Author: Tadevosian Garnik

ISSUE OF ARMENIANS OF AZERBAIJAN IS CORNERSTONE OF KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.02.2010 20:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Draft assessment of events in Sumgait is on the
agenda of the Armenian Parliament, and is supported in international
bodies, Gregory Ayvazyan , head of "Assembly of Azerbaijani-Armenians"
told a news conference in Yerevan.

"First and foremost, we must recognize as Genocide the events in
Sumgait, and then submit the draft to the international community,"
Ayvazyan said.

"Azerbaijan is not a rival to Armenia, it is an implacable enemy,"
Ayvazyan said.

If Azerbaijan is ready to provide guarantees of international security
to Armenian refugees, the Armenians of Azerbaijan are ready to return.

"But this does not happen, we will accept a one-way return of
Azerbaijani refugees to the region without resolving of our problems,"
Ayvazyan said. "The question of Armenians in Azerbaijan is not only
the issue of refugees, but the cornerstone of Karabakh conflict
settlement", Ayvazyan said.

The Sumgait pogroms (also known as the Sumgait Massacre or February
Events) was an Azeri-led pogroms of the Armenian population of
Azerbaijani Sumgait from 26 to 29 February 1988. On February 27, 1988,
large mobs made up of Azeris formed into groups that went on to attack
and killed Armenians both on the streets and in their apartments.

Sumgait pogroms lasted three days and were accompanied by widespread
violence, looting and murder. Sumgait events signaled the beginning of
another unprecedented wave of anti-Armenian persecutions and violence
in Azerbaijan, a new genocide. The victims of this of anti-Armenian
persecutions and violence were Armenians of Kirovabad, Kazakhs,
Khanlar, Dashkesan, Mingechaur, Baku and other towns and villages
of Azerbaijan. This has led to floods of refugees from Azerbaijan in
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

The armed conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke
out in 1998, as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched
in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought
from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994
(when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most
of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions is
now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are
holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

PROTEST ACTION IN FRONT OF AZERBAIJANI EMBASSY TO BE HELD FEBRUARY 27 IN ATHENS

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.02.2010 20:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On February 27 at the initiative of Youth wing of
ARF Dashnaktsutyun of Greece will organize a protest action in front
of Azerbaijani Embassy in Athens. Since 1988, every year on February
28 Armenians throughout the world commemorate the victims of the
bloody events organized by the Azerbaijani authorities against the
Armenian population of Sumgait , the Azad Or newspaper wrote.

The Sumgait pogroms (also known as the Sumgait Massacre or February
Events) was an Azeri-led pogroms of the Armenian population of
Azerbaijani Sumgait from 26 to 29 February 1988. On February 27, 1988,
large mobs made up of Azeris formed into groups that went on to attack
and killed Armenians both on the streets and in their apartments.

Sumgait pogroms lasted three days and were accompanied by widespread
violence, looting and murder. Sumgait events signaled the beginning of
another unprecedented wave of anti-Armenian persecutions and violence
in Azerbaijan, a new genocide. The victims of this of anti-Armenian
persecutions and violence were Armenians of Kirovabad, Kazakhs,
Khanlar, Dashkesan, Mingechaur, Baku and other towns and villages
of Azerbaijan. This has led to floods of refugees from Azerbaijan in
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT:TURKEY’S INVOLVMENT IN NKR ISSUE IS IMPOSSIBLE

Aysor
Feb 26 2010
Armenia

In response to the request for commenting on the Turkish Foreign
Minister’s statements the Armenian President’s staff informed
yesterday that in Kiev the Armenian President didn’t receive the
Turkish Foreign Minister.

In the number of other invited officials A. Davutoglu attended the
official inauguration ceremony of Ukraine’s president-elect Victor
Yanukovich where he approached and exchanged views with RA President
Serzh Sargsyan.

President Sargsyan has stressed that for moving forward political will
is required and Armenia considers that the present process should
be brought to an end in a very short time limits, otherwise, as it
was stated beforehand, the Armenian Republic will halt the protocol
signing process.

The RA President has repeated that in the NKR settlement process
the involvement of Turkey is impossible, as it is a country which
shows a military support to one of the opposite sides, to Azerbaijan,
and always makes biased statements on the conflict settlement process.

"The country which dreams about a region without borders should make
the first step by itself and abolish the blockade of the Armenian
border, which will allow opening the communication and transport
substructures of the region. If the Azerbaijani depressions do not
allow the Turkish Parliament to ratify the protocols than there is
nothing that disturbs the Turkish executive bodies to reopen the
closed border between of the two states, even before the ratification
of the protocols", – President Sargsyan told to his interlocutor,
the press service of the RA President informs.

YURI MERZLYAKOV RECEIVED A NEW APPOINTMENT

armradio.am
26.02.2010 15:53

OSCE Minsk Group Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov received a new
appointment, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko
was quoted as saying by the Vesti television channel.

"Russia’s position in the OSCE Minsk Group is not determined by our
representatives in it, but by the president," he added.

"We will announce the new co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group from
Russia after Merzlyakov ends his mission. I am absolutely sure that
the new co-chair will also work energetically like Merzlyakov,"
Nesterenko said.

IN THE FRAMEWORKS OF THE "GOLDEN GUITAR" FESTIVAL

Aysor
feb 25 2010
Armenia

The press and public relations department of the Yerevan State
University informs that tomorrow at 15:00 in the hall of the YSU
Culture center (central department 6th floor) will take place an
evening of authorized songs.

The fund of culture development and the Cultural center of the YSU
in the frameworks of the author’s song festival "Golden Guitar" will
prepare an evening of author’s song. 13 performers will partake in
the concert. They are the participants that won till now in "Golden
Guitar" festival and other well known authors.

Ruben Hakhverdyan, Edward Zorikyan, Davit Amalyan and others will
give an opportunity to the young students to sing together with them.

The event is aimed at discovering the young authors. This troop
consisting of 13 people will visit also other educational institutions.

EU ENVOY, AZERBAIJANI MINISTER DISCUSS IRAN, KARABAKH

APA
Feb 25 2010
Azerbaijan

Peter Semneby "There is some chance for the solution to the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.

"There is now a chance to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It
is very important not to lose this chance," the European Union’s
special representative for the South Caucasus, Peter Semneby, told
journalists in Baku yesterday.

He said the talks process had been moving forward steadily last year.

"The co-chairs are being replaced now," Semneby said, referring to
the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, mediating a settlement to the
conflict. "If the chance is lost, the process will be prolonged."

Earlier in the day, Peter Semneby had been received by Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

They discussed Azerbaijan-EU relations, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
energy and Iran, Semneby said.

The EU is aware that developments in Iran have a major effect on
Azerbaijan, the envoy commented. "Besides, Azerbaijan has knowledge
and information about Iran that the EU doesn’t have, so it is important
for us to discuss Iran with Azerbaijan."

Touching upon Azerbaijan-EU relations, Peter Semneby said the Lisbon
treaty had created an opportunity for both the EU and Azerbaijan to
establish a new relationship. "The Eastern Partnership Program was
launched to set the framework for our relationship with Azerbaijan
and other South Caucasian countries, as well as Ukraine, Moldova and
Belarus. In the next phase, we will establish associative relations.

This is a long and very important process covering all spheres of
our relations."

Asked about the schedule for the association talks, Semneby said
he could not give an exact date, but the mandate for negotiations
was ready.

Semneby will meet representatives of the political parties on 25
February.

ARMENIAN STUDY CENTER OPENED IN BULGARIA

news.am
feb 24 2010
Armenia

February 23, the opening ceremony of Armenian study center in San
Kiliment Orhidsk University, Sofia within the framework of "Year of
the Mother Tongue and Reading" was held.

The donors Mr. and Mrs. Hakobyans, representatives of Bulgarian
Education and Science Ministry as well as RA Embassy in Bulgaria,
Armenian consular in Plovdiv, lecturers and students, representative
of Bulgarian Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church Rouben Grigoryan
and other Armenian community representatives attended the ceremony,
RA Foreign Ministry press service informed NEWS.am.

The participants voiced the congratulatory message of Bulgarian
Minister of Education and Science Sergei Ignatov.

TWO ADMIRALS, FIVE MILITARY OFFICERS PUT BEHIND BARS IN COUP PLOT

Asbarez
litary-officers-put-behind-bars-in-coup-plot/
Feb 24th, 2010

ANKARA (Todays Zaman)-A Turkish court on Wednesday arrested and put
behind bars seven senior military officers for allegedly plotting
to overthrow the government. Two of those arrested were admirals on
active duty.

The discovery of plans allegedly drafted by the military in 2003
designed to topple the Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
led to the detention of about 50 active duty and retired members of
the military on Monday. This was the highest profile crackdown ever
carried out on the military.

An Istanbul court also ordered on Wednesday that six of the detainees
be released. It was not, however, clear whether they were freed
pending trial. Prosecutors were still questioning dozens of other
high-ranking officers, including former commanders of the navy,
air force and special forces.

The detainees were questioned over their suspected links to the Balyoz
(Sledgehammer) and Kafes (Cage) coup plots. The subversive plots
included blowing up mosques during Friday prayers, attacking museums
with bombs and other explosives during a visit by young students and
turning stadiums into open-air prisons capable of holding tens of
thousands of people if they challenged the coup troops.

On Tuesday evening, Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug gathered
military generals at an extraordinary meeting at the General Staff
in the Turkish capital. Gen. Basbug had postponed his planned visit
to Egypt after the detentions.

Tuesday’s meeting was attended by 15 generals on active duty. A
statement posted on the General Staff Web site read that the meeting
intended to evaluate the "serious situation" that had erupted as
part of an investigation being conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public
Prosecutor’s Office. The General Staff was referring to the Ergenekon
investigation, a probe into a clandestine terrorist organization
accused of working to overthrow the government.

Dozens of suspected members of Ergenekon are currently in jail pending
trial on charges of working to destroy the government and Parliament.

Among them are members of the military, academia and the business
world.

ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS TO ATTEND EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Panorama.am
14:29 23/02/2010

Sport

17 Armenian chess players and several others from Armenian Diaspora
are going to attend European Individual Men’s & Women’s Championships
which are being held in Rijeka, Croatia from March 6 to 18, 2010,
Armenian chess federation reported.

TURKEY’S ROLE IN THE REGION IS NOT ALWAYS BENEFICIAL

Aysor
Feb 24 2010
Armenia

Strengthening of Turkey’s role in the region is not always beneficial
to Azerbaijan and Georgia, said chief analyst at the American
University, Mamuka Tsereteli, in his interview with APA agency in
Washington.

"Turkey’s role is growing; however, this is not always beneficial to
Azerbaijan and Georgia. Turkey isn’t going to be a security measure
against Russia, and this situation turns round everything," he said.

"There are three key factors in the region, of these one is the
declining strategic links between the regional players. We can see
decline in relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia in some spheres,
while before these relations between the two countries were at a
higher level. The second factor is the U.S.’s new policy in relation
to Russia, which influences the situation in the Caucasus and leads
to the lowering of the U.S.’s interest in the region. And the final
factor is a great pressure by Russia," he said.

Referring to the Karabakh talks, analyst said that there is not any
specific progress in negotiations.