Author: Navasardian Karapet

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVED BY HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

NOYAN TAPAN
FEBRUARY 11, 2010
LONDON

LONDON, FEBRUARY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. During his working visit to
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan was received by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II at Buckingham Palace.

Issues related to the development prospects of Armenian-British
relations, European integration of Armenia, and the Armenian-Turkish
normalization were discussed. S. Sargsyan informed Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II about the approaches of official Yerevan to the issues
discussed.

At his London residence, S. Sargsyan received the British Foreign
Minister David Miliband. Armenian-British relations and regional
security issues were discussed at the meeting. S. Sargsyan stated
that Armenia attaches great importance to the furher promotion of the
political dialog and the development of trade and economic relations
with the UK and our country is interested in expanding cooperation in
various spheres. The interlocutors expressed confidence that the EU
Eastern Partnership initiative opens a wide range of opportunities for
promoting cooperation both in the bilateral and multilateral formats.

S. Sargsyan and D. Miliband also discussed issues related to regional
security, the Armenian-Turkish normalization, and the negotiations
over the Nagorno Karbakh conflict. D. Miliband welcomed the Armenian
president’s efforts on the normalization of relations with Turkey,
noting that the UK supports this process and is interested in the
establishment of peace in our region.

At Windsor Castle, S. Sargsyan had a meeting with Prince Charles and
attended the reception to mark the start of Yerevan My Love project
initiated by Prince Charles and former Armenian Prime Minister
Armen Sargsyan. Following the reception, a concert was given with
the participation of the world-famous conductor Valery Gergiyev and
mezzo-soprano Dariga Nazarbayeva. Under Yerevan My Love project,
four buildings of historical and architectural value in downtown
Yerevan will be reconstructed. Under the patronage of the Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin, these buildings will serve gifted children and
members of the vulnerable groups. Numerous Armenians who had arrived
in London from various Diaspora colonies participated in the reception
held by Prince Charles.

S. Sargsyan also had a meeting with famous public figures and
businessmen of Armenian descent who had arrived in London in
connection with his working visit to the British capital. The Armenian
president expressed a high opinion about their efforts on the economic
development of Armenia and Artsakh, the promotion of ties with the
Homeland, and Armenian identity preservation in Diaspora Armenian
colonies.

JUMBLATT TO ATTEND FEBRUARY 14 RALLY ‘LIKE ANY ORDINARY CITIZEN’

Daily Star
Feb 11 2010
Lebanon

BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt said
that he would take part in the February 14 rally to commemorate
the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri,
but added that he would not deliver a speech at the ceremony. "I
agreed with Premier Hariri on this and I will attend the rally like
any ordinary citizen … like all the Lebanese because in the end
Rafik Hariri belonged to all the Lebanese," Jumblatt said.

Following a meeting with Premier Saad Hariri at the Grand Serail
Wednesday, Jumblatt said he will not visit Syria before February 14.

"When the Syrian government finds it suitable for me to visit Damascus,
I will not refuse," he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Jumblatt and his son Timor visited the
headquarters of the Armenian Tashnag Party in Burj Hammoud and held
talks with party head Hagop Mekhtirian and MP Hagop Pakradounian.

In an interview with As-Safir newspaper published Tuesday, Walid
Jumblat denied that he had called on the US to invade Syria during
a 2006 interview with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius.

"I never called for the invasion of Syria by the US Army … this
is crazy," Jumblat told As-Safir. "Maybe I thought at the time the
condition of the opposition in Syria could improve."

"I hope my clarification today would wipe out the offensive words
against the Syrian people and the Syrian leadership," he said.

Jumblatt also slammed the ongoing attacks by March 14 figures against
Syria.

"I don’t see a need for that particularly after the historic settlement
began with Premier Saad Hariri’s visit to Damascus." He added that
certain figures from the March 14 Forces wanted to overlook the fact
that Hariri paid a visit to Damascus.

Tackling the string of assassinations which rocked Lebanon between
2005 and 2008 and targeted politicians as well as journalists, Jumblatt
said the assassinations continued even after the withdrawal of Syrian
troops from Lebanon in April 2005.

"Maybe someone wanted to pour oil on fire," he said.

On Hizbullah and the resistance, Jumblatt expressed solidarity with
the resistance.

"We only see solidarity with the resistance in Lebanon and with Syria
because Israeli madness could lead to war anytime," he said.

"That’s why I say we are with the Syrian leadership above anything else
in our commitment to confront the Israeli enemy," the PSP leader added.

He told As-Safir he would meet with Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah soon.

Touching upon the February 14 rally to mark five years since Hariri’s
assassination, Jumblatt reiterated that he hoped the occasion would
bring all Lebanese together.

"Unfortunately some people are trying to isolate us from the
commemoration and seeking to build a hostile atmosphere against us
without any justification," he said.

WHY ARE THE SIDES ANNOYED?

A1Plus.am
10/02/10

"In his message to his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan wanted to make Turkey understand that
their turn to act," Leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
-Dashnaktsutyun Vahan hovhannisyan, told a press conference today.

Serzh Sargsyan warns Abdullah Gul against the deadlock in
Armenian-Turkish reconciliation.

"All those who believed that the Protocols carry no preconditions
started acting as soon as the Constitutional Court found the documents
conformable with the Constitution. The anger of the Armenian side is
justified as the country has been deluded while Turkey is annoyed as
its hopes are frustrated," said Mr. Hovhannisyan.

The ARF leader thinks that the CC decision makes Armenia be most
cautious and deny the protocols by annulling them.

But if the National Assembly decides to ratify the protocols, it
should be done with reservations set in the CC decision.

Mr. Hovhannisyan also spoke of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s
recent bellicose statements.

"Aliyev’s words forced the country’s youth to escape to Russia and
Ukraine. Azerbaijan is a multi-national country and I don’t think that
the nationalities living in the country are going to send their sons
to die in Karabakh. Armenia has other reasons. We know that they are
going to slaughter us and we shall fight to our last breath."

"AEROFLOT OPEN" GOT UNDERWAY IN MOSCOW: ARMAN PASHIKYAN WON HIS RIVAL

Panorama.am
14:19 10/02/2010

"Aeroflot Open" tournament got underway in Moscow. Armenian GM
Arman Pashikian won Renier Vazquez Igarza (Spain). Other Armenian
chess players Zaven Andriasian had a draw with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
(France), Gabriel Sargissian – with Zhou Weiqi (China), Hrant Melkumyan
– with Krishnan Sasikiran (India), Sergey Grigoriants (Russia) – with
Borki Predojevic (Bosnia/Herzegovina), Yuriy Ajrapetjan (Ukraine) –
with Zhou Jianchao (China).

RA PRESIDENT HINTS TURKEY TO MAKE MOVES: VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN

news.am
Feb 10 2010
Armenia

RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s message to Abdullah Gul recalls Turkey
of its turn to make a move in Armenia-Turkey normalization process,"
Head of ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction Vahan Hovhannisyan told the
reporters on Feb. 10.

According to him, Armenian President warns Turkish authorities that
reconciliation might fail through their fault.

The contradictions over Armenia-Turkey reconciliation heighten,
however it is early to state that process achieved a stalemate,
Hovhannisyan emphasized.

ISRAEL NOT TO STAND ALOOF FROM DEVELOPMENTS IN GREATER MIDDLE EAST
Karine Ter-Sahakyan

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
09.02.2010 GMT+04:00

Turkey and Israel are still strategic partners in words until Ankara
finally decides that Arab world is more important than the Jewish
State.

After the operation "Cast Lead" in Gaza Strip Israel considerably
intensified its activity in the region. With the exception of
"deteriorating" relations with Turkey, the course of Official Tel Aviv
is quite understandable; major changes and developments are evolving
in the region, related to the Jewish State and the Greater Middle
East. Against this background, the statements of Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman before his visit to Baku are perceived much more
seriously than they really are.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Meanwhile it should be noted that no visit of
prominent political figures to Baku passes without a mention of the
Karabakh conflict. Lieberman too decided to have his input, stating
that "The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a very sensitive issue and it
shouldn’t be discussed either in public or in the media." Moreover,
the work carried out by international organizations towards settlement
of the conflict was assessed as unsatisfactory by Lieberman.

Ultimately all his remarks were called to prove that Azerbaijan is a
serious and reliable partner of Israel. In his words, these countries
have many similarities and bilateral relations between them are
rapidly developing.

Lieberman’s statements should be viewed not only in the light of
Israeli-Azerbaijani relations, but also, more importantly, from
the perspective of Israeli-Turkish relations. Turkey and Israel are
still strategic partners in words and they will remain such until
Ankara finally decides that the Arab world is more important than
the tiny Jewish State with its unmeasured ambitions. By the way,
Turkish government has absolutely nothing to do here: the growing
anti-Semitism in the country will do its work. But the main "argument"
of the Turkish side is, of course, the possible recognition of the
Armenian Genocide by the United States and, consequently, by Israel.

However, there is one more issue yet inconceivable: Israel may become a
regional power too, thanks to its nuclear bomb, which Turkey and Iran
lack at the moment. It should also be noted that Israeli army, though
small in comparison with the Turkish one, is quite powerful and mobile,
almost like the Armenian army in contrast to the Azerbaijani one…

In this regard, the forthcoming visit of Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan to Jerusalem takes on importance. Such visits, even if they
are marked as private, are often more important and more productive
than formal meetings. In any case, the Armenian Prime Minister will
obviously meet with representatives of Israel and, possibly, with his
colleague Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as with Avigdor Lieberman. After
all, the invitation was extended by the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Most likely the counterparts will discuss possible opening of the
Israeli Embassy in Yerevan. It is still hard to say how important it
could be for Armenia, but for Israel Armenia may be useful in case of
deterioration of relations with Iran. And the relations are destined
to deterioration. In Jerusalem they openly speak of a war with Iran,
as something taken for granted. Israel has to secure the rear, as it
is not clear how Turkey and Azerbaijan will behave in case of possible
launch of military action. So, what will prevail? Islamic solidarity
or assurances of age-long friendship? It is then that Yerevan will be
needed, especially since both states are too alike. They even hold
the top ranks of the U.S budget in terms of American aid. In short,
we’ll wait & see. Only one thing is unclear; what will Armenia get
from the opening of the Israeli Embassy? There are more Armenians in
Israel than Jews in Armenia, but it looks no one is going to open an
Embassy of Armenia there.

EURO 2012: ARMENIAN FOOTBALL TEAM SCHEDULES FRIENDLY CYPRUS MATCH

Tert.am
15:24 ~U 09.02.10

After the February 7 qualifying draw of the UEFA Euro 2012 football
championship that took place in Warsaw, the Armenian delegation held
negotiations over organizing a friendly match on March 3. Vardan
Minasyan, the Armenian national team’s acting head coach, told
ArmSport.am that a friendly match will, indeed, take place.

"The match will take place in Cyprus on March 3. The negotiations with
our opponents are still underway. The three candidates are Latvia,
Iceland and Ukraine. In the coming days, it will be clear with whom
we will compete," said Minasyan.

The interim head coach also spoke about the Euro 2010 qualifying draw.

The discussions on this issue will be held in Moscow on February 22.

"We would like to begin the qualifying competition with matches on
our own turf. Even if we were to compete with Slovenia or Ireland,
then go to Andorra," said Minasyan.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA TO PAY A WORKING VISIT TO LONDON

ArmInfo
2010-02-08 13:12:00

ArmInfo. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan will leave for the UK
on a working visit on February 9.

The presidential press-service told ArmInfo the delegation comprises
Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Karekin II, Foreign Minister
of Armenia Edward Nalbandian, and Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan.

President Sargsyan will meet HRH Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham
Palace as well as British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and
Prince Charles.

At Windsor Castle President Sargsyan will participate in the reception
and concert inaugurating the project "Yerevan -My Love" initiated by
Prince Charles and Ex-premier of Armenia Armen Sargsyan.

As part of the given project, four buildings having historical and
architectural value in the center of Yerevan will be repaired. Serzh
Sargsyan will meet also representatives of the local Armenian community
who will arrive in London on occasion of the project’s inauguration.

On the second day of his working visit, President of Armenia will
deliver a speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs. The
president is expected to speak of the regional security problems, the
Armenian- Turkish normalization and the negotiations for settlement of
the Karabakh conflict. At the Tate Modern Art Museum Serzh Sargsyan
will participate in opening of the exhibition devoted to the life
and activity of the painter Arshile Gorky, Armenian by origin. The
president of Armenia will be interviewed by Al Jazeera TV in London.

Armenian Community of Malta indignant over Euronews reporting on
Nagorno Karabakh
06.02.2010 11:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Community of Malta expresses its
outrage and disappointment with `Forgotten Victims of Frozen Conflict’
Euronews reporting dated February 1, 2010.

`We think it is incorrect to give such a free and one-sided
interpretation to UN resolutions on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well
as to approve and broadcast calls for war that were heard in the
reporting,’ the community said in a statement.

`We truly hope that one of the most respectable and tolerant channels
of Europe as Euronews is henceforth will be more delicate and tactful
in broadcasting of such reportings, especially taking into
consideration that there are the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations as
a background.

We are very hopeful that the changes in the membership of the
shareholders of the Euronews channel do not have any influence on its
work and not in any way impact the neutrality that a television
channel should possess,’ it said, the Press-service of the Armenian
Diaspora of Malta reported.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in
1988 as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the
final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991
to 1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, sealed by Armenia, NKR and
Azerbaijan, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions of Azerbaijan
around it (the security zone) remain under the control of NKR defense
army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the
OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

ARMENIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA TO GIVE CONCERT IN YEREVAN FEB.12

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.02.2010 15:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra will perform under
the guidance of Artistic Director & Principal Conductor Eduard Topchjan
in Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall on February 12. The program includes
Beethoven’s works. The soloist is Marianna Uzankichian, piano.

The concert is organized by Armenian Ministry of Culture with financial
assistance of VivaCell-MTS and AGBU.

Marianna Uzankichian (born in 1991) is a student of Yerevan State
Conservatory. She is one of the winners of Vladimir Horowitz Young
Pianists (2004). Uzankichian gave concerts in US, Greece, France,
Russia, Germany and Austria.