue: 45March 9, 2009
01:42 PM Age: 3 hrsCategory: Eurasia Daily Monitor, Foreign Policy,
Turkey, Home Page, Featured By: Saban Kardas

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Ankara on Saturday,
the highest-level direct contact between the administration of
President Barack Obama and the Turkish government so far, highlighted
the value each side places on sustaining the Turkish-American
partnership. In addition to her meetings with President Abdullah Gul
and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Clinton met with Foreign
Minister Ali Babacan after which the two held a press briefing and
made a joint statement about strengthening the bilateral
relationship. Clinton also visited Ataturk’s mausoleum in Ankara and
appeared on a popular show on the private NTV channel.

The joint declaration stated that the parties "reaffirmed the strong
bonds of alliance, solidarity, and strategic partnership…as well as
the commitment of both countries to the principles of peace,
democracy, freedom, and prosperity enshrined in the Shared Vision and
Structured Dialogue document agreed to in July 2006"
(, March 7).

Clinton had a chance to discuss a wide range of issues with Turkish
officials including the Middle East peace process, Iraq, Afghanistan,
energy security, the global financial crisis, terrorism, developments
in the Balkans and the Caucasus, Turkey’s EU membership process, and
the Cyprus problem. The continuing discussions on using Turkish
territory as a possible route for US troops leaving Iraq reportedly
occupied the major part of Clinton’s agenda during her private
discussions with Erdogan and other Turkish officials (ANKA, March
8). In response to a question about Turkey’s possible role in the
U.S. withdrawal plans, Clinton noted that the process was still in its
initial phases and Washington would maintain discussions with Turkey
on the subject. Babacan repeated his earlier remarks on the issue,
emphasizing that talks at the technical level were already underway
and that Turkey had a constructive approach to the subject (Anatolian
News Agency, March 7).

Another major item discussed was Turkey’s contributions to resolving
conflicts in the region. Clinton reiterated American appreciation of
Turkey’s role with regard to the Palestine issue and the indirect
talks between Syria and Israel. Both sides said that they would work
together to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable peace in the
region. Likewise, Clinton expressed her country’s support for the
process of reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia that Ankara
initiated. Clinton also noted that Washington found Gul’s visit to
Iran this week important (Sabah, March 8). Although some Turkish
sources speculated that Gul might have carried messages from
Washington to Tehran (Hurriyet, March 9), this has yet to be confirmed
officially.

Overall, statements from both sides stress that the two parties had
useful discussions and found mutual ground on issues of common
concern, which might herald a new era in Turkish-American
relations. Achieving consensus on strategic matters aside, a major
roadblock in Turkish-American relations has been the public animosity
toward the United States and how to reverse the anti-Americanism that
became strongly engrained in the Turkish body politic during the Bush
years. Cognizant of these challenges, the American side did its best
to appeal to the Turkish people, as reflected in Clinton’s appearance
on a TV show targeting female viewers (EDM, March; ,
March 7).

Likewise, Clinton capitalized on Obama’s vision of change to emphasize
that Turkish-American relations were entering a new phase. She
announced that Obama would visit Turkey in a month. A White House
official said that Obama’s trip "will be an important opportunity to
visit a NATO ally and discuss shared challenges," adding, "It will
also provide an opportunity to continue the president’s dialogue with
the Muslim world" (, March 7). It is not yet known,
however, whether the speech Obama had promised to deliver in a Muslim
capital during his first 100 days in office will be given in Ankara or
in the capital of another Muslim country. Given the positive feelings
of the Turkish people toward Obama’s election as president (EDM,
November 7), the visit might indeed help improve the deteriorating
American image in Turkey.

A similar move in public diplomacy concerns attempts to diversify
bilateral relations on the societal level. The joint statement
announced that a new program called "Young Turkey/Young America: A New
Relationship for a New Age" would be launched. It would establish ties
between emerging young leaders from both countries "to develop
initiatives that will positively impact people’s lives and invest in
future ties between the leadership of [the] two countries"
(, March 7).

The Turkish side was apparently satisfied with the trip. Speaking on
the private NTV channel, Babacan said, "Turkish-American relations
have entered a new phase … Our foreign policy priorities are
completely in line with each other. In the new phase, the focus is on
consultation and cooperation." Underlining Turkey’s willingness to
work together with the United States as partners, Babacan added,
"Clinton emphasized Turkey as a strategic partner. She accentuated
this more powerfully than the previous administration, and the new
administration is aware of Turkey’s importance." Nonetheless, Babacan
debunked the overly optimistic expectations that Clinton’s visit
indicated that Obama might not use the word "genocide’ in his Armenian
Memorial Day address in April, This possibility was not completely off
the table, he said (, March 8).

In the 1990s, under the Bill Clinton presidency, the Turkish-American
relationship flourished in many areas and came to be called a
strategic partnership. The Iraq War and ensuing developments turned
"strategic partnership" into an oxymoron to describe Turkish-American
relations. Despite efforts to save the relationship from further
deterioration, disagreements between Ankara and Washington were
difficult to bridge. The 2006 Shared Vision document, which the
Babacan-Clinton joint statement referred to, for example, outlined a
framework of close cooperation and structured dialogue to regulate
bilateral relations. It was not put into practice, however, and
relations hit a low point in 2007, when Washington criticized the
Turkish government for its silence on anti-Americanism in the country
and Ankara censured Washington’s inactivity toward PKK terrorism. This
time, there appears to be a more solid basis for rejuvenating the
partnership: strong references to the 2006 document after a long break
are coupled with both sides’ carefully worded statements, which take
each other’s sensitivities into account, and a determination to
address problems through dialogue without playing blame games. With
political will on both sides, it is not be wrong to assume that
finally they may not only "talk the talk" but also "walk the walk."

ache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=34681&tx_ttn ews%5BbackPid%5D=7&cHash=1af49e4dc0

LIVNI, TURKISH FM MEET FOR FIRST TIME SINCE GAZA OP
Roni Sofer Published

Ynetnews
March 6 2009
Israel

Foreign minister arrives at NATO meeting in Brussels with goal of
warming cooled ties; two ministers agree on importance of continued
political cooperation

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met on Thursday with her Turkish
counterpart, Ali Babacan, for the first time this year, after Israel’s
Operation Cast Lead in Gaza led to tensions between the two countries.

The two foreign ministers, who met in Brussels, agreed on continued
political contact between Israel and Turkey at all levels and stressed
that the two nations share strategic interests.

Livni’s decision to fly to the Belgian capital to participate in
a meeting of NATO foreign ministers was motivated by the desire to
assuage tensions with Turkey. Tentative contact had been made prior
to Thursday’s meeting to this effect.

Leaders in Jerusalem and Ankara had been anxious to ensure tensions
between the two countries would not harm the significant financial
and security-related cooperation taking place between them.

Turkey, desirous of a place in the European Union, was anxious not
to have a falling out with Israel while the latter, who relies on
Turkey as a mediator with the Syrians, also hoped for ameliorated ties.

Tensions surrounding the Gaza operation came to a head in late January,
when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a public spat
with President Shimon Peres, which ended with him walking off stage
at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Later, in mid-February, Erdogan publicly expressed his doubts regarding
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s credibility, calling his statements
"inconsistent" and criticizing Olmert’s decision not to brief him
on Operation Cast Lead, despite the fact that the two met just days
before its start.

MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS – ARMENIAN NUMBERS SLIDE

SteelGuru
March 4 2009
India

Interfax quoted the National Statistics Service said Armenia saw its
GDP decline 0.7%YoY to AMD 132 billion in January 2009 compared to
January 2008

GDP fell 62.8%YoY in January compared to December 2008.

Industrial production fell 6.5% to AMD 41.7 billion in January and
23.5% compared to December. Construction work increased 13.4% to
AMD 11.1 billion compared to January 2008 but plunged 87.1% against
December. Agriculture production edged up 0.4% to AMD 13.4 billion
versus January 2008 but declined 67.9% compared to December.

Retail turnover increased 5.9% to AMD 62 billion in January but fell
64.1% compared to December. Services grew 1.4% to AMD 49.8 billion but
declined 33.7% against December. Average monthly salaries increased
14.4% in January to AMD 94,246 but fell 21.7% compared to December.

Foreign trade turnover fell 24.4% to AMD 77.9 billion in January with
exports declining 43.9% to AMD 10.4 billion and imports falling 20.2%
to AMD 67.5 billion.

U.S. DOLLAR RATE INCREASED BY 0.25% IN STOCK MARKET

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.03.2009 19:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The situation in Armenia in Stock Exchange Market
has somewhat stabilized since yesterday’s downfall. According to
NASDAQ OMX Armenia, the results of today’s auction at the Armenian
Stock Exchange Market were the following: the weight average dollar
rate rose only by 0,25% amounting to 373,6 drams per $1.The highest
dollar rate at the Stock Exchange today was 373,6drams/$1, the lowest
dollar rate-371,5drams/$1. As compared with yesterday the business
transactions have increased almost twice, amounting approx. $7,4 mln
but it still a low rate.

CONTROL OVER FOREIGN EXCHANGE POINTS TO BE TOUGHENED IN ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2009-03-03 16:25:00

ArmInfo. Control over foreign exchange points in Armenia will be
toughened, Chairman of the Armenian Central Bank Artur Javadyan told
media Tuesday. The amendments to the legislation on foreign exchange
operations by the Parliament will make it possible toughening measures
of punishment for violation of foreign exchange legislation.

‘Foreign exchange points should only buy foreign exchange
from individuals and sell it to individuals serving mainly
tourists. However, our surveys showed that these duties are not
fulfilled in reality. Amendments to the above law do not provide
for criminal responsibility for the exchange points and individuals
engaged in foreign exchange deals without relevant licenses despite
the boom in the market and speculative sentiments’, he said.

A. Javadyan said that Central Bank is making rather large-scale
inspections and provide data on violations to law-enforcement
agencies. Exchange points have a right to sell and buy currency
only in registered places, A. Javadyan said. They have no right to
buy currency at banks. A. Javadyan said that over the last 5 days,
Central Bank conducted daily inspections at all the local banks. All
the banks sold currency with some restrictions in compliance with the
law. For instance, he said, selling over US$10,000 banks demanded
a client to fill some forms and to report on the place where these
funds would be spent. In case of over 400,000 drams demand by a
client, banks required passport, he said. A. Javadyan highlighted
that foreign exchange rate is established only at stock exchange
markets and inter-bank market. Late in the evening on Monday, a US
dollar was sold for 430 drams in the black market in Armenia whereas
exchange points sold /bought a US dollar for 306/308 drams both on
Monday and on Tuesday before 11:00am. Afterwards the exchange rate
sharply rose in an hour to 340/375 drams and keeps on growing.