Author: Navasardian Karapet

ARMENIA TO PASS $100,000 FOR HAITI RELIEF EFFORTS

Aysor
Jan 21 2010
Armenia

Today, Armenia’s government decided to pass $100,000 for Haiti
relief efforts.

"Armenia was also ready to sent 50 rescuers; however, Haiti hadn’t
got technical backing to receive our team. After holding talks with
international organisations, we made a decision to pass a donations
bill," said Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian.

"We know what the earthquake is. Armenia received support, donations,
and help from dozens of countries when the Spitak earthquake hit
Armenia. Now, we are ready to support quake-hit countries," added
minister.

ARMENIA TO RECEIVE 100 MILLION EUROS FROM GERMANY IN 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.01.2010 14:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Government of Armenia approved an agreement
between Germany and Armenia on financial cooperation during the
meeting on January 21. According to Deputy Finance Minister of
Armenia, the chief treasurer Atom Janjughazyan , this agreement
provides the financial help from the Federal Republic of Germany
amounting to 100 million euros. 20 million euros will be directed to
mortgage lending program, 22 million euros – to continue the program
of Vorotan Cascade’s Hydro Power Plant, 18 million euros – to finance
programs in the field of renewable energy, 40 million euro – to the
development of community infrastructure, as well as ecological programs

ARMENIA COULD MAKE BETTER USE OF STRATEGIC RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.01.2010 20:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In addition to numerous examples of open
military-political and economic support of Turkey to Azerbaijan,
we once again witnessed a classic example of the strategic
relationships between the two countries, Eduard Abrahamyan, chairman
of Neo-conservative Movement of Armenia told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Even after the signing of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols, which openly
not demonstrate any coherence between the Armenian-Turkish relations
improvement and the Karabakh conflict settlement, Turkey continues to
insist that without the Karabakh conflict resolution neither diplomatic
relations with Armenia can be established and nor the border can open.

"We understand the desire of Moscow to avoid any accusation of using a
gas lever for political purposes, but it could state without damaging
its reputation, that taking into account of the bilateral blockade of
its strategic partner, it decided to make major concessions related
to gas prices for Armenia, " Mr. Abrahamyan said.

According to him, the Armenian authorities have not used all the ways
to convince Moscow at least to slightly increase gas rates.

Protocols on the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations have
been signed on October 10, 2009 in Zurich by the foreign ministers
of Armenia and Turkey, Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu in the
presence of the foreign ministers of France, the United States, Russia
and Switzerland after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss
mediation since 2007. According to the Protocols, diplomatic relations
should be established between the two countries and the mutual border,
closed by Turkey since 1993, should be opened. On January 12, 2010
Armenian Constitutional Court acknowledged the constituency of the
Protocols.

Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh Republic) (NKR) is a de facto independent
republic located in the South Caucasus, bordering by Azerbaijan to the
north and east, Iran to the south, and Armenia to the west. After the
Soviet Union established control over the area, in 1923 it formed the
Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) within the Azerbaijan SSR.

In the final years of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan launched an ethnic
cleansing which resulted in the Karabakh War that was fought from
1991 to 1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, most of Nagorno Karabakh
and several regions of Azerbaijan around it (the security zone)
remain under the control of Nagorno Karabakh defense army. Armenia
and Azerbaijan have since been holding peace talks mediated by the
OSCE Minsk Group.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS

Lragir.am
21/01/10

Yesterday, Haylur news program of the National Channel was again at
its highness for several reasons. First, the 90 percent of the "main"
news program of the country was dedicated to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The rest 10 percent was shared between Hrant Dink and massacres of
Armenians in Baku in 1990. Plus the Turkish foreign ministry presented
a statement posting it on its website to which the Armenian foreign
minister responded. And the program is ready.

Yesterday the court condemned our partner, the editor-in-chief of
Haykakan Zhamanak daily Nikol Pashinyan to 7 years of imprisonment.

But Haylur did not dwell on this event at all. Interestingly, the news
about Nikol’s trial was not even covered like a verdict against the
"enemy of the nation".

Nikol Pashinyan like Hrant Dink fights for a more democratic,
free country. Nikol wants to build a country which would become the
guarantee of security and dignity of all Armenians living all over the
world for massacres like the one in Baku not to take place any more.

It is difficult to say what the Armenian government and Haylur want,
but they promote Armenia’s not being a strong, free and well-being
country. Perhaps, this is the reason why no essential event enjoys
their attention. Instead, the most superficial monitoring of the
governmental propaganda shows the tragic reality which is overwhelmed
with Turkish-Azerbaijani informational background (pr-specialists
will confirm that the vocabulary and shading are not essential)
on which the government in fact bases its home policy.

HOMAGE PAID TO THOSE KILLED IN BAKU AND SUMGAYIT

gov.am
Jan 20 2010
Armenia

On the 20th anniversary of mass killings organized in Baku, RA
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan visited the memorial complex of
Tsitsernakaberd to pay homage to the victims of these acts of crime.

The Prime Minister and those in attendance laid a wreath at the
monument serving to keep alive the memory of innocent victims. They
observed a minute of silence before the stele dedicated to the victims
and honored the funeral service.

"This is a day of commemoration, meditation and warning for all
of us," Tigran Sargsyan said in his remarks. "Twenty years ago, our
compatriots were killed in Baku merely because they were Armenians. We
must emphasize this while commemorating our victims. We should see if
Armenians all over the world are protected today, whether our dream
of mastering the destiny is realized completely and we are safe from
new threats and challenges, whether we are protected from new ethnic
cleansings targeting our compatriots in different parts of the globe.

The lesson to draw from history is as follows: our powerful and
sovereign statehood is the only pledge for us to tackle all-Armenian
issues and survive as a nation. We must have a strong Armenia if we
are to feel ourselves protected in any part of the world. We need
cohesion and nationwide cooperation in the face of new challenges
ahead as evidenced not only by the killings that took place in Baku 20
years ago, but also by those continued incidences of xenophobia versus
the Armenians officially fomented in Azerbaijan. Hence, we should
be watchful and cautious. In commemorating our innocent victims,
we must clearly see the key to those nationwide issues facing the
Armenian world, namely the strengthening of our sovereign statehood
that is the reinforced, fortified, independent and free Armenia."

WHY DID THEY DEPRIVE ZARUHI?

Lragir.am
20/01/10

Armenia has been a member of the Council of Europe for 10 years and
took a number of commitments concerning the protection of rights and
freedoms. But the experience in 2008 showed that the requirements set
forth in the documents have nothing to do with the reality, said on
January 20, the member of the Heritage faction Zaruhi Postanjyan.

Postanjyan recalled that in Soviet times the right to freedom of
speech and rallies have also been declared, but the Soviet people knew
that the implementation of this right could be violent or even kill
them. Now Armenia is the same. An example of this is March 1. Bodies,
designed to monitor the implementation of the commitments, are
indifferent and deepen the atmosphere of impunity. The last example
is the sentence of Nikol Pashinyan which indicates the absence of
the judicial system in Armenia, said Zaruhi Postanjyan.

According to her, PACE is often guided not by human rights and
democratic principles, but geopolitical interests. The first PACE
resolution after the events of March 1 was tough enough, but in
all subsequent resolutions noted some progress. Thousands of people
have not detected this progress, but felt a step back. It is a pity
that the Council of Europe has adopted this position. However, the
Commission on Human Rights and the European Court upheld the rights
of thousands of people, but it is not enough.

In all this the society is guilty that tolerates lawlessness. Europe’s
response depends on the reaction of public organizations in the
country, says the MP.

Zaruhi Postanjyan also commented on the deprivation of her membership
to the Armenian delegation to PACE. She said that on January 25
there will be a meeting of the PACE, which the issue of Armenia will
appear on the agenda. It is noted that there will be discussions and
debate, but it is unclear on what issue. A member of the Armenian
delegation David Harutyunyan in an interview just confirmed that the
co-rapporteurs of PACE colluded with the Armenian authorities. That’s
why I was denied membership, Postanjyan said, noting that the PACE
no longer sounds the voice of the Armenian opposition. She also noted
that members of the Armenian delegation did not represent adequately
the state and national interests from the rostrum of the Parliamentary
Assembly.

RA PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES EUROPEAN UNION ADVISORY GROUP MEMBERS

Noyan Tapan
Jan 19, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian,
on January 19, receiving the European Union Advisory Group in Armenia
led by Raul de Luzenberger, attached importance to Group’s traditional
meetings giving a possibility to sum up the work done and to outline
the future actions.

According to the RA government Information and Public Relations
Department, at the meeting, the interlocutors touched upon the
anti-corruption policy carried on by the RA government, reforms carried
out in the tax and customs spheres, in particular, development of
a transparent government system. The sides discussed the work being
done in the direction of signing a Free Trade Agreement, free goods
transportation, steps aimed at solution of problems of introduction
of the GSP+ system.

The interlocutors touched upon protection of intellectual property,
as well as development possibilities of small and medium-sized
enterprises. They emphasized the importance of the work proceeding
in the sphere of national debt management, strengthening of the
respective structures of the Ministry of Finance, in that context
attached importance to issues of training and retraining of specialists
in the state government sphere.

T. Sargsian expressing gratitude to the Group members for the important
professional consultation, said that separate meetings are planned
for solving some problems, for more exact commissions to be given.

3 YEARS PASSED AFTER HRANT DINK’S KILLING IN TURKEY

Aysor
Jan 19 2010
Armenia

This day, three years ago 53-year-old Hrant Dink was shot dead outside
his newspaper’s office in Istanbul.

Armenian-born Turkish journalist, editor of bilingual Turkish-Armenian
newspaper Agos, Hrant Dink was one of the most prominent voices of
Turkey’s shrinking Armenian community.

In an interview with Aysor’s paper Bagrat Estukian, editor of Armenian
version of Agos paper, said Hrant Dink voiced most pointed matters
and was known all around Turkey. He said Dink had remarkable abilities
to explain most complicated subjects in clear words.

Cause of articles dealing with the killing of Kurds and Armenians,
Hrant Dink was among dozens of writers in Turkey who have been charged
under 301 of Turkey’s penal code with insulting Turkish identity.

Hrant Dink, editor and journalist, born September 15 1954, was killed
on January 19 2007 by Ogun Samast, a 17-year old Turkish nationalist.

The killer was reported to have introduced himself as an Ankara
University student who wanted to meet with Dink. When his request
was rejected, he waited in front of a nearby bank.

The Dink murder trial opened in Istanbul on July 2, 2007. 18 people
were charged at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14 in connection with
the journalist’s assassination. Since Ogun Samast was younger than
18 the hearing was not public. Reportedly the defendants Yasin Hayal
and Erhan Tuncel repeated their testimonies given to the security
forces and prosecutor. The court decided to release the defendants
Osman Altay, Irfan Ozkan, Salih Hacisalihoglu and Veysel Toprak to
be tried without remand and adjourned the hearing to 1 October.

Meanwhile, 11 hearings have already been held without any result.

Hundreds of solidary people, among them Armenians, Kurds, and Turkish,
gather to voice their positions with posters reading "We are all
Hrant Dink", "For Hrant, For Justice".

Next hearing is expected on February 8 2010. Dink’s case lawyer Fethiye
Cetin told in a telephone interview with Aysor’s correspondent, if
the upcoming hearing doesn’t bring a result, then they will apply to
the European Court.

ARMENIA IS IN NEED OF RADICAL REFORMS, HRANT BAGRATIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Jan 18, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The economic decline has not
receded in Armenia because no positive steps have been taken in this
direction. Former Prime Minister of Armenia Hrant Bagratian made this
statement at the January 18 meeting with reporters, adding that the
country is in need of radical reforms.

"For example, it is necessary to introduce progressive income tax,
which was not done. Besides, there should be no private lotteries
because incomes from a lottery are risk-free incomes, and the ministry
of finance should take this activity in its hand. Or, why provide
assistance to developers? The country is in crisis because of them,"
the former prime minister said, noting that in the past ten years only
elite buildings have been constructed in Yerevan, which are not sold
now and will not be sold in the next five years. "There is no point
in wasting money on construction of 20 thousand luxurious apartments
in Yerevan," the economist underlined.

In the words of H. Bagratian, Armenia needs serious "political and
economic medical aid". "In other words, it is necessary to prevent
the country’s economic potential from concentrating in the hands
of several people, the president should not be allowed to become a
billionaire, and the church should not be allowed to do business," H.

Bagratian stated. According to him, the Armenian National Congress
has potential to change this situation.

He said that if the situation continues, the crisis will gradually
deepen in Armenia. In his words, 7% economic growth was recorded
in Armenia in 1994, whereas the 15% decline in 2009 is currently
considered a gratifying fact.

news.az, Azerbaijan
Jan 16 2010

Turkey more likely to ratify Armenian protocols after PM’s Russia trip
Sat 16 January 2010 | 07:03 GMT Text size:

Artem Yerkanyan News.Az interviews Artem Yerkanyan, political
commentator on Armenia’s Shant TV channel and Novoye Vremya newspaper.

The Constitutional Court of Armenia has recognized the
Armenian-Turkish protocols as compliant with the Armenian
Constitution, although the opposition is protesting at this decision.
Do you think the Armenian parliament will ratify the protocols in
these conditions?

I think the verdict of the Constitutional Court will not influence the
further ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols in the National
Assembly. The Constitutional Court has simply given a legal assessment
while parliament will base its decision on political expediency. The
political validity of the protocols can be disputed, but it is
difficult to see any contradictions to the Constitution in them. The
court could not have taken any other decision. Nevertheless, this does
not mean that the next barrier to the protocols’ validation will be
removed so easily. By submitting the protocols for assessment at the
Constitutional Court and getting its approval, the Armenian political
leadership has shown consistency in implementing the agreements
reached. The path that Armenia could take alone has ended. Further
steps will depend fully on Ankara’s political will. The protocols will
be included on the agenda of the National Assembly only after they
have been ratified by the Turkish Grand National Assembly. If this
happens, the opposition protests will not play a major role as the
parliamentary majority is positive on this issue. In addition, the
opposition arguments will be weakened by that time, because the
authorities will be able to describe the ratification of the protocols
by the Turks without preconditions as a success for Armenian
diplomacy.

How will the Turkish side respond?

I do not think the legal assessment of the protocols by the
Constitutional Court of Armenia will have an influence on the plans of
the Turkish leadership. No response to the decision of the court
should be expected. Turkey will have to respond not to the
Constitutional Court of Armenia but to the United States, which is a
specific guarantor of the implementation of the Zurich agreements. If
Erdogan does not sanction ratification of the protocols, he will not
only breach the agreements reached with Armenia but also face
Washington’s pressure. This will significantly raise the chances of
the adoption of the so-called `Armenian resolution’ [recognizing the
mass killing of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide] in the US
Congress.

How do you evaluate the Turkish prime minister’s visit to Russia?
Erdogan has reiterated to Russia Turkey’s position that the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations is impossible without the
Karabakh conflict settlement. How will events develop further?

I think the results of the visit were quite positive for Armenia, as
they showed the obvious fact that Ankara’s attempts to speak to
Yerevan in the language of ultimatums are rejected by all the
superpowers. Russian Prime Minister Putin said openly that Moscow
considers it inadmissible to bind the process of Armenian-Turkish
normalization to the Karabakh issue. Armenia appreciates the Kremlin’s
constructive, principled position. It is clear that the approaches of
Moscow and Washington are almost identical on this issue. Ankara feels
the strong pressure of the superpowers which, I think, will help
reconcile the Turkish leaders to the inevitability of giving up on
preconditions. I think the ratification of the protocols in the Grand
National Assembly has become more likely since Erdogan’s visit to
Russia.

What do you think of reports that `Turkey and Russia are holding
private talks’ and `they are cooking something up"? Does this mean
that the Karabakh problem may be settled soon?

I don’t worry that this dish will be hazardous for Armenia’s health.
Though it may seem paradoxical, I think that in this case Yerevan and
Ankara are tactical allies in a sense. The interests of Armenia and
Turkey demand the same: Azerbaijan should be reconciled with the
realities and make a reasonable compromise. This will allow Erdogan to
ratify the protocols with a clear conscience and save face. I think
the Turkish leadership’s main problem lies in saving face. Erdogan
needs to justify his readiness to ratify the protocols at least with a
single document that would contain the signatures of the presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia. The content of this document is completely
unimportant to him. I think reports about the possible signing of a
new, purely declarative, document on an agreement on the renewed
Madrid principles at the next meeting of the presidents of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Russia is no accident. A declaration rather than a
framework agreement is being talked about. This less binding document
would be enough for Erdogan to say that he has kept his promise and
now has the right to ratify the protocols, but it would not mean that
the sides will be close to settling the Karabakh conflict.

Kamala Mammadova
News.Az